What is A/B testing?

A/B testing happens when you deploy two versions of an email campaign, SMS message, newsletter, etc., to determine which one achieves better results. In an A/B test, “A” refers to the original version, while “B” is the variant.

The goal of A/B testing is to optimize marketing assets and understand how changes in copy, design, send time, and other variables affect your conversion rates and audience engagement.

How to conduct an A/B test 

To correctly deploy an A/B test, follow these steps:

1. Identify the goal of your A/B test

Be specific with your goal and make sure it can be measured in numbers. For example, you may want to increase email click rates by 1%. Other objectives may include:

2. Choose the variables

Your goal will help you determine the test variables that might help you achieve it. For example, to boost email click rates by 1%, you may want to test your send time or CTA copy.

Never test more than one variable at a time. You may end up skewing your results if you do, and then you’ll never know which variable is responsible for better performance.

3. Select a sample size

If your sample size is too small, your results may be inconclusive. If your sample size is too large, too many people will receive a version that hasn’t “won.”

For example, you may want to send A/B tests to 40% of your audience in an even split, with the remaining 60% receiving the more effective variation. But your sample size will depend on the size of your list or audience segment—it needs to be large enough that you can feel confident in the results. 

4. Create your variations and launch the test

Create the original version of your asset and upload it to your marketing automation platform of choice. Then, based on your choice of test variable, tweak your asset and deploy both versions to your sample size.

5. Choose the winning variation and deploy it to the rest of your audience

When your test is complete, you’ll see which variant performed better. Use the winning variation and record the results for future reference. This is when you can test additional variables if needed.

3 benefits of A/B testing

  1. Data-driven decisions: A/B tests provide concrete evidence for which strategies are effective so you can refine your marketing efforts based on data, not intuition.
  2. A better experience for your audience: A/B tests lead to tailored messages that resonate with your target market.
  3. Higher conversion rates: A/B tests improve the likelihood that your audience will take specific actions, such as purchasing your product.

Run successful A/B tests with Klaviyo 

To understand what works best for your audience, use a marketing automation platform like Klaviyo to A/B test your campaigns’:

With Klaviyo AI, you can take your A/B testing even further and see how you can optimize your forms display for a seamless experience with your brand.

Ready to A/B test your marketing initiatives for the best results? Sign up for Klaviyo and discover what resonates best with your audience.

Additional resources