email split testing the spooky connection between icecream and conversion rates
TRANSCRIPT
Email split testingThe spooky connection between icecream
and conversion rates
Some history• First banana split made in
Pennsylvania in 1904• First split test run a few
years later by Claude Hopkins in Michigan
• Coincidence???
Must read:
“Scientific Advertising” by Claude Hopkins
…now out of copyright and freely available!
Email recipients
50%
50%
A (Control email)
B (Experimental email)
1.9%
Successful form fills
3.8%
WINNER
BenefitsContinual improvement for your emails =Continual improvement for your Click-Through-Rate=Increasing amounts of money for free!
Additional bonus side benefits
Resolving awkward disputes in the office+
FUN!
Spot the difference
Spot the difference
What you already dovs
“Best practice”
Some things to tryName of senderImage / no imageHTML / plain textLong / short messageFormat of subject line
Type of greetingCall to action textButton / linkhttp://link.com/ or Click this link?
…and more advancedTime of day Day of weekPersonalise subject lineFraming of an issueNewsletter format / single subject letter
Type of imageUnsubscribe textHumour / guiltCalls to action: 1 or 2?1 or 2 columns?
And now some examples!
Logo redactedLogo redacted
Control Test
Email recipients 3,153 3,687
Donations 10 20
Total amount £455 £920
Average donation £45.5 £46
Conversion rate 0.32% 0.54%
Email sent to announce
letterLetter arrives Email reminder
Direct mail segment
Email sent with donation
ask
Email reminder
Email only segment
DM segment Sent Open rate CTR
Subject: I just sent you something
506 32.08% 9.29%
Subject: Cure a child [redacted]
474 27.64% 4.85%Statistically
significant!Statistically
significant!
Email segment Sent Open rate CTR
Subject: Warning: disturbing image inside…
362 23.81% 6.08%
Subject: Cure a child [redacted]
363 27.64% 7.71%Statistically
insignificant
Day Sent Open rate CTR
Thursday 19,415 24.9% 1.67%
Saturday 23,442 25.1% 2.34%
Statistically
significant!Statistically
significant!Statistically
insignificant
Link type Sent CTRBare URL 4,250 5.22%
Text link Doh! -
Big button 4,260 5.37%
Statistically
insignificant
Link type Sent CTRText link 20,148 1.10%
Big button 20,097 0.74%Statistically
significant!Statistically
significant!
Format Sent CTR
Plain text 4,246 3.44%
HTML 23,442 3.83% Statistically
significant!Statistically
significant!
Donors Sent Open rate CTR
Subject (long): Transcript of our webinar now available
46 45.65% 10.87%
Subject (short): Transcript
47 61.70% 23.40%
Statistically
significant!Statistically
significant!
Non-donors Sent Open rate CTR
Subject (long): Transcript of our webinar now available
4,138 18.37% 3.00%
Subject (short): Transcript
37,529 25.06% 3.35%
Statistically
significant!Statistically
significant!