Delivery & Subject Line Tests Results
January 16, 2008http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article.html?ident=30280
marketingsherpa.com – Why It’s Best to Test Your Own Email Practices – Delivery & Subject Line Tests Results
SUMMARY: Honing in on the best day of the week to send an email and writing great subject lines are always key ways to raise response rates. What to do? Test, of course. See how an eretailer tested their enewsletter for the best delivery day and a shorter subject line. And they got some surprises, too, which they turned into a happy opportunity to lift conversions 50%.
CHALLENGE
The Organic Dish was continually disappointed with their monthly enewsletter — particularly open and clickthrough rates — even after following industry best practices.“We had reached the point where we were malcontented about every aspect of our performance,” says Toby Hemmerling, Managing Partner, The Organic Dish. “I was certain that the general content wasn’t the culprit in terms of why we weren’t getting a better response.”Hemmerling’s enewsletter advertises updated menus for their organic meals, so it’s critical to revenue. He and his team questioned their email delivery day. Days that were early in the week, like Monday and Tuesday, seemed good for their email, but would one day or the other make much of a difference? They also wanted to know which was more important: a stronger call to action or shorter subject lines.
The Organic Dish was continually disappointed with their monthly enewsletter — particularly open and clickthrough rates — even after following industry best practices.“We had reached the point where we were malcontented about every aspect of our performance,” says Toby Hemmerling, Managing Partner, The Organic Dish. “I was certain that the general content wasn’t the culprit in terms of why we weren’t getting a better response.”Hemmerling’s enewsletter advertises updated menus for their organic meals, so it’s critical to revenue. He and his team questioned their email delivery day. Days that were early in the week, like Monday and Tuesday, seemed good for their email, but would one day or the other make much of a difference? They also wanted to know which was more important: a stronger call to action or shorter subject lines.
