A/B testing, using statistical significance, can be used to determine if one email strategy is more successful than another. According to Campaign Monitor, 41% of brands don’t test their segmented emails, so if you’re already testing your emails, you have a leg up on the competition. It is important to note that the smallest changes to an email can produce a drastic change in results. With the help of a Customer Data Platform (CDP), you can be more confident in the results, but there can also be some pain points when trying to run an accurate split test.

Why Should We Run A/B Testing?

Tests can give you answers to specific questions you may have regarding the effectiveness of an email’s content. Certain elements such as the subject line, header, body content, CTAs, and more can be tested. It is important to pinpoint one aspect you what to test before you start. Take for example an email subject line; it can be tricky to know what will resonate with different audiences. According to Truelist, simple subject lines get 541% more responses than creative ones. Once you determine what you want to test, you can draw clear and concise conclusions about the results and how to implement changes to increase conversions. Implementing A/B tests gives you an advantage over competitors as your decisions become more strategic and results driven. Truelist also states that 59% of organizations run split testing on emails, which further demonstrates the importance.

Don’t Let Pain Points Hinder Your A/B Testing Campaigns

Time and resources can be an issue when implementing an A/B test. Deciding which variables to test and how to test them can take up large amounts of time. One critical consideration when running A/B tests in email marketing campaigns is determining the target audience. A lot of time can go into segmenting lists in a customer data platform to ensure the email is targeting the right group. One drawback to A/B testing in a marketing automation tool is limited data. Without access to cross-channel behaviors and traits, an A/B testing segment can be narrow and result in a siloed testing environment. When running a product A/B test for example, insights like on-site behavior and past purchase activity would provide a more valuable sample size. A large enough sample size for testing is necessary so you can draw statistically significant results. Most of these pain points can be solved by implementing a customer data platform.

How Can Customer Data Platforms Solve A/B Testing Pain Points?

Below are three ways that CDPs solve pain points when conducting A/B Tests:

Provides More Options for Audience Segmentations

Customer Data Platforms solve many issues associated with email A/B testing by collecting, segmenting, and sending data to your Email Service Provider (ESP). Implementing a CDP will allow more time to focus on the strategy of the test. Depending on the segments you want to target for your test, the attributes you are wanting to capture might not exist in an ESP. This can lead to creating lists that are more generalized and not a true depiction of who you want to define. A CDP will give you more options for segmentation so your lists can be both hyper-targeted and a large enough audience to test.  According to Truelist, only 28% of marketers are satisfied with conversion rates achieved after A/B testing. Knowing you have an accurate target audience in place will allow you to be more confident in the results.

Collects Data from Multiple Touchpoints Allowing for More Personalized Content

Customer Data Platforms collect data from multiple marketing touchpoints such as email, websites, mobile apps, CRMs, and more. They allow marketers to understand their customers over time. Knowing behavioral, demographic, device, and real-time interaction data will help you send your tests to precise lists with more personalized content. The multiple touchpoints will allow you to gather a larger audience which is needed to run your test and it will increase the personalization of the email. According to Campaign Monitor, emails coming from a real person’s name instead of a company generates .53% more opens. The more personalized emails can be, the more interaction it generates.

Increases Compliance with Privacy Regulations

Customer Data Platforms also assist in adapting to ever-changing privacy regulations by ensuring that you aren’t sending unsolicited emails to customers and risking Internet Service Providers blacklisting you. CDPs ensure you are GDPR and CCPA-compliant and collect email data in one centralized location for easy management. It’s important to make recipients have opted in to receive marketing emails and a Customer Data Platform can help manage that process.

Implement A Customer Data Platform to Enable Effective Email A/B Tests

CDPs enable effective email A/B testing through their segmentation capabilities, the amount of time it saves and the added resources it offers to set up and QA audiences. With a Customer Data Platform, you can be confident in your testing audiences and receive accurate results that support your marketing strategies. It is crucial that your company is running A/B testing of email campaigns and implementing a CDP can ease some the pain points you may experience.