We’ve described the theory of email testing over the last couple of weeks but you will, no doubt, appreciate a walk through.

We will assume you have seen stagnation in your click-through rate over the last few email marketing campaigns. Whilst it hasn’t got worse, your past data suggests that you should expect rates to increase as you become known to your subscribers.

Before coming up with fantastical changes to the style of the email there are some checks you need to make by interrogating your email marketing software. This is an essential as you need to eliminate, at least as far as possible, other reasons why your returns are giving concern.

List those who did not click-through and see if you can discover a common factor or group of factors. For instance, if you found that the rate is lower for a certain age range then you need to work out a reason why this might be so. 

If the age group is near the younger end of your email marketing list then perhaps a more funky design might generate a response. On the other hand those with more experience of life could be invigorated by a direct and less flowery approach.

So let us run with a specific age demographic, those under 30 years who are also technologically savvy. Separate these into their own email marketing list and decide what you are going to do.

If you are lucky enough to have a large email marketing list – although I accept luck has little to do with it – you could try a number of different designs on this specific group. 

You will need a control group to whom you send the normal design of email. If you have sufficient numbers you could separate the rest into three and try minor modifications for one, perhaps colour changes – something bright perhaps, then a change of design of the box and finally a completely new wizard, which includes typeface, images and such.

The returns will give an indication of the way you should proceed. For instance, if the control group returned 18%, the minor changes 21%, middle of the road 24% and the extreme change 22% then you have a clear idea of the way to go.

The good news will be that your basic design is good and all it needs is tweaking, although more than just a little. The bad news is that it doesn’t end here.

You now know that the design of your emails has a significant affect on the click-through rate. You now need to exploit this knowledge.

Accept that for the optimum click-through rate you need to separate your email marketing list into at least two based on the age demographic identified. You now should hone the email to this sub-group by further testing. On top of that you need to find if others on your list would prefer the new design.

You might now experiment with those who fall outside the normal age demographic. If you promote seminars that extend over more than one day then those who seem to prefer more lively locations might well be included on the funky scale.  

One test leads to another. Test and test again.

With WizEmail's email marketing software you can fully automate your a/b email design test – once your split test has been sent, WizEmail will send the winning campaign content to the remainder of your database based on the most click throughs or opens. You've got the clever little WizBot 'Flash' to thank for that.