6 Steps to Successful Email Testing
By Cathi O’Sullivan, Director of marketing programs, Lyris Inc.

Cathi O’Sullivan of Lyris Inc. says conventional wisdom tells us email testing and measurement takes too much time. But a testing and measurement plan actually saves you time! It improves your decision-making abilities agility, in addition to quantifying your contribution to the bottom line. Best of all, it makes your marketing budget an investment rather than just another expense.

Step 1: Define success

• Quantify.
• Total leads, sales, sales of a specific value, etc.
• Don’t rely solely on indicators like click-through rates.

Step 2: Define the data collection process

• Which data will tell you if you were successful or not?
• What processes need to be established to easily track and measure this information?

Step 3: Define test variable (to find champions)

• Offers.
• Audience segments or parameters.
• Email creative or message content.
• Response mechanism.

Step 4: Define test methodology

• A/B split tests; challenger vs champion.
• Change only one variable associated with the element you’re testing.
• Have a large enough sample size.

Step 5: Monitor leads all the way through conversion

• Measure all the way…don’t stop with indicators.
• You will learn…
• Sales cycle length, purchase preferences, true ROI, for example.

Step 6: Analyze data to make decisions

• Draw conclusions based on facts.
• Make better decisions…that you can defend.
• Optimize future email campaigns.
• Quantify/rationalize spending (ROI).

---Source: DM News (www.dmnews.com) April 16, 2009 webinar “Testing & Measurement in Email.” Cathi O’Sullivan can be reached at cosullivan@lyris.com.