How a Simple Format Change Drove a 166% Lift in Click Rate: Case Study

A performance lift doesn’t always come from a big discount or flashy promotion.

In fact, several of my clients don’t run promotions at all. “50% off” isn’t even part of the strategy. 

When discounts are off the table, real strategy comes out to play.

We ran a series of A/B tests comparing image-heavy emails against simple, text-based layouts, resulting in a 166% lift in click rate.

Here’s what we tested and what we learned.

Text-Based vs. Image-Heavy Emails

I noticed the change over the past year. Nothing revolutionary, but simple. 

More and more e-commerce brands are mixing in text-based emails alongside their usual image-heavy designs, and honestly? I find myself paying closer attention to them.

They’ve long been used in the coaching and education space because they feel personal—a note from a real person, not a brand.

A simple, text-based email stands out next to image-heavy designs when it’s not the norm. It feels unexpected, human, and real.

And from a deliverability standpoint, they may help your overall sending reputation.

So, e-commerce brands are adopting strategies from other spaces. Why? Because they are unexpected. 

Here are some examples of e-commerce brands doing it in my inbox: 

Diamond Brew Coffee

Molly’s Suds

After seeing this time and time again, I knew it was time to put it to the test! 

The A/B Test

The client we conducted this test for is in the hardware and home improvement industry and has two very distinct audiences:

• Do-It-Yourselfers (DIYers) tackling home renovation projects.
  
• Contractors professionally installing products.

(You can learn more about how we started gathering this information through our signup strategy.)

Over the course of four months, we A/B tested the designed version (A) against the rich text version (B) across both audiences.

The subject line and calls to action were identical. But without a visual header to introduce the topic, the text-based version required light copy edits to maintain flow and context between the two CTAs.

• Version A: Featured a designed layout with a hero image and a clear CTA button
• Version B: Looked like a letter, simple, text-based, with light branding.

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TEST 1: June 2025 – Contractors

Test 1 Results

For contractors, the text-based version (B) outperformed the designed version, achieving a 166% increase in click rate and more orders/revenue.

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TEST 2: July 2025 – Contractors

Test 2 Results

Although not statistically significant, the text-based email outperformed the image-based email in terms of click rate, achieving a 57% lift.

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TEST 3: August 2025 – DIY

Now, what about the DIY-ers? 

Test 3 Results

For DIYers, the text-based version (B) once again led the way, this time with a statistically significant 60.96% lift in click rate compared to the designed version.

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Let’s Review the Results

Over the course of four months, we conducted a total of eight A/B tests comparing designed and text-based email formats across both audiences.

Out of those eight, three tests reached statistical significance and all favored the text-based versions. 

Would I have loved all eight tests to be statistically significant? Of course. But we still learned something. 

The tests that were not statistically significant showed minor lifts or nearly even results, making us believe that while text emails can drive stronger engagement, designed emails still have a valuable role to play.

What We Learned

Looking across all the tests, we now believe this client’s audience values variety. They engage more when the inbox experience changes from one month to the next. Here’s what stood out:

• Text-based emails consistently drove higher engagement. They outperformed in click rate and felt more personal to readers.
  
• Designed emails still serve a purpose. They strengthen brand presence and help visually communicate complex or product-heavy content.
  
• Variation matters. Alternating formats keeps the inbox experience fresh and avoids the “same-look fatigue” that can stall engagement.
  
• This isn’t about sprinkling in a text-only send now and then. It’s about creating a balanced rhythm—one month design, one month text—that makes the program feel both intentional and human.

By embracing both styles, we’re building an email experience that blends visual storytelling with authentic connection, and our audience is responding.

This isn’t the end of the testing. We’ll continue to experiment, learn, and refine what resonates most.

Why This Test Really Worked

What I love most about this A/B test isn’t just the results, it’s the trust our client had in us to explore something new, even when the change seemed small.

That trust is the foundation of every great partnership.

When a client is willing to test, ask questions, and let data guide the next move, it creates space for real strategy to thrive.

Our best clients are the ones who share that curiosity.

They see us not as a vendor, but as a strategic partner who’s just as invested in their success as they are.

That kind of collaboration is what opens doors like this, where data and strategy meet trust and teamwork.

If you’re interested in having a partnership like this, you’re our kind of person.

Feel free to grab a spot on my calendar. No formality. A casual chat to connect, swap ideas, and maybe even spark something that helps your email program evolve like this one.