📧 One tweak to double your email conversions

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Ever wonder why some emails convert like crazy while others get ignored? The difference often comes down to small but powerful tweaks. In today’s issue, we’ll break down 11 proven A/B testing strategies to help you optimize every email and maximize your results.

General A/B Testing Rules

1. Develop a hypothesis: Determine what you want to achieve. For example, you might want to improve engagement by tweaking subject lines, changing colors, adjusting copy, modifying “from” names, or even playing around with imagery.

2. Test only one variable at a time: It’s essential to test a single element in your emails—such as the subject line or CTA—without making changes to other components. This ensures you can clearly understand what caused any shift in performance.

3. Limit your variations: Stick to a maximum of four variations per test. Testing too many variations can dilute your data, making it harder to draw reliable conclusions quickly.

4. Ensure your audience is large enough: It’s crucial to have a sufficiently large sample size for accurate results. Waiting for reliable data from a statistically significant group will help you make more informed decisions.

5. Don’t edit live tests: Once an A/B test is running, don’t alter it. Changing it mid-test can skew your results. If adjustments are needed, complete the current test and then launch a new one.

6. Ask for feedback: Besides data from tests, you can gather valuable feedback directly from customers. Consider reaching out to those who engage with your emails to understand what resonated with them and turn that feedback into actionable improvements.

11 Email Campaign Best Practices: Optimize for Engagement and Conversions

Now that you have a solid testing foundation, here are the 11 best practices you can follow to boost your email performance:

1. Optimize Subject Lines for Urgency and Engagement

Subject lines are often the deciding factor in whether or not an email gets opened. Testing subject lines can significantly impact open rates. Here’s what to experiment with:

• Length: Compare shorter subject lines (less than 50 characters) with longer ones (50–70 characters) to see which resonates with your audience.

• Preview Text: Don’t forget the preview text! Play around with its length and tone to complement the subject line and entice readers to open your email.

• Urgency and Scarcity: Using phrases that create urgency, such as "Limited Time Offer" or "Last Chance," can increase engagement.

• Emojis: Test the use of emojis in subject lines to add a visual element and a touch of personality. Monitor whether they boost open rates.

Bonus Tip: AI tools like Klaviyo can help generate subject lines at scale and test them across various campaigns.

Klaviyo’s smart A/B testing feature makes it easy to identify the best-performing subject lines and automatically serves the winner to most recipients in a campaign.

2. Test Incentives Carefully to Drive Conversions

Discounts are a popular way to encourage conversions, but they’re not always the best approach. A/B testing can help you understand the impact of different types of incentives:

• Percentage vs. Dollar Discounts: Test whether your audience prefers 20% off or a $20 discount.

• Non-Monetary Incentives: Consider alternatives like free shipping, a free gift with purchase, or entry into a contest.

• Customer Preferences: Don’t assume bigger discounts drive higher conversions. Research shows that discounts in the 20–29% range often convert best.

Take the example of Brava Fabrics, who found that offering a chance to win €300 worth of products performed just as well as a 10% discount—without cutting into their profits.

3. Leverage Seasonal Engagement

Seasonal and holiday-themed campaigns can keep your brand top-of-mind during peak times. Align your messaging with the season and keep your campaigns fresh by testing:

• Holiday-Themed Copy: Experiment with different greetings or seasonal phrases, like “Ring in the New Year” or “Spooktacular Savings.”

• On-Brand Visuals: Make sure your visuals fit both the season and your brand. For example, minimalistic summer guides for a contemporary brand like Jenni Kayne keep it cohesive while being timely.

• Seasonal Offers: Try offering exclusive holiday deals or limited-time bundles that tie into the occasion.

4. Strengthen Your CTAs for Maximum Clicks

Your call-to-action (CTA) buttons need to be eye-catching and compelling. Test different elements to optimize for clicks:

• Number of CTAs: Do multiple CTAs confuse readers or give them more opportunities to engage? Test single vs. multiple CTAs to find out.

• Placement: Experiment with the location of the CTA—does it perform better at the top, middle, or bottom of the email?

• Copy: Test different CTA copy, like “Buy Now” versus “Learn More.” Short, direct CTAs may perform better than vague ones.

• Color and Design: Vibrant colors often draw attention, but it’s essential to test colors that align with your brand’s aesthetic.

• Buttons vs. Hyperlinks: Assess whether buttons perform better than traditional text hyperlinks.

5. Design Emails for Maximum Conversions

Your email design plays a critical role in driving conversions. A/B test your design elements to discover what works best:

• Layout: Try different layouts, such as single-column vs. multi-column designs, or images stacked over text.

• Text-Heavy vs. Visual-Heavy: Some audiences prefer text, while others respond better to imagery. Test to find out what resonates with your subscribers.

• Conversion Path: Ensure that every design element leads the reader naturally to the CTA.

6. Personalize with Audience Segmentation

Segmentation is crucial for personalization. Instead of sending generic emails to everyone, segment your audience based on behavior, demographics, or past purchases. This increases the chances that your emails will resonate and convert.

• AI Segmentation: Tools like Klaviyo Segments AI can automate this process, quickly creating targeted audience segments and saving you time.

7. Use AI for Product Feeds and Recommendations

AI-driven personalization doesn’t stop at segmentation. You can use it to suggest relevant products based on browsing or purchase history.

• Product Feeds: Automatically pull in products your customers are likely to purchase next, creating highly personalized emails.

• AI Recommendations: Use machine learning to predict what products will be most relevant to your audience based on past behavior.

Personalized product recommendations during campaigns like Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) have been shown to increase click rates by 17% and conversion rates by 40%.

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8. Achieve 1:1 Personalization with Advanced A/B Testing

Take A/B testing a step further by sending personalized email variations based on individual customer preferences.

• Klaviyo’s AI: It can automatically predict which email variation each customer will prefer and send the most relevant version, ensuring each recipient gets the most tailored content.

9. Optimize Send Times for Higher Engagement

Timing is everything. A/B test send times to see when your audience is most active.

• Daily Habits: If you sell coffee, try sending emails in the morning. If you sell evening wear, late afternoon or evening might be better.

• Seasonal Schedules: Test send times based on school terms or seasonal shopping habits.

• AI Smart Send: Tools like Klaviyo’s Smart Send Time can determine the optimal send time for each subscriber.

10. Stay Compliant with Email Regulations

Keeping your emails compliant with regulations like CAN-SPAM and GDPR is crucial. Here’s what to keep in mind:

• Unsubscribe Links: Test different ways to present your unsubscribe link. Make it visible and easy to use while still encouraging people to stay subscribed.

• Transparency: Let subscribers know what to expect regarding email frequency and ensure you honor their preferences.

11. Track and Measure Your Results Continuously

Finally, optimizing your email campaigns means monitoring key performance metrics like:

• Open and Click Rates

• Unsubscribe Rates

• Conversion Rates

• Revenue per Email

By constantly testing and adjusting your strategy based on data, you can ensure continued growth and engagement.

Optimizing your email campaigns through consistent A/B testing and applying these best practices can lead to significant improvements in engagement and revenue. By analyzing what resonates with your audience and continuously adapting your strategies, you’ll be well on your way to achieving outstanding email marketing results.

Take these insights and start refining your email marketing approach today. Your customers—and your bottom line—will thank you!