If you’re an experienced marketer, you probably have some tried and true techniques for getting more email subscribers. But you may be leaving many potential new subscribers on the table.
How can you ensure you’re accomplishing everything that’s possible? Go beyond the tried and true and test new approaches.
Split testing helps you figure out which factors of your online sign-up form are drawing subscribers and what changes you can make to draw more.
There are many split tests you can run on your web form: using inline forms vs pop-ups, including a description of your emails vs displaying a text-free form, even using a “Mad Libs”-style form vs a standard sign-up.
But no matter which test you run, there are a few guidelines you should follow to get the best results.
Choose A/B Testing Over Multivariate
With A/B testing, you create two nearly identical versions of your web form, changing only one component. Once you’ve determined which version to move forward with, you test the next component, and so on.
Mulitvariate testing is when you test two very different versions of your form against each other. Basically, you run numerous A/B tests at the same time, which saves you the time of testing each change separately.
Why choose A/B testing over multivariate? So you know exactly which change it is that makes a difference to your audience.
For example, the headline of Form B might cause a 3% increase in signups, while asking subscribers to select their country causes a 2% decrease. You’ll want to know the effects of each element — if you test both at the same time you’ll simply see a 1% increase in subscriptions overall.
This information’s useful not only to get as many subscribers as possible through this one web form, but for any web pages, emails and other content you create in the future.
Let Your Test Run Long Enough
If you’re relying on results from a test that’s only run a few times, you could be putting faith in a fluke, so it’s important to make sure the test runs long enough.
How long is long enough? That depends on the amount of traffic your site is getting, as well as the number of subscriptions coming in.
If your site is well-trafficked, I suggest running your test for a minimum of one month. If it’s less popular, run the test longer.
Either way, you’ll need to be sure that you…
Make Sure Your Results Really Count
To be able to rely on your results, they need to be statistically significant.
This means they’re consistent enough to dispel any doubt that they correctly reflect viewers’ preferences. No sense wasting time on a test that isn’t accurate, is there?
To check the statistical significance of your test results, follow this handy tutorial.
If you find they aren’t significant, that means the change you tested won’t gain you either more or less subscribers no matter which version of your form you use. If your results are significant, then you’ve found a winning form.
Why All The Fuss? Because It’s Worth It
Yes, running your split test correctly is going to take a bit more time than running it quickly and haphazardly.
But it’s that time spent on proper planning and analysis that ensures you’ll find ways to attract more subscribers to your email lists, fulfilling your goal: marketing your brand to a bigger audience.
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