Why Guess When You Can Test? Testing Techniques from the Experts

TheU: Testing…Testing…123

www.highroadsolution.com

Your Presenter:Jenny Lassi has been affiliated with HighRoad Solution for 8 years first as a client and then as an employee. With experience handling deployments and deliverability for a wide range of clients with optimized recipient engagement top-of-mind, Jenny routinely trouble shoots deliverability issues from ISP level filtering to email client level filtering (email Forensics as she refers to them). She also consults with clients on authentication, content, content strategy, email preference center management & other deliverability optimization tactics.


Today’s Content

• What is AB Testing?• What is Multi-Variat Testing?• The 5 C’s & How They Apply to Testing• Starting Simply• Testing the Complex• Best practices• Resources takeaways


What is AB Testing?


AB Testing Defined

A/B testing is a term commonly used in web development, online marketing, and other forms of advertising to describe simple randomized experiments with two variants, A and B, which are the control and treatment in the controlled experiment.

The formal or scientific name used for this process and other related processes is hypothesis testing. Other names include randomized controlled experiments, online controlled experiments, and split testing.


What is Multivariate Testing?


Multivariate Testing Defined

In internet marketing, multivariate testing is a process by which more than one component of a website may be tested in a live environment. It can be thought of in simple terms as numerous A/B tests performed on one page at the same time. A/B tests are usually performed to determine the better of two content variations; multivariate testing can theoretically test the effectiveness of limitless combinations.

Note: Be cautious of testing too many variables as it canbe difficult to understand what is behind the lift in response.


eMail Strategy


The 5 C’s of Email Marketing Strategy

•Configuration (Clean House!)•Content•Create•Criticize•Continue


The 5 C’s: Configuration

• IP Address (Dedicated or Shared)• DKIM (Domain Keys)• Sender ID (SPF

Record)


The HighRoad Solution Deliverability Cops – Dedicated IP

• Sender Rejected• Message Filtered• Unknown Users• Infrastructure• Volume• Spam Traps• Blacklists• Complaints• FBL Compaints (Routed to

your Opt-Outs)


The HighRoad Solution Deliverability Cops – Shared IP

• Spam Traps• Blacklists• Complaints


AuthenticationHigh Level View: DKIM/Sender ID (it’s not a scary term or complicated at all… I promise)• You tell us what domain(s) you send from • We supply you with 4 snippets of text that you add to your domain’s DNS and instructions• You add the txt records to your DNS and tell us when you’re done• We test/validate the keys and enable on your account


Why not just blast?

Invalid email Addresses +

Excessive email Bounces

+Emails Filtered to Junk/SPAM Folders

=Wasted $$


eMail Filtering

Email Filtering Layers


Do you know if your eMails are reaching an inbox?

When a SureSend Domain Delivery Report is enabled when sending a Live message, you will see the Domain Delivery tab on the email stats


Do you know if your eMails are reaching an inbox?


Cleaning HouseDo whatever is in your control to reach an inbox!

• Data Hygiene (Invalids/Bounces)

• DKIM/Sender ID Authentication

• Address any issues with filtering that you can

THEN… and only then should you AB Test


The 5 C’s: Content

Common Content Tests:• Subject Lines• Lead Story• TOC• More text vs. read more


The 5 C’s: Create

• Test standard html vs. responsive template• Call-To-Action Button Color & Placement • Layout• Images


Case Study Workshop

Can you trust your gut?


Case Study Workshop

Can being more verbose get a higher

response?


Version A


Version B


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What do you think?Version A?Version B?


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Version B won an astounding 247%

more clicks


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Does a larger lead story get people to

click?


Version A


Version B


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Version B, the one without bigger

featured content, increased clicks by

75% and online registrations by a stunning 400%


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Does more or less white space increase

engagement?


Version A


Version B


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Version A Increased clickthroughs by

5.6%, and heatmaps showed that there

was a higher engagement as a whole across the

entire email.


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Subject line straight shooter or a bit

playful?


Version A


Version B


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Version B – the playful version – increased opens for French-

speaking Canadians. However, Version A – the

plainspoken version – increased opens for English-speaking

Canadians.


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Which local time works better for B2B email offers 9am or

1pm?


Version A – 9am


Version B – 1pm


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Version A, the email sent at 9 am local time at four U.S. time zones increased lifts in all time

zones – here are the specifics:

• EST – 12.5% lift in opens• CST – 100% lift in opens• MDT – 35% lift in opens• PST – 4,090% STUNNING lift in opens


The 5 C’s: Criticize

• Analyze delivery metrics (bounces, opens & clicks)

• Use bounce logs to address deliverability issues 24-48 hours post deployment (not a month later)

• Isolate subscribers who are not engaged with your emails (no opens/click throughs)

• Create an AB Test Win-Back campaign for non-engaged subscribers with an incentive to respond

• Analyze how many subscribers opt-down or unsubscribe from particular messages (maybe the perceived value of content is low)


The 5 C’s: Continue

Use what you have learned and apply it

to future deployments


Best Practices Takeaways• Be more strategic with your testing with the 5-C’s.• You can learn from other AB Tests, but testing against

your own audience is the only way to see what increases engagement.

• Send to known engaged subscribers when testing or your results may vary based on inbox placement.


Questions?


ShortcutsControl what you CAN control about deliverability:

• DKIM/Sender ID Authentication • List Hygiene • Having an Email Preference Center• Deliver content members or registrants want, when they

want it, how frequently they want it and looks good where they read it

Analyze and learn from AB Split testing to adjust how you send future emails:

• Use A/B split testing to learn about what has the best engagement

• Review creative/content that had the best engagement and do more of that

• Review bounce logs daily to see if any domains may be blocking you and reach out to postmaster@ and abuse@ those domains to ask them to whitelist you


Thank you!Other questions for Jenny?

eMail = [email protected]

Twitter = @highroadjenny

mailto:[email protected]


References & Resourceshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ab_testinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multivariate_testinghttp://whichtestwon.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ab_testing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ab_testing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multivariate_testing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multivariate_testing

http://whichtestwon.com/

http://whichtestwon.com/