James Wellbeloved optimises email campaign click rates with multivariate testing

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James Wellbeloved is a pet food brand that serves naturally healthy food to our furry friends. They provide optimal food and nutrition to cats and dogs of all ages, giving them the best possible care throughout their lives.

Their scientific approach doesn’t stop at pet food, either. Their recent testing on email versions led them and Klaviyo partner Eastside Co to win the Most impactful A/B test at The Klicks 2024.

*All stats courtesy of James Wellbeloved and Eastside Co

Learn how James Wellbeloved used Klaviyo to test and boost Valentine’s Day email performance

Objectives

Concerned that multiple calls to action (CTAs) might be distracting recipients, James Wellbeloved explored A/B testing as a way to refine their campaign effectiveness. 

The hypothesis was that reducing the number of CTAs could increase focus and engagement, leading to higher click rates, especially among different customer segments (new vs. repeat customers). 

They aimed to:

1. Increase click rate: Improve the overall click rate of email campaigns by reducing potential distractions within their emails.
2. Segment testing: Test different CTA combinations to find the most effective layout for new customers and repeat customers.
3. Optimise for customer type: Understand the behaviour of new versus repeat customers in response to varying CTA configurations and tailor email strategies accordingly.

Strategy

To achieve these objectives, James Wellbeloved conducted A/B tests on email designs with varying numbers of CTAs. 

Typical email content included three CTAs: a discount code, an invitation to join the loyalty program, and a prompt to sign up for 10% on every repeat order. The team hypothesised that streamlining these options would improve engagement by reducing distractions.

Emails were divided into four variations to be tested on new and repeat customers:

• Variation A: All 3 CTAs (discount, loyalty program, and subscription)
• Variation B: 2 CTAs (discount and subscription)
• Variation C: 2 CTAs (discount and loyalty program)
• Variation D: 1 CTA (discount)

The test aimed to identify which combination led to the highest click rates within each customer segment, with a focus on optimising engagement for each group.

Results

By reducing CTA options for repeat customers and focusing on the most relevant offers for new customers, James Wellbeloved boosted engagement and improved click rate performance. 

For new customers, the Variation C (discount and loyalty program) performed best, resulting in a 0.15% higher click rate compared to other emails. This suggested that new customers responded best to a focused offer on the discount and loyalty program.

For repeat customers, the first round of testing found Variation A (all 3 CTAs) initially yielded the highest click rate, but the difference was minimal, with only a 0.02% increase over the 1 CTA variation.

A follow-up test during the Valentine’s Day reminder campaign found Variation D (1 CTA: discount only) showed a significant improvement, achieving a 0.46% higher click rate than other versions. This indicated that repeat customers were more responsive when only a single CTA was used in reminder emails—giving the brand key data on how to create impactful emails for each of their key audiences.

“A/B testing in Klaviyo is so straightforward—we were able to create a multivariate test to truly understand what will drive the most engagement and conversions for James Wellbeloved,” said Lauren Barret, Head of Retention at Eastside Co.