3 Steps To A/B Testing

Knowing what works and what doesn’t in your e-marketing strategies is a prerequisite for success. The idea behind A/B testing is to answer the question: Is A more effective than B? By changing one variable within two separate, randomly selected groups over a period of time, you can see which method produces better results. Here are three steps for implementing A/B testing in your e-marketing efforts.

Step 1: Determine what results you’re looking for: Before you can decide what you’ll test, you need to decide what constitutes a success. What’s the current state of your traffic and sales, and how do you want them to change?

Step 2: Decide what variables you’ll be testing: It’s important to test only one variable at a time. Some things to consider testing are the subject line, style of call-to-action buttons, message layout, body copy and approach to personalization.

Step 3: Analyze the results: After you’ve sent your two email versions to your A and B lists, analyze the results by checking their open and click-through rates, as well as conversion rates once they’re on your website.