Email Marketing for E-Commerce Is Changing
E-commerce email marketing has gone through some big changes. For example, plain text has been replaced by beautiful newsletters. Tracking metrics are more advanced. Finally, value-added messaging is now the rule, not the exception. Simply put, the shift in marketing for e-commerce deserves attention.
Additionally, the nature of commerce is changing, shaking up the email marketing game. More and more, consumers are shopping online, causing businesses to increase their digital marketing budgets. And the smart marketing money is used for opt-in email campaigns.
Unlike social media ads, opt-in emails have a big edge: they’ve cleared the consumer trust hurdle. And in these days of jammed inboxes, that difference is pure gold in marketing for e-commerce.
On account of these changes to our expectations and shopping habits, it’s fair to say e-commerce marketing can make or break a business in today’s economy. Simply put, email marketing mistakes are luxuries that most retailers can’t afford.
E-Commerce Email Marketing is Getting Personal
It’s no secret, targeted emails get bigger open rates in the e-commerce email marketing game. Also, automated email marketing is another valuable way of staying connected with consumers.
But like any relationship, the quality of communication rules its future. Everybody’s inboxes are groaning with bad messages. For yours to count, it has to contain cash value or personally helpful news. Otherwise, you risk the dreaded breakup of “unsubscribe.”
As a result, more e-commerce marketing is interactive rather than general:
- Behavior-based emails
- Automated email campaigns
- High-converting welcome messages
- Browse abandonment notifications
- Personalization
- Birthday messages
- Repeat customer rewards
Effective e-commerce email marketing brings real value to consumers. Knowing what your customers want helps you turn a single purchase into an ongoing relationship.
It’s More Welcoming
When it comes to e-commerce email marketing, timing is vital. Right after a subscriber signs up for your list, they’ll expect a message. Therefore, sending a welcome email series can set the tone for a jointly rewarding relationship.
It’s Diversified
Marketing for e-commerce has become a lot more specialized too. Instead of blanketing your entire list with a generic email