As social media has increased its dominance in the online landscape, it’s easy for people to write off email as being a dead marketing tool. But as always, the death of email is far, far away. Over half of the world’s population uses it, and on average it still brings back an average of 4,300% Return on Investment for US businesses according to the Direct Marketing Association. That’s a massive number, and it proves that while you can’t ignore things like your website’s overall design or social media marketing efforts, you also need to focus on email.
But one thing that has become common is for email marketing strategies to fail. There are plenty of reasons for this, and taking the time to design the best possible plan is vital. There are some big secrets you can remember if you’re working on better conversion generation, so let’s take a look at some of the best ones.
Fear Shipping
There’s no other way to put it – shipping charges can instantly kill what would have been a sale. This is especially true when the charges aren’t expected, and those surprise charges are linked to 28% of all shopping cart abandonments. So what does that have to do with your email? For one thing, you can go beyond just product recommendation email marketing and focus on your shipping as well. For instance, including a coupon code for free shipping on an order over a certain amount can be enough to get customers to look at your offerings and to convince them that ordering makes sense. In short, free shipping drives sales.
Keep It Simple
There’s an old saying that uses the acronym “KISS” – Keep It Simple, Stupid. That applies to online shopping in a big way. Customers don’t always want to create an account with your company, and studies have found that 23% of shopping cart abandonment occurs because users have to create a new user account before they can process their orders.
Simply put, they want to buy their stuff and don’t want the hassle. You can include this in your emails, telling them no account is needed. Always offer the chance to create an account, or even give them an incentive – something like a 10% discount with a new account creation. It’s worth it – that account info can help you create better product recommendation email marketing strategies. But you have to be willing to let them shop and buy without forcing them into an account.
Use All Of Your Information
You can tell a lot about a customer through reviewing some basic data. Looking at past purchases, for instance, can help you create a better understanding of what they’re interested in. Purchase amounts can help you see what kind of budget they have. Using all of the information you have available to you will help you craft solid email marketing plans. Personalized recommendations on products, for instance, can keep customers coming back to you and finding new products they’ll love.
Understand The Power Of Free…and Its Drawbacks
Free is a powerful word, and one that can drive conversions upwards. But that’s only if you really put it to use. That means offering people things that they actually want for free, and being sure that it will help build your LTV from them. Design your emails so that you highlight free incentives, but be sure that you can make that freebie turn into a conversion, too.
Never Mention Spam
We mean never – not even to say ‘We will never spam you” in your sign up pages. Just including that alone can reduce conversions in a big way. And never use it in emails – especially in the subject line. It doesn’t matter what the phrasing is, the reality is that your customers will simply turn away from the word.
Target With Laser Precision
When you send out an email, are you blanketing everyone on your list? Are you giving them too many options as a result? That’s the problem with those generic email marketing efforts – you’re casting too wide of a net. It’s better to focus on using information about your customers to create personalized targeted emails, and then to keep your initial offers small in terms of options. Less confusion means more leads, so focus each email on a particular product or a specific offer. You’ll get better results.
Follow Up
Always follow up with your customers. This could be a few days after an order just to thank them, it could be a quick ‘repeat customer’ coupon offer, or something else entirely, but getting back in touch with them with a quick email is a great way to let them know that you’re appreciative of their business.
Get Personal
The more that your customers feel like you love them and appreciate them, the better. That’s why getting personal is so important. And while this means sending out product suggestions targeted directly to them, you can go further as well. Simple software programs let you address each email to the individual’s name, and you can also do things like sending out birthday coupons or discounts based on their wish list. There are plenty of different ways to personalize your emails, but the important thing is simply that you do it. This creates a solid connection to your customers that will pay off in a big way.
Assess Yourself Honestly
Finally, just taking a minute to give your past and current email strategies a closer look is important – and something that not enough companies can do honestly. Pay attention to your success rates and see what is working and what isn’t – and make changes when you need to.
Your email marketing strategies will have a huge impact on your bottom line, and getting the right results from them is important. Our software can offer you an easier way to the best results with any email marketing plan including customized, personalized targeted marketing solutions. Contact us to find out more about what we can do for you and your business.
