Email – Testing is Required

Email testing is critical to the success of all email campaigns. Stats indicate that 63% of email marketers test their campaigns. Naturally this means that 37% don’t … the bigger question is why not?

Reasons, or I would say excuses, as to why emails are not tested are broken down as follows:

• Don’t know how – really?
• Campaign time is too short – aren’t they all?
• Platform doesn’t have testing capabilities – seriously?
• Don’t see the value in testing – oh my!

Testing is required, the more testing and refining, the better the results, makes sense really. If your campaigns are going to be successful, as your digital agency, we recommend that you implement testing as a requirement. In today’s busy emarketing world, testing isn’t just about results, it’s about your survival.

So, given that we all anticipate surviving during this period of change and transition, here is a checklist of things to test.

• Subject lines
• Call to action
• Design & graphics
• Copy
• Offer
• Release timing

Email marketing is serious business, yes we get them every day, as such, all the more reason to test. Your list is critical, deliverability is important, as are opening rates, so subject lines should be tested. Subject lines are actually the first line of offense. That being said, a strong call to action is required, but even more important – you need a good offer. Nothing beats a good offer! Testing will assist you in getting to know what your customers and prospects are looking for.

The takeaway, test, test and test some more. Email testing is esstential.

Michael Bickerton, Raven5 Ltd, Toronto, February 2011

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