What elements can we test in our email marketing?

We have already discussed in in the past about the importance of testing our emails to achieve better results in open and click-through rates. In this case, we will see which elements we can test and we will give you 13 A/B test ideas to implement in your email marketing campaigns.

Before we get into the subject and to put it into context, or we remember what A/B testing is and what it allows us to do..
The A/B test allows us to send two variants of the same email to our subscribers. Half of our users will receive email "A" and the other half will receive email "B". It is very interesting because it allows us to see how our users react to each of the emails and thus know, for future mailings, what works best for us.
After this brief introduction, we will now discuss the examples of A/B testing that stand out the most:

Subject
The subject line is one of the most important elements when sending an email, as it is precisely the first thing that the user sees related to it. It is the one that influences the opening or not opening of the email and for this reason, we often have so many headaches when deciding how it has to be. What aspects can we test in the subject line? We can test how it has to be lengthif it is better personalise it and put the name of the person to whom it is addressed or not, if it affects whether or not to put symbols or, for example, if it works better to write the subject in the form of a question.

Pre-header
The preheader is the text that accompanies the subject line and complements it. Therefore, we cannot underestimate it and we must give it the value it deserves, since at first glance it helps us to provide more information about our email. In terms of A/B test ideas that we can implement to improve our Email Marketing metrics, we would highlight the tone of the messageto test a possible personalisation (if we haven't already done so in the subject line) or for example, try showing offers and discounts.

Name of Sender
We are used to seeing that most companies use the name of the brand as the sender. But beyond this tradition, there are other possibilities that allow you to break this trend. Do you dare to try them in an A/B test?

• Name of the brand: Digital Response
• Name of the sender + name of the brand: Pablo Diaz of Digital Response
• Brand name + slogan or brand description: Digital Response, Email Marketing Agency
• Brand name + subject: Digital Response latest news
• Brand name + team/identity/department: Digital Response Newsletter

Copy
The email copy is what allows us to give the message about what we want to communicate, which is why we take so much trouble to get the best version of it. In terms of the elements that we can test, we find the tone, or rather, the brand language we use to engage with our audience. Doing an A/B test will help us to analyse which tactics or strategies work best for us. We can also test whether users respond better to a longer and more explanatory text or a shorter and more concise one, therefore, testing your length.

Images
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and in the case of email marketing this phrase fits perfectly. The main image we choose is the one that will make the first impression on the person who opens the email. In this case, the A/B Test will allow us to see with what type of images our subscribers react better: with peoplewith productswith a gif... there are endless possibilities.

Navigation
It is important that we find the most optimal type of navigation to implement in our emails. Sometimes, giving users too many clickable options can create confusion and generate a negative effect. This tendency increases in those campaigns that seek to achieve a conversion through a certain action. Test the navigability of your email and look for the best option.

Call to action
What is the ideal Call to Action? The reality is that it is a mystery, as what may work well for one brand may not work for others. There are many elements that we can test in order to make a good Call to Action: the positionthe sizethe colourthe text and even the format.

Recommended products
Have you thought about adding recommended products to your email? Then the A/B test will be your best ally to know which is the best way to implement it. You can test how it works to add a specific number of productswhether it is better to highlight those that are more economical or more expensive (depending on the price), whether it is preferable to opt for only one product class or if on the other hand we prefer to customising products depending on the profile of the consumer.

Customised content
When we talk about personalised content, we are referring to blocks of dynamic content that change depending on the consumer profile. For example, they can show products or categories of content that are to the consumer's liking, promotions that are offered depending on the user's location and we can even show promotions and offers to a certain group of subscribers and not to others. Therefore, we can test whether or not we personalise the content and, if we choose to personalise it, what type of content we show depending on the involvement, interests and tastes of the consumer. In this context, it can help us a lot to have established the user life cycle of the contacts that are part of our database.

Incentives
Are you hesitating between one offer or another in your emailing campaign? The A/B test will solve your doubts. Test what kind of offers, promotions and discounts work best among your subscribers. Who knows, maybe you will discover that in order to maintain your brand positioning, it is better not to offer any discount at all.
Here are a few ideas for incentives to test:

• Limited number of products with a discount: "Tick-tock, tick-tock, we only have 50 units at half price. It allows us to create urgency in the purchase of the product.
• Discount on your next purchase: "Get 20% off your next purchase". It helps us increase the likelihood of a future purchase.
• Offer pack: "Two perfumes for the price of one" helps us to satisfy the need to save.
• Free shipping costs. It also helps us to satisfy the need to save.

Number of emails / Time and day of sending / Waiting time
In this section we will discuss 3 types of A/B Test that revolve around the time of dispatch of the campaign. On the one hand, the number of emails to send and the waiting timeare two variables that are associated with automated emails. Doing an A/B test can help us to know, for example, how many emails we should send after a person registers on our website or how long we should wait to send an email to a person who has abandoned a shopping cart. On the other hand, an A/B test that is very common is the one of time and day of dispatch. For example: we can send one part of our subscribers an email first thing in the morning and the other half in the afternoon-evening, or we can also test if there is a day of the week when our users are more receptive to our communications. Here you can see a very interesting example of an A/B test we did.
 
In short, it is really important that we try to test our campaigns with the help of A/B Testing. Not only will we be able to improve our Email Marketing metrics, but we will also get to know our most valuable asset much better: our subscribers.
We leave you the Ebook Four case studies on testing in Email Marketing with which you can check various A/B test results and apply them to your campaigns.