Why Your Emails Aren't Bringing in More Jobs
I was sitting down with a landscaper over in Coorparoo a few weeks ago. He’s got a solid business, a great crew, and a list of about 800 past customers sitting in his database. He told me, "I send out a monthly newsletter with some tips and a special offer, but I honestly couldn't tell you if it brings in a single dollar."
He’s not alone. Most Brisbane business owners treat email marketing like a chore. They write something up, hit send, and hope for the best. But hope isn't a strategy that pays the bills.
Think about it this way: If you were running two different ads in the local paper, and one brought in ten phone calls while the other brought in zero, which one would you keep running? You’d bin the dud and double down on the winner.
In the marketing world, we call this "A/B testing." For you, it just means sending two versions of the same email to see which one makes you more money. It’s the fastest way to stop wasting time on things your customers don't care about.
The "Big Bang" vs. The "Slow Burn"
There are two main ways to test your emails. I’ve seen both work for local businesses, but they serve different purposes. Let's look at which one is right for your shop or trade.
1. The "Winner Takes All" Approach (The Big Bang)
This is great if you have a big list (at least 500+ people) and you’re sending out a one-time offer, like a "Mid-Winter Roof Inspection Special" or a "Flash Sale" for your retail shop.
How it works: You write two different subject lines. You send Version A to 10% of your list and Version B to another 10%. You wait four hours. Your email software looks at which one got more people to open it, and then it automatically sends the winning version to the remaining 80% of your list.
The Benefit: You maximise your results for that specific day. If Version A gets double the clicks, you aren't wasting that potential on the bulk of your customers.
The Downside: It only helps that one email. It doesn't necessarily teach you deep lessons about your customers' habits over the long term.
2. The "Long Game" Approach (The Slow Burn)
This is what I recommend for professional services—accountants, lawyers, or mortgage brokers—who send regular updates or educational content.
How it works: You decide to test one specific thing for three months. For example, for three months, half your list gets a very short, plain-text email that looks like it came straight from your Outlook, and the other half gets a fancy, branded email with pictures and buttons.
The Benefit: After 90 days, you’ll have a clear answer. You might find that your Brisbane clients actually prefer the plain-text version because it feels more personal and less like a "marketing blast." This saves you hours of time (and money) spent on graphic design that nobody wanted anyway.
What Should You Actually Test?
Don't get bogged down in the technical weeds. If you try to test five things at once, you won't know what worked. Stick to these three big hitters that actually move the needle on your bank balance.
The Subject Line (The "Open Me" Test)
If they don't open the email, they can't buy from you. Period.I worked with a boutique gym in Newstead that was struggling with low engagement. We tested two subject lines: 1. "Our June Newsletter is Here!" 2. "How to lose 2kg before your winter holiday"
Can you guess which one won? The second one got three times as many opens. People don't care about your "newsletter"; they care about their own problems.
The Offer (The "Money" Test)
Sometimes it’s not how you say it, but what you’re offering. If you’re a tradie, try testing: - "Get 10% off your next service" vs. - "Get a free $50 Bunnings voucher with your next service"You might find that the $50 voucher costs you less than the 10% discount but gets twice as many bookings. You won't know until you test it.
The Call to Action (The "What Next?" Test)
Tell people exactly what to do. Do they want to "Book Now," "Claim Offer," or "Call Dave on 04XX..."?I’ve seen cases where simply putting a big, clear phone number at the top of the email resulted in more enquiries than a fancy booking link. Many of your customers are busy; they just want to tap a number on their phone and talk to a human.
Stop Wasting Your Budget
Testing is useless if your emails aren't even reaching the person. I see so many business owners spending hundreds of dollars a month on fancy platforms, only to have their messages blocked by spam filters. Before you worry about testing subject lines, you need to make sure you stop your business emails going straight to junk. If you're landing in the junk folder, you're literally throwing money away.
Furthermore, if you are paying for a massive list of people who haven't opened an email from you since the 2011 floods, you are hurting your results. You need to stop wasting money on people who don't open your emails. Clean your list first, then start testing. It’ll make your data much more accurate.
Real Results: The Morningside Plumber Case Study
We worked with a local plumbing business that wanted to grow their hot water system replacement side of the business. They had a list of 1,200 past customers.
We ran a simple test. - Group A got an email focused on "Emergency Repairs" (Fear-based). - Group B got an email focused on "Lowering Your Energy Bills" (Savings-based).
In Morningside, the "Lowering Your Energy Bills" version outperformed the emergency version by 40%. Why? Because most people's systems were working fine, but everyone was complaining about the rising cost of electricity in Queensland.
By testing, they didn't just get more jobs that month; they learned exactly what message to put on their fridge magnets and Facebook ads for the rest of the year. That’s the power of testing.
How to Start Today (Without Losing Your Mind)
You don't need a degree in data science to do this. Here is your 3-step plan:
1. Pick one thing to test. I suggest your next subject line. 2. Split your list. Most email tools like Mailchimp or Vision6 have a simple "A/B Test" button. Use it. 3. Look at the winner. After 24 hours, see which one got more clicks or phone calls.
Waste of Money Alert: Don't bother testing the "colour of a button" or the "font style." Unless you are sending emails to 100,000 people, those tiny changes won't make a lick of difference to your profit. Stick to the big stuff: the headline, the price, and the offer.
The Bottom Line
Marketing isn't a magic trick; it’s a process of elimination. You try two things, keep the one that works, and bin the one that doesn't. Over time, your emails become a reliable machine that generates bookings while you’re out on a job or spending time with the family.
If you’re too busy running your business to muck around with email settings and split tests, we can help. At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in making sure your marketing actually results in more phone calls and sales, not just pretty reports.
Want to see how we can grow your Brisbane business? Contact us at Local Marketing Group and let’s get your emails working as hard as you do.