Mastering A/B Testing for Email Subject Lines

Mastering A/B Testing for Email Subject Lines: A Fun Guide for Handmade Sellers

You’ve got an amazing handmade business with products you’re proud of—whether it’s hand-poured candles, custom jewelry, or eco-friendly soaps. But let’s face it: if your email subject lines aren’t grabbing attention, your emails are getting lost in the inbox abyss. Don’t worry! There’s a fun, effective way to figure out what works best for your audience: A/B testing.

If you’re ready to see which subject lines get the clicks, boost open rates, and ultimately drive sales for your handmade business, keep reading. We’re about to turn you into a subject line wizard with A/B testing.

What is A/B Testing?

Think of A/B testing like a friendly competition between two versions of your email subject lines. You send out two slightly different versions of an email to a small segment of your audience. The one that gets the better results (opens, clicks, or conversions) is declared the winner, and that version gets sent to the rest of your list. It’s that simple!

For example, let’s say you’re running a special sale on your hand-knitted scarves. You might test these two subject lines:

• A: “Bundle Up! 20% Off All Hand-Knitted Scarves Today Only!”

• B: “Cold Weather, Cozy Scarves: 20% Off Today Only!”
  

Which one do you think would work better? Well, instead of guessing, A/B testing lets your customers tell you directly through their actions.

Feeling stuck with your email subject lines? Don’t leave it to chance! Start A/B testing today and let your customers tell you what they want. More opens and clicks are just a test away.

Steps to A/B Test Your Email Subject Lines

1. Pick Your Testing Variable

While you can test a lot of things in an email (content, images, CTAs), let’s keep it simple and stick to the subject line. For handmade sellers, you might want to test variables like:

• Wording or phrasing (“20% Off All Handmade Jewelry” vs. “Flash Sale: 20% Off Earrings and Bracelets”)

• Tone (friendly and casual vs. direct and urgent)

• Length (short and snappy vs. more descriptive)

• Personalization (“Hey [Name], Your Favorite Items Are on Sale” vs."Alert: Don’t Miss Out, [Name]!”)

• Emojis (“🎄 Holiday Gifts Under $50” vs. “Holiday Gifts Under $50”)
  

2. Segment Your Audience

To get accurate results, you need to test your subject lines on a small portion of your email list first—usually around 10-20% of your total subscribers. This group will be split evenly into two, with each segment receiving a different version of the email. Once you have a winner, the rest of your audience will get the most effective subject line. |

3. Set Clear Goals

What are you hoping to achieve with this test? A higher open rate? More click-throughs? Clear goals will help you determine which subject line is the winner. If your goal is to boost sales for a new collection, focus on conversion rates rather than just opens.

4. Run the Test

Send your emails to your test groups and let the magic happen! Give it some time—usually 24-48 hours—to gather enough data for a meaningful comparison.

5. Analyze the Results

Check the metrics: Did Subject Line A get more opens? Did Subject Line B drive more clicks? Use tools like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or ConvertKit (depending on your email platform) to monitor these stats.

6. Declare a Winner and Send to the Rest of Your List

Whichever subject line performs better—whether in opens, clicks, or conversions—gets sent to the remaining 80-90% of your subscribers. Voilà! You’ve just optimized your email marketing without any extra guesswork.

7. Rinse and Repeat

A/B testing is not a one-and-done thing. What worked today might not work tomorrow, especially with ever-changing customer behaviors. Keep testing regularly, and make it part of your ongoing email strategy.

Pro Tips for A/B Testing Subject Lines

• Don’t Overcomplicate It:  Start with small changes. Maybe test an emoji against no emoji, or test a friendly tone versus an urgent tone.
  

• Test One Thing at a Time:  If you change too many variables at once, you won’t know which one made the difference.
  

• Stay Consistent:  Keep your audience segments consistent across tests to ensure accurate results.
  

• Learn from Your Wins (and Losses):  Whether it’s a clear victory or a surprising flop, every A/B test teaches you more about your audience. Take notes and adjust your strategy accordingly.
  

Real-Life Example: My Experience A/B Testing as a Handmade Seller

I remember when I was launching a new line of all-natural skincare products. I was torn between two subject lines for my email campaign:

• A: “New Skincare Alert: Meet Your Fresh Face Favorites!”

• B: “Glow Up: Try Our New All-Natural Skincare Line Today!”
  

I decided to A/B test them with a segment of my email list. To my surprise, the simpler, more direct Subject Line B won by a landslide with a 15% higher open rate and a 12% increase in click-throughs. Lesson learned: sometimes, clarity beats creativity.

Let Your Audience Decide

While you think you know what will resonate best with your audience, A/B testing subject lines is an invaluable tool for handmade sellers looking to maximize their email marketing efforts. It takes the guesswork out of what works and what doesn’t, allowing you to learn directly from your audience. So get creative, have fun with your tests, and watch your open rates soar.

Question for You:

Have you tried A/B testing your email subject lines? What surprising results have you found? Share your experience in the comments below.

Ready to take your email testing results to the next level? Check out our guide on using Milled.com to craft even better emails with these essential tips and tricks: How to Use Milled.com to Create Better Emails: Tips, Tricks, and Examples.