30 A/B tests to improve your newsletters

59% Many companies run A/B tests during their email campaigns. Why? Because tests are important for optimizing your newsletters' results.

They make it possible to understand how your subscribers think and behave. They also provide valuable insights into your audience's preferences.

To optimize the conversion rate of your emailings, you can't rely solely on intuition. To know how to win over your audience, you need concrete facts and to analyze in depth the content and design of your emails. This is where A/B testing comes in…

Trying different versions of your emails improves open, click, and conversion rates. But to do that, you must test several elements!

A/B testing lets you present two versions of web content in order to determine which produces the best results. These two variations are called A and B and are shown randomly to your audience. Analyzing these versions allows you to test the effectiveness of each.

Want to improve your newsletter? Here are 30 A/B tests to perform to increase your open rates and the conversion rate of your emails.

A/B test: text version vs HTML email

ISPs used to favor the plain text, but as long as your images are accompanied by alt text, your deliverability won't be affected.

However, you should run A/B tests to see which version is most appreciated by your subscribers. You may notice differences between your clients and prospects, between men and women, or between loyal customers and new buyers.

A/B test the email subject line

This is the first thing your audience sees when they open their inbox. The subject line alone can convince your prospect to open the email or not. If the subject doesn't attract them, they may simply decide to send it straight to the trash.

The wording of your newsletter subject line can make a huge difference to the open rate. You can test different variations of the subject line:

A/B test the preheader

It's more or less a second email subject and another card to play to capture the prospect's attention. The preheader encourages reading the email's content.

Some senders always use the same one and others are more inventive. If you don't use one, now is the time to try this version!

A/B test the design of your newsletters

Designing a newsletter encompasses several parameters such as rich media, responsiveness and interactivity. Your emails must always be adapted to smartphones and tablets to meet the needs of mobile subscribers.

You can therefore test:

A/B test of images

The way you use images matters. Do you use a single large image or several small ones? Which visuals from your library do you choose to insert into your emails?

Depending on your industry and type of business, test using different visual elements such as:

A/B tests for calls to action

Visual elements must be taken into account and call-to-action buttons play a crucial role in email marketing. Your email must attract your readers' attention but above all it must drive traffic to your website.

Your call to action influences conversions. However, it can be presented in several formats, colors or wording. Make sure you find the phrasing that will maximize visits to your website and test:

The call to action has the final say; it determines whether your audience wants to access your website or not.

Test the length of your email

Anything goes in a newsletter! You can send a brief message or, conversely, several pieces of information. Experiment with message length to discover your subscribers' preferences.

Does your audience prefer longer or shorter content? If your main goal is to drive traffic to your site, prioritize A/B tests with shorter content.

On the other hand, if you want to build trust and closeness with your audience, content can be longer and provide real added value.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to run effective A/B tests:

Test different tones in your newsletter

Depending on your audience profile, what tone is most appropriate? You can test a more informal tone to create a personalized connection with your prospects.

Today, it's even possible to let the prospect choose the newsletter content at signup by setting certain preferences. That way, they can decide to receive promotional offers or informational emails about your brand, etc.

Personalization is widely used in web marketing but isn't necessarily suitable for every industry.

A/B test the number of products included

Here’s an interesting A/B test if you’re in e-commerce! To optimize conversions, should you focus on a single product or offer a selection? How many items should you include at most: 3, 4, 5 or more?

To find out, you'll need to test several versions of your newsletter.

A/B test the number of links in the newsletter

Including too many or too few links can have a negative effect on your newsletter's performance.

When your emails contain multiple links, it can bloat the size of your message (especially if you use tracking links). As a result, if your messages exceed 102 KB, they may be clipped by ISPs. Moreover, including too many links can create confusion for readers. They won't know where to click.

Test different versions of your emails with more and fewer links to determine the right ratio for your campaigns.

Test different sender names

The way you label the "sender" section influence the open rate.

You can choose to personalize it, for example with the first name of the person in charge of your marketing or customer support, or simply use your company name. Generally, marketing specialists use their brand name, a person's name, or a mix of both.

If your audience has strong ties to someone associated with your company, listing a person's name as the sender can generate higher email open rates.

The idea is to test the impact of each label to find out which performs best.

A/B tests on your sender address

Personalizing the sender address can also help your contacts connect better with your offer.

Test different sending times

There are various studies about the best time to send your newsletterHowever, what works for other companies may not work for yours.

You should try different times to discover your audience's peak login times. Is it during work hours, at lunch, or when they're back home? You'll find out through an A/B test!

When is your audience most available to open emails? Most brands send email campaigns early in the morning or in the evening, but this depends on your audience. Run different tests to identify your audience's habits.

An A/B test to find the best day of the week

As with the time of day, there is no ideal weekday to send a newsletter. Response rates vary by industry and target audience.

For example, if you market B2C products, response rates can be higher on weekends when users are more inclined to shop online. Conversely, in B2B you will likely see better results during the week.

Test several sending periods for your newsletter: weekdays, weekends, Wednesday…

A/B test the links to your social profiles

As a brand, it is essential to be present on different channels. So you inevitably have a presence on one or more social networks.

You can test adding buttons linked to all your networks to see if they are appealing to your audience. Try several shapes and sizes of buttons, as you would for a call to action.

Conclusion

A/B tests help you find the most effective formula, the one that will help you achieve your objectives.

Run these A/B tests and then check your statistics to see which changes are effective with your loyal audience! It's an excellent way to make your email marketing campaign more effective and increase your conversion rate.

With these 30 examples, you will be able to refine your newsletters to more easily reach your goals. Now it's your turn!

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