We share with you 5 Steps to More Sales By Split testing or Ab Testing Using Proven Strategies and Tools!
I was going over some training on Email Marketing, Ab testing tools and Split testing tips by Amanda Gagnon and knew we had to share. It’s been a journey!
This lady advises business owners on how to grow your business with Email marketing. She produces case studies, blog posts, articles, and guest columns, on the subject. An active industry participant, Amanda has attended several Marketing Sherpa conferences.
Thus I felt the need to share not only her expertise but also what we’ve learnt and applied thus far on split testing and ab testing tools that’s worked for us. I first learnt of her style and strategy to More Sales By A/B Testing on her Aweber blog which inspired this post. So you too can start to see better results. It’s not the size of the list that matters rather the relationship you build with the PEOPLE.
Let’s take a Magnifying glass to your style…
WHAT are you Serving YOUR AUDIENCE?

Why not check the following out
- Your last broadcast or email blast you sent?
- Your Last Promotion
- Your Follow up Sequence
Go ahead, open them up, this is real essential for your business growth and Income generation…You ready?
So, was your Title interesting enough to open in any of the above? Did you add a CTA aka call to action? Was it Eye Grabbing so much so you want to click it yourself? When we talk about titles or subject we shared a whole article on Irresistible Blog post or email subject lines you want to check it out here now!
Okay you did know or now you do that opens and clicks only indicate interest. Your end goal is conversion aka A SALE, right?
NO sales = NO Business. Customer purchases = Revenue and that’s what keeps the party going.
So your email, promo, follow up or broadcast’s true worth should be measured in the sales you generate!
The idea is finding and learning how to craft messages that prompt the most opens, clicks AND purchases. With the right ab testing tools and correct setup, you can do this with your Aweber account. So today we share our ab testing tools and how we do split testing the Gagnon way.
Split Testing strategy Step 1: Set Up your CRM or Tracking Resource
First, you definitely must have a way to track your subscriptions and which of your Offers, Promos, Emails, Broadcasts etc. attract the most interest and conversions. You need an Email management system or CRM for tracing and setting up your Ab tests and we Highly Recommend Aweber, which you can Try for just $1 Today!
Whats a CRM you may be asking?
“Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a strategy for managing all your company’s relationships and interactions with your customers and potential customers. It helps you improve your profitability.”
We like to give you various options so you could also try:
JMailer Pro
Each of the above does a great Job, you just need to know what your’s and your customer needs are!
If you are a Home business entrepreneur, Internet Marketer, Network Marketer, Affiliate Marketer, Small Business Owner, I can’t emphasize enough why you MUST BE Building your LIST. And you can’t do that if you aren’t collecting your target audience/customer details via a CRM like Aweber.
Once you got the above up and registered it’s time for…
Split Testing strategy Step 2: Set up your Sales Tracking
First, you’ll need to create or have an offer a lead magnet or two you are gonna test/compare. You then drive traffic to your offer, or lead magnet via ppc, blogging, social media however you drive traffic. OR send out an email blast to your existing list. Make sure you track the Opens, Clicks, and Purchases subscribers are making in response to each broadcast, offer or email.
As an Aweber user you are a winner, this resource helps with your sales tracking. And once you follow the set up in your Aweber account properly, this is done once. Then skip to step 3.
If you haven’t yet, head over to the Knowledge Base and follow the step by step instructions. Or follow the instructions of your existing CRM!
You done with this, then let’s get rolling on to…
Step 3: Tweak Your Offer or Promotion
Let’s focus on your original broadcast design. The goal is to test our a different version to see if it will sell more. So let’s create that other version.
Let’s get started, take a look at:
- Your subject Line. Is it eye-Grabbing enough? Maybe different words could be more compelling? Check out your competition’s Ads! No need to re-invent the wheel!
- Your call to action. Create a design that’s eye-catching. Would different words be more compelling? Try placing it above the fold (the point where readers need to scroll to see more).
- Your text-to-image ratio. Experts recommend a blend of 60% text to 40% images to illustrate your message while avoiding spam traps. Again Aweber and Sendblaster test your spam ratio and give you results you want 0% See some of ours below .
- Your preheader. Ensure you have a whitelisting request, a link to your newsletter online and very essential an unsubscribe link.
- Your format. Are you using the best layout for your content? Or should you try one of these options instead?
- Your images and copy. Are you presenting your product or service in the best possible light? Or would your readers respond better to something else?
Step 4: Split Test for the Winning Design
To figure out which design will generate more sales, use the broadcast split testing feature in your CRM. This sends each version to a randomly selected, equally sized audience so you’ll get the most accurate results.
