Bol.com tested how to sell the latest Dan Brown and shares the results

The challenge

To promote the latest book of Dan Brown, Bol.com, the largest media store of The Netherlands, sent out an email campaign. The challenge was to maximize the sales of the book by adapting the content of the email to the recipient's preferences.

The optimization campaign

Bol.com created different header images with different calls to action and wondered which header would maximize the response rate of the campaign. Would this be an ordinary promotional offer (free shipping) or would future readers be triggered by a feeling of exclusivity (be the first one to read the book)?

Different headers were tested:

8Seconds Optimizer showed different header images to the recipients that first opened the email and measured statistically and in real time which header was most successful in terms of conversion. As soon as the image that generated the most click-through was found, 8Seconds Optimizer showed this optimal email to all next recipients.

Results

And the winner was (with an increase in conversion of +59%) .....

Conclusion

• Although the offer and the image were exactly the same, the fact that the highlighted text in the blue banner was different had a massive impact on the click-through rate of the recipients.
• Highlighting FREE SHIPPING appeared to be more powerful than giving the recipient a feeling of exclusivity (READ ON THE DAY OF PUBLICATION or BE THE FIRST TO HAVE THE BOOK AT HOME).
• Testing offers increases CTR (in this case by +59%).
• Real time multivariate testing of email campaigns allows adapting the content to the recipients' preferences and maximizes the response rate of email campaigns.