“Testing in email is almost an embarrassment of riches,” says David Kepets, Strategy Director for Alchemy Worx. “It is such a fast-paced channel. You always have something going out, and immediate feedback on the return.”

Without direction, this immediate feedback can lead to throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks. Instead, Alchemy Worx takes a systematic approach to email testing, providing a clear path forward.

The Testing Hierarchy

Kepets employs a hierarchical approach to email testing, dividing it into four main categories: creative, message/content, offer, and segmentation.

Within each category is a revolving set of subcategories, ranging from simple tests like color changes to more advanced options, such as testing frequency for specific audiences. Each test varies in its impact on performance and its broader influence on an email program.

The Strategic Approach

A successful testing strategy begins by identifying the company’s objectives and using a structured hierarchy to guide the approach accordingly.

“Let’s say a company is going through a brand overhaul,” Kepets explains. “Our focus may initially be on the creative front, where templates will likely be redesigned. We will work top-down through the email to better define the hierarchy of modules and optimize them accordingly.”

As a result, the creative and message/content categories often serve as starting points for this exercise.

“By understanding the broader direction for the next six months to a year, we can strategically plot out testing themes that align with the company’s direction. Bringing order to this chaos can only improve the end result, rather than randomly deciding what to test” says Kepets.

Prioritization

Since emails are historically read top/down, we can apply a number of tests as we work our way through the entire email. This approach allows for the assembly of robust email templates, composed of modules or zones that can be regularly tested.

While prime real estate is often found in the upper half of an email, it’s important not to disregard the lower modules or even the footer. Sometimes, shifting the hierarchy of content can make a significant difference in a campaign’s success.

Creative testing is a great place to begin, ranging from simple adjustments to color or style to more nuanced changes in language positioning. Although creative results can vary, there is always opportunity, as even subtle adjustments can sometimes yield surprising outcomes.

Integrated Testing

Often, the four main categories bleed into one another, creating combinations that ladder up to broader business strategies. For example, testing offer positioning—whether it’s the language used or the promotion’s duration—can be driven by buyer behavior and may only apply to certain segments. Assembling these types of combinations and working through the individual testing steps, allows us to gain insights along the way, and assist in supporting or refuting our base hypotheses.

By assembling a testing plan around these broader categories, clients can visualize a structured approach with a clear starting point. This helps to map out a plan for future testing, quarter by quarter.