Why is e-commerce email marketing unique compared to other marketing channels?
Email marketing is a key consideration for eCommerce brands for multiple reasons. One of the most important ones is that you reach an audience that has already asked you to contact them. This approach may offer a more efficient way of reaching potential customers compared to other methods, which can lead to a low conversion rate and wasted time.
Email marketing provides direct access to your audience without being dependent on algorithmic filtering or manipulation. When you send a message, it’s sent to the person’s inbox. As opposed to the rapid-fire rhythm of numerous social media platforms, the platform advocates for a more measured and thoughtful approach to content engagement.
Email marketing is also not an isolated silo. Instead, it can form part of a multi-channel strategy. The tool’s deployment at various stages of the lead funnel suggests a potential influence on lead generation and conversion across different customer interactions. Another key consideration is the timelessness of email marketing for eCommerce. While some users have opted to delete social media accounts for mental health and other reasons, email addresses remain a staple for many online users and will likely remain important in the future.
What exactly are the different types of e-commerce emails and how are they categorized?
You can, for the most part, group eCommerce emails within three main categories:
- Marketing: These marketing emails encourage customers to explore and learn about specific products. These are commonly used when eCommerce businesses have a sale going on, such as during the holiday season.
- Transactional: These emails are used when customers check out and for similar reasons.
- Lifecycle: These kinds of emails can include newsletters and similar types of campaigns.
Why are email metrics and analytics so important for e-commerce?
Metrics and analytics are vital in all forms of marketing, and email marketing in eCommerce is no exception. Review this information to understand how your efforts are performing and make necessary adjustments.
Key metrics to cover are:
- Open rates: The number of users that open your email.
- Clickthrough rates: The number of people who open your email and then click on a link within your message.
- Customer spending: The amount that customers spend after consuming your email content.
- List growth: The number of people who subscribe and unsubscribe to/from your mailing list.
While measuring analytics and metrics in your e-commerce email marketing strategy comes with certain advantages, it’s important to consider all aspects of implementing this strategy:
- Campaign performance: Use the information you’ve acquired to determine where you need to change your email marketing strategy. Changes to your campaign performance may become apparent over time with continuous iteration and optimization.
- Customer insights: Look at your email metrics to determine what your users interact with the most and least, and assess their behavior. You should then use this information to adjust your messaging.
How can I create impactful e-commerce emails?
To begin with, you’ll need to understand your audience. Once you’ve done that, you then have to bring other elements together. A catchy subject line that grabs the user’s attention is important; they probably get multiple daily emails, and you need to give them a reason to click on yours.
Once a user opens your email, you then have to ensure that your content is interesting enough. Telling a story is also important in many cases, but if you don’t know where to start, keep things simple and build slowly over time.
The design is also vital; it should reflect your branding.
It’s worth considering a time-interval email series, too, but these need to provide value rather than just being filler content. Your emails are key for new and existing customers.
What are the benefits and rewards of e-commerce email marketing?
Email marketing, alongside other tactics, can play a role in your eCommerce marketing strategy, depending on your specific goals and target audience. Some of these include:
- Return on Investment: When done correctly, email marketing can have a huge ROI of over 300%; however, you should be sure to expect things to be initially slow.
- Engagement: Building an email list provides a reliable channel for audience engagement, as it allows direct communication unlike social media platforms subject to algorithmic fluctuations.
- Relationships: While welcome emails can have higher open rates, it’s important to note that their impact on relationship-building may vary.
- Multichannel: Email marketing is a means of connecting with potential customers and presenting a wider audience with company offerings and content. For example, you might want to share posts you’ve published on your blog.
How can I craft an effective welcome email for my e-commerce store?
Although welcome emails provide an opportunity to build relationships immediately, you need to spend considerable time thinking about them. Your welcome email is your first impression, and as such, the design should be appealing to customers (while still being on-brand). Other than that, you should also consider these factors:
- Set clear expectations; tell users what they can expect from your emails, and mention the frequency too.
- Tailor your message so that your users want to continue subscribing to your emails.
- Use a single call to action (CTA).
- Keep content concise and relevant.
You don’t need a comprehensive welcome message; it’s effectively your opening line and should tell subscribers why they should continue interacting with you.
Conclusion
Email marketing is a crucial component of many eCommerce brands’ marketing strategies, and you should strongly consider how you’ll implement it within your own. The return on investment can be significant, though it’ll typically take a while to gain subscribers in the beginning.
You can use email marketing to provide brand updates, tell customers about new products, and nurture leads. Be simple with your strategy; once you have a solid base, you can then start thinking about how to take things further.