After the broadcasts go out, follow the QuickStats for each version to keep track of sales. (Just click on the subject on the Broadcast page to see how they’re doing.)
Once you have the winning version, you know what design to use for future promotions!
Split Testing Strategy Step 5: Google A/B Testing aka Google Analytics Content Experiment.
First if you have never done this I suggest you Read How to setup Your First Split or A/B test or experiment here now.
Your aim is to check your best and worst website/blog behaviour, analyze your results, check where your website lacks and fix it for your users experience and better organic traffic from SEs. In order to do this ab testing experiment you need:
- Gmail account
- Google adwords account…FREE
- Login to your Google developers site your screen should look something like below!
The experiment is about ensuring your website performs great on a Speed test for your audience ab test. You can check your Blog or website speed and how to fix any issues here.
Back to our test, you need to be logged into your analytics account and Click on “Reporting” on Left side panel; Click on Behavior – Site Speed – then Speed Suggestions as shown in image below:
Your aim today and at very least once a month is to check & ensure your website runs at a min of 80/100. Of course the best scenario is 100/100 esp. for mobile users. Clearly we need to fix some site speed issues from the image above 72 -84 secs is simply too slow and am sure glad I checked!
It’s important to remember that a huge number of your audience use handhelds like tablets and mobile phones to search for your offers online. Thus your blog or website load speed according to Neil Patel should be less than 2 secs Max. Clearly we need to do some work on this front! So this ab test tool is supremely essential for your business. We best get to the ab testing experiment.
Whatever your aim or target for your website be it page views, clicks, AdSense, your absolute page speed should be 1-2 secs. We love our visitors to not have to wait for ages for our site to load and we desire that you stay for more than 20 mins.
That is great for Alexa Ranking and you wouldn’t worry about Bounce rates too. You in turn will learn new and great ways to build your business and brand. The faster your website loads the higher the chances of your audience sticking for longer and check out more. Below are our Desktop & Mobile Page speed ab tests
To help with the above two webmasters nightmares aka Alexa Ranks and Bounce rates we have an awesome resource and Facebook Forum where you can participate. We support each other to improve these areas for less than 10 mins of your day! Consider this your VIP invitation to said Forum, only people serious about attracting Organic traffic need take this up! This resource and going through the ab test experiment may take up what you consider valuable time, BUT It is worth it and can reduce your bounce rate way down!
Below I give you the very simple steps to make your ab testing so worth your time!
Step 1 – Login to your Google Analytics account and follow instructions…
Step 2 – Go to behaviour, speed check as shown above. Copy and paste into word doc or Google doc the results you get. Spend the next few mins or hours FIXING the Problem areas or Issues. In our case our blog has lots of visuals: videos and Images. These can slow down a website if not optimized and compressed properly. So this we are focused on!
Step 3 – Create your 1st experiment making sure that your original offer and variation In Step 3 of Split testing above is in place. Install or check that your Google Analytics tracking code is installed. Again Google gives you instructions what to do. If all sounds like Greek Do REACH out to us to help Here! By the way its best placed in the “header.php” of your home page or any widget.
Check & track the behaviour of the two offers for at least 7 days. And you will absolutely understand how to improve your website. And for this you need Google Tag Manager.
Learn how to set up your very first Google A/B test Experiment Using Link or watch Video Below


Now it may be a great idea to also add the Google analytics Chrome extension to track how your audience interacts with your website! The audience overview feature gives you a great idea how your audience is interacting with your website. This gives you a basic Google ab test between your New Vs Returning visitors. We encourage you to take it further!
Google likes to show fresh, value and original content on the 1st page top 10. And in our experience, Google Website Optimizer takes Ab Testing to a new level. The connection between GWO and your Analytics is real powerful in comparison to other applications. So take this ab test experiment serious and you will rise above your competition in your business.
Split Testing and Ab testing Resources it’s a Wrap for now:
So my questions to you are: How Likely Are You to follow The above Steps to see the change you desire this year?
Does setting up sales tracking, split tests, ab testing sound like something you’re likely to take on or already do for your business? If No, whats stopping you? Can we help?
If Yes to above, what changes do you think you’ll try out? We’d love to hear about your insights and results! And we’d love it if you left a comment below! And if you have got value from our Ab testing tips and tutorial post, don’t forget to Like, share with your mates and absolutely share on facebook…
If A/B testing, tracking experiments, google analytics, or SEO sound like Such Hard Work, You absolutely need This SEO mad Man’s Help. He sure shows you step by step how to get your Blog/Website SEO mojo on. Grab his Training while it’s still open to the public.
Its absolutely essential That you attend Our Free Live Webinar Training on how to Leverage Social media better to Get your Desired Results!
You can also get in touch with us and use our bespoke Web design services to help you create your ab tests and tweak your site to optimum speed!
You know you do Deserve More so…
Live. Learn. Love
Julie Syl & Pauli Kalungi
Skype: Julie.Kalungi1
Twitter: @Juleskalpauli
AND @syl_julekalungi
Email: julie[at]Juleskalpauli.com
Considering Coaching? Check out our Work with Us Tab where we Help People Everyday.
PS: If You, Team Does Not Have a Step-By-Step Blueprint For ONLINE Marketing Success, Check This Out (Unless You Already Have Too Many Leads) – Click Here For Instant Access
Julie once again, you’ve provided so much value in your post. I’m blown away by the information on split testing and I am going to dip my toes in the water real soon thanks to you!
Hi Areefa,
I am happy to serve and glad you found value. How else can we serve you, just let us know via the Ask Julie page under the contact us page! 🙂
Julie Syl~
Photos and videos are so helpful for us technology-dunces like me 🙂 Thanks for the tips!
Glad you enjoy our tutorials and posts Daniela and NO you aren’t a tech-dunce. You are on a journey 🙂
J&PK~
amazing tips and startegies! Great article
Thanks for stopping Suchi 🙂
J&PK~
This is a lot of helpful info! I’m really just starting to understand Google Analytics, but am glad you pointed out some of the things I should be looking at.
Hi Kristie,
We are glad you have found value, shout out if we can be of more help 🙂
J&PK~
Hi Julie and Paul,
Great post. These are some amazing Tips and strategies you have shared here . All of the images and videos are very helpful.
Thanks for sharing.
You are most welcome Mansi, glad you got value!
J&PK~
Such amazing information here Julie. Metrics — extremely important for success. Of course tracking and split testing. We recently found something that astounded us — our open rate was not where we thought it should be. We checked the auto responder company who said everything was in order. But we moved a couple lists to another because we could not believe the poor results. And BOOM! The open rates increased to the point where we projected that they should be. Never thought 2 different companies would make such a difference.
Hey Carol what a wonderful contribution, thanks for that.
I am super glad you track your results and have found a solution to that open rate. If they aint opening em then how will they ever make a buying decision! 🙂
Julie Syl~
Nice information shared!! I was not aware of many of things mentioned here before this post! Thanks for sharing!!
Glad you found the information Useful Jasmine. Thanks for stopping.
J&PK~
Such a great resource that could be so helpful for every new blogger around. I have always been fishy about Google Analytics & you have done well to explain it in a perfect & detailed method.
Hi Lisa,
Google Analytics at the moment is the best FREE tool for your website performance in terms of traffic.
We are glad you got some clarity and value 🙂
J&PK~
This is jam packed with great information as usual! I have really been trying to get better about adding CTAs!
Hey Valerie,
Glad you got value. If there is anything we can do to help, just holler on Facebook or use our contact page to let us know!
Julie Syl~
I use Mailchimp but simply have not had the time to do this detailed of a testing. I have adjusted as I go along depending on what I see. Will get to it and your post most certainly helps.
Hi Claudette, Glad you got some value and will be doing lotsa Split testing and more sales sis xoxo
Julie Syl~
Such a smart ideas and tips! I can refer this ideas to my friend, she would learn from this for sure.
That would be very good of you for you friend and thanks for the referral Carmela. Glad you got value!
Julie Syl~
Your tips are so helpful for the newbies to start a blog. Loved the way you explained the Google Analytics portion. Thanks for sharing this article.
You are most welcome and thanks for your time! 🙂
J&PK~
Great information Julie about split testing. Tracking information like you show here helps to understand how certain sales funnels are working with the target audience. You really shared tons of valuable and helpful tips and strategies!
Hi Lynn,
Glad you agree and found value. Tracking is key or we are just shooting in the dark!
Thanks for your time 🙂
Julie Syl~
I love using Mailchimp in reaching out to my readership. It’s so important to tweak our promotions or strategy on a regular basis. This post is amazing! Thanks for the amazing resource! I’m going to bookmark this for future reference.
Hi Jonathan,
We used to love Mailchimp until we tried Aweber…then I Fell in love again 🙂
Aweber has so much more but bottom line its how we use these resources that matters.
Glad you found value and Thanks for your time!
Julie Syl~
ok im lost! Think this will take a few reads to get my head around! You are very clever
Hi Dainty…
Thank you, very kind. HOW CAN WE HELP? Just say the word 🙂
Julie Syl~
Wow! So much info. I’m going to have to save and come back and read all of this!
Hi Nina,
Absolutely help yourself we are glad you like:)
J&PK~
wow..amazing tips..need to use some of them for myself..Thanks for sharing this
Hi,
Glad yo got value 🙂
J&PK~
Great post Julie. Alot of my mentors say how important split testing is or basically you are just shooting in the dark. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Well your mentors are very right Stephanie 🙂 So I hope this has got you closer to trying out your first experiment 🙂
Julie Syl~
A lot of information here that can help to make what we do a lot better. Saved to go through in more details
Hi Mardene,
Thanks for your time and indeed go apply and enjoy better results xoxo
Julie syl~
This is a helpful post. I want to try doing this with my mailing list and wasn’t sure where to begin.
Glad you fond us Milena and with application you will start to see the results you desire 🙂
J&PK~
So I was following along and realised how much work I have to do. The last newsletter I sent was Jan 2015 and we already end of March 2016. I need to sit down and look into this.
Your tips have blown my mind. I have so much to do in making my own websites better.
This felt a little over my head as I am not as technologically inclined as I should be but really well laid out. I think even a novice like me could use it and benefit from the detail. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you find it easier to digest Allison, and with a second look and application, you will start to enjoy it too and the results you get. Thanks for your comment too 🙂
Julie Syl~
This is awesome information for any blogger or someone with a small business. It is important that you monitor everything involved in you making money as well as getting and keeping customers. Thanks for the information.
Thank you Julie for the 5 steps / tips on AB Testing. Lot’s of value here!
You are most welcome Rory and thanks for your time! 🙂
J&PK~
Wow, you gave some incredible information here. Have pinned it for my future reference. Thanks for sharing this post with us!
Wow there’s so much info on here! I’m going to have to take my time to read through it slowly again, thanks for sharing.
When I was used to work for corporate america this was a standard practice when you own a big business you need to test. Great tips and info shared.
Hi Adriana,
Thank you for your contribution and glad you agree! 🙂
J&PK~
This really such an awesome post and a great info. I am going to bookmark this 🙂
Hello Carmela,
Glad you found value here today 🙂
J&PK~
Everything is familiar, but a little confusing. It’s good to learn more about A/B Testing. I was never good at looking at google analytics.
Everything shall be clearer with practice Elizabeth 🙂 We all start out confused and spend time learning, This should help cut your journey shorter 🙂 thanks for your time.
Julie Syl~
thank you very much for this! I am a new blogger and so much to learn. I don’t even have an email blast yet. I don’t even understand google analytics yet. this is very informative
Hi Ron,
If you check out earlier posts and search our SEO and blogging/tips categories you will find more simply use the search bar at top right. Hope that helps! And you are welcome 🙂
Julie Syl~
These are great tips. All of the images and videos are very helpful.
Glad you found value Lana 🙂
J&PK~
This is a helpful post. I want to try doing this with my mailing list and wasn’t sure where to begin.
Hi Milena,
Feel free to reach out to us if you need any help. Thanks for stopping!
J&PK~
I use Mailchimp and they recently told me I qualified to use their split testing, but wasn’t too sure what it was. Great info, thanks!
Glad this came just in time then Miranda. Yet Aweber offers these services to all users beginner, basic user or pro. I sure wish you every success in your first split test 🙂
Julie Syl~
Wow! This is a lot of helpful information. While this is focused towards sales, I think some of the info could help me out with my blog emails as well.
Hi Marie,
Every email you send is ultimately aimed at moving your subscribers to buy or make a decision either way..So Yes this will be of great help to you 🙂
Julie Syl~
[ Smiles ] Wow! I am impressed!
That is a lot of useful information on a/b testing!
Amazing blog post Julie! I am bookmarking this so I can come back to it with a fine tooth comb. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Jan,
Glad to hear from you and definitely do that 🙂
J&PK~
Bless you woman of God for your generosity of heart and always sharing to help others your knowledge and expertise.
Davina
Yes and Amen 🙂 Wow what a surprise.
J&PK~
These are some amazing Tips and strategies you have shared here Julie and Paul. Just wondering, Have you got some results to share from an A/B test would be great to know. And were you testing Conversions or clicks?
Cheers
We can share in 7 days time Katula as we are still running tests. Te last ones were done last year on the launch of our product and wouldnt be fresh! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Julie Syl~