Emails are a vital communication tool for both businesses and consumers, and it’s essential to ensure that the emails sent out are effective, efficient, and deliverable.
Automated email testing solutions allow you to quickly test your emails on various platforms, ensuring maximum reach and engagement.
Regarding automated email testing, there are some significant technical details to understand.
The process starts with setting up an automated email test environment.
So what exactly does this involve?
This article will discuss what goes into setting up the automated email testing environment, from selecting a mail transfer agent (MTA) service to configuring and testing your SMTP connection.
Once you have set up your test environment, it’s time to begin testing!
Now let's' get to it!
Email testing is an essential part of any successful email marketing campaign. It allows you to check for potential problems before sending emails, such as ensuring that the content displays correctly on multiple platforms and devices or whether the links are working.
Testing your emails ensures that they look professional and are optimized for maximum reach, engagement, and click-through rate.
Imagine sending and checking all client emails manually. Aren't we blessed to live in the age of automation?
Email testing automation tools make the whole process of testing emails so much easier. And here are some of the most popular ones available in the market today:
Preflight is apparently the new kid in the block of the area of email testing automation. But it doesn't mean that it is a novice!
On the contrary, it's an automation tool that allows you to quickly and easily check your emails for potential deliverability issues. It will scan your email against several criteria to ensure it looks good in all email clients, devices, and browsers.
It will also ensure that emails are delivered, content is optimized, and there are no issues with the email’s design or coding.
Who's it for?
Businesses or startups looking to quickly scale their email marketing campaigns and remain within budget and also for large enterprises, who want to save resources in QA through efficient automation.
Email on Acid is one of the most popular email testing tools available. It allows you to test emails on over 70 different devices and browsers. With a simple drag-and-drop feature, you can easily upload your HTML files to check how your email looks across various platforms before sending it out.
It also offers custom code testing, email tracking and analytics, A/B testing, and more.
Litmus is a comprehensive email testing tool with features such as content testing, spam filter testing, email previews in over 70 clients and devices, analytics, and more.
It has a drag-and-drop feature allowing you to upload HTML files for testing quickly. It also offers integrations with popular tools such as Mailchimp and Campaign Monitor.
When kickstarting your email campaigns, there are several factors you will have to consider and check.
They include:
You need to ensure that your emails are going to valid email addresses. You'd want to keep your bounce rates low, don't you?
You want to ensure your subject lines are engaging and optimized for maximum open rates. Refrain from settling for subpar subject lines!
You need to set up conversion events that will help you track the progress of your email campaigns. This means setting up webhooks, APIs, etc.
You need to measure and compare the open rates of different emails to determine which ones are performing better and which ones can be improved.
To track which emails drive the most conversions, you need to measure the click-through rates of each email.
You need to monitor the unsubscribe rates of your emails to determine what areas you can improve and which messages resonate with your audience.
Monitoring the number of signups you get from your emails will help you measure the success of your campaigns.
You need to set the optimal send times and intervals for your emails, which will help ensure maximum reach and engagement.
You must check and ensure your emails can be viewed correctly on different devices, clients, and browsers.
These factors should be checked and monitored throughout email automation to ensure maximum results.
Did someone ring the doorbell, or was it an email notification?
When a customer receives an automated email, they plan an action. And that action can trigger an automated email.
These triggers vary from one instance to the other; generally speaking, there are five primary triggers of automated email testing.
1.Visits, clicks, or form submissions:
When a customer visits your website, clicks on a particular link or button, or fills out an online form, you can send automated emails as part of the user experience.
2. Page views or content offer downloads;
You can send automated emails when customers view or download content from your website. This is particularly useful for lead-generation campaigns.
3. When someone e-signs a quote or contract:
When someone e-signs a quote or contract, you can send an automated email to remind them and give further details.
4. A customer or prospect contacts customer service via email or an online form:
When someone contacts customer service via email or an online form, you can automatically send emails to thank them for their feedback and follow up with further details.
5. Purchases made on a cycle:
If you have customers who purchase regularly, you can send them automated emails to remind them and highlight new products or services.
Of course, these triggers can be tracked using email marketing tools, such as MailChimp or Constant Contact. This way, you can measure the effectiveness of your email campaigns and make changes if needed.
Without a successful email testing campaign, an email marketing strategy would not be complete.
There are several technical factors to consider when testing emails, such as the following:
Your emails must be written in valid and well-structured HTML & CSS. This ensures your emails are displayed correctly on different email clients, devices, and browsers.
The MTA you select can have a significant impact on the deliverability of your emails. MTA is the bridge between your server and the recipient’s email provider. You must choose an MTA based on reliability, cost-efficiency, and customer service.
You must configure and test your SMTP connection to ensure that messages are sent without issues. This requires setting up the correct DNS records, authentication methods, etc.
You must ensure that the DNS records are valid and set up correctly. This helps to maximize deliverability and reduce bounce rates.
You must use email testing tools to check how your emails look on various devices, clients, and browsers. You should also check for any content that might cause your emails to be flagged as spam.
You should review the performance of your emails, including open rates, click-through rates, and other metrics.
You must ensure that your emails are secure and comply with data privacy regulations. This involves encryption, access control, and other measures.
While you can't be 100% sure about the results of your automated email tests, a thorough testing process is essential for ensuring that your emails are delivered correctly.
With the right tools, the process can be automated and streamlined. This will help you maximize reach and engagement and minimize bounce rates and spam complaints.
1. Prepare Your Test Data:
Before you start testing, you must ensure that you have the correct test data. This includes a wide range of email addresses, clients, and browsers.
2. Choose an Email Test Environment:
Your test environment must be set up before you can begin testing. This involves selecting the correct MTA and configuring your SMTP connection.
3. Configure and Test SMTP Connection:
You must configure the SMTP connection and test it to ensure that messages are sent without issues.
4. Configure the Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) Service:
You must configure the MTA to ensure that emails are delivered to the proper recipients. You should also check and validate your DNS records.
5. Run Tests to Ensure Maximum Deliverability:
You must use email testing tools to ensure your emails look good on different clients, devices, and browsers. You should also check for any spam-related issues.
6. Analyze Results for Areas of Improvement:
Finally, you must analyze the results of your tests to determine which areas can be improved. This will help ensure maximum reach and engagement for your emails.
Email testing is an essential part of any successful email marketing campaign. While the technical details can seem intimidating, a thorough understanding and appropriate tools can help to ensure that your emails are delivered correctly and quickly.
With the proper preparation, you can ensure that your automated email tests are successful and that your emails are optimized for maximum reach, engagement, and conversions.
And with tools like Preflight, you shouldn't worry about the technical aspects of running automation - leaving you with more time to focus on the creative part of your campaigns!