How to create A/B test email campaigns
A/B testing (also known as split testing) is a tool to help you compare two different versions of an email campaign. To run an A/B test, come up with two versions of an email, then assign equal traffic to both versions. Once the test period is over, you'll get to see which version had more opens and clicks.
Once you have the results, the winning version can be sent to the rest of recipients or go through further iterative experimentation to improve results. Keep in mind that the target audience is often based on demographics, geography, and behavior, so test results from one group may not reflect the reactions of another.
Create your first A/B test campaign
In an A/B test, you'll select and revise elements of your email campaign. This change can be anything from a slight tweak in your sender details and subject line to a complete redesign of the email content. Send the control (original version) to one half of the test group and the variant to the other half. To set up an A/B test:
- Select Campaigns from the navigation bar and choose Email Campaigns.
- Click Create Campaign in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Hover over the A/B Testing category and click Create New.
- Enter a name for your A/B test campaign.
- Select the parameter of your email to experiment with. You have three options:
- Subject
- Sender Details
- Email Content
- Choose the proportion of recipients to receive each campaign. You can adjust the slider to increase or decrease the size of the test group.
- Decide how the winner will be selected from the following three options:
- Based on Open Rate - The version with highest open rate will be the winner.
- Based on Click Rate - The version with highest click-through rate will be the winner
- Manually - Manually select the winning version from A/B test reports.
- Select the test duration.
- Click Next. The next steps will vary, depending on your previous selections.
Test parameters
Using subject or sender details as the test parameter:
- Enter the subject line or sender details for both versions, depending on the test element you selected in the setup page
- Select a sender email address from the dropdown list.
- Select a reply-to address for the subscriber to respond to.
- Click Next to proceed.
Using content as the test element:
- Enter two different content versions in the text areas.
- Click Next to proceed.
Content Configuration
- In the Content page, select either HTML & Plain Text or HTML only as your email type.
- Choose a content option from the following selections:
- Templates - Design an HTML email using our template layouts.
- Import/Upload - Import an existing HTML email and images as a .zip file.
- HTML Editor- Design an HTML email using our HTML editor.
- Import from cloud - Import content from various cloud storage services.
- Click Next.
Choose Recipients
Finally, select a mailing list or segment to receive your campaign, and click Proceed. The A/B test campaign will now be sent for review. Once the review is complete, you can send the campaign.
A/B test reports
Once an A/B test campaign has been sent, the test group will be monitored for their opens and clicks. You can view the metrics for each version under A/B Test Reports. The winning version will be sent to the remaining contacts.
Note : If you chose Manual in the A/B test setup page, go to A/B test reports after the test is sent, and choose a winner.
To access A/B test reports:
- Select Reports from the navigation bar and choose Sent Campaigns.
- Select the A/B test campaign you wish to view.
- Click A/B test Reports.
The In Testing status under Email Campaigns on the dashboard displays the number of A/B test email campaigns that are within the test duration or when you are yet to choose a winner if you have configured to manually select the winner.
Access your files securely from anywhere
Zoho CRM Training Programs
Learn how to use the best tools for sales force automation and better customer engagement from Zoho's implementation specialists.
Zoho DataPrep Personalized Demo
If you'd like a personalized walk-through of our data preparation tool, please request a demo and we'll be happy to show you how to get the best out of Zoho DataPrep.
- Zoho Workerly Home
- Forums
- Connect With Us:
- Zoho Recruit Home
- Forums
- Connect With Us:
Centralize Knowledge. Transform Learning.
All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.
New to Zoho Writer?
Create. Review. Publish.
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
You are currently viewing the help pages of Qntrl’s earlier version. Click here to view our latest version—Qntrl 3.0's help articles.
New to Zoho Survey?
Zoho Sheet Resources
Zoho Forms Resources
New to Zoho Sign?
Zoho Sign Resources
Sign, Paperless!
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
New to Zoho ZeptoMail?
Design. Discuss. Deliver.
New to Zoho Workerly?
New to Zoho Recruit?
New to Zoho CRM?
New to Zoho Projects?
New to Zoho Sprints?
New to Zoho Assist?
New to Bigin?
Related Articles
A/B testing in email marketing
Being an email marketing tool, A/B testing is one of the important features available in Zoho Campaigns. It helps improve the effectiveness of your email campaigns using data-driven decisions. Instead of blindly relying on assumptions, you can send ...How to create an automated workflow?
A Workflow is an automation tool that lets you create unique processes based on your business requirements. With workflows you can create various paths your customers can take based on set conditions in each process. In Zoho Campaigns, we offer six ...Create an email campaign
Email marketing is considered the simple and most effective method to reach out to your leads and contacts. The best part is that the return on investment (ROI) is much higher than other marketing channels making it the most affordable way of ...Email marketing with Zoho Campaigns
Email marketing is a way to communicate with a large audience using emails. These emails can be used to stay in touch, share information about your products or services, and build good relationships with your audience. Businesses also use email ...Litmus Email Test
Test how your email content looks in various email clients and devices by running a Litmus test. This test will help you see how well your content renders across different platforms so you can optimize your content to be responsive in the platforms ...
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources