For those of you interested in doing more email marketing to boost your sales I included some tips here from Aweber about doing split tests on your email marketing to get the most out of your campaigns. So, instead of just hearing me speak, today you get a present. Aweber’s voice of email marketing reason.
Please note that all steps listed below work best with an Aweber account, but you should be doing split testing whenever possible in all of your marketing to determine what works best.
Split Testing 3 Steps
Take a look at that last promotion you sent. Go ahead, open it up.
How is your subject? Interesting enough to open? How about your call to action? So intriguing that you want to click it?
Good! But opens and clicks only measure interest. They’re not your end goal.
Your goal is to make sales. It’s the revenue from customer purchases that keeps you afloat. So a broadcast’s true worth can be measured in the sales it generates.
The trick is finding out how to put the message together in a way that prompts the most purchases. With a little setup, you can do this right in your AWeber account.
Step 1: Set Up Sales Tracking
First, you’ll need to make sure you’re tracking the purchases subscribers are making in response to each broadcast.
Once you’re ready, it’s time for…
Step 2: Tweak Your Promotional Broadcast
Start with your original broadcast design. The goal is to see if a different version will sell more, so you’ll need to create that other version.
To get started, take a look at:
- Your call to action. Is your design eye-catching enough? Would different words be more compelling? Should it move above the fold (the point where readers need to scroll to see more)?
- Your text-to-image ratio. Experts recommend a blend of 60% text to 40% images to illustrate your message while avoiding spam traps.
- Your preheader. Do you have a whitelisting request? A link to your newsletter online? An unsubscribe link?
- Your format. Are you using the best layout for your content? Or should you try one of these options instead?
- Your images and copy. Are you presenting your product or service in the best possible light? Or would your readers respond better to something else?
Step 3: Split Test For the Winning Design
To figure out which design will generate more sales, use the broadcast split testing feature in your account. This sends each version to a randomly selected, equally sized audience so you’ll get the most accurate results.
After the broadcasts go out, follow the QuickStats for each version to keep track of sales. (Just click on the subject on the Broadcast page to see how they’re doing.)
Once you have the winning version, you know what design to use for future promotions!
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Hello Andy,
Many thanks for sharing these tips for split testing. I use Aweber and I found there customer services very helpful any time I had any reason to contact them. They also have a great blog. I live in Ireland and I wanted to give them an address without a post code, due to us not having postcodes as yet for their service . Which caused a problem. But I found the solution is to put some zeros in front of our district. That solved the problem for me. I am sure it is a matter of time we will be brought in line with other places . I will be back to this blog. All the best Rosemary
Rosemary,
That is great that they were able to accommodate you!
Andy
Andy,
I was delighted the way they were able to accomodate me. This has caused me problems closer to home before and not always to such a great result. I told a pal about your post with the recommended blogs to read. All the best Rosemary
Rosemary,
Thank you so much for referring your friend to my blog! You rock!
Andy
Testing is the key to success. Whether it be A/B split testing or multivariate testing, you need to be testing if you hope to optimize your efforts.
Great Tips!
Dewane,
Betting it all on red generally does not work!
Andy
Andy,
this is amazing information that all should put to use with any platform they are launching email marketing from.
I believe in structure when setting up the page to be the content. If you get each person to open and no one purchase, you loose out on all those hours spent.
If you know your clients and their purchasing habits. You would not have any problems with communicating with them. Learning what their needs are and filling those needs.
This can and has been done over again via email. I found keeping a lasting relationship with all my contacts. Knowing their desires and needs helps me utilize a full mailing with no issues.
Whatever works for you. I find not needing to test this and that. Saves me money and time. I keep a real relationship with all my contacts during many years. That way loyalty and service goes together.
Andy, nice article and a subject well done. I look forward in reading more strategies from you.
William,
Having a great relationship with your list is an even better way to split test your email marketing.
Andy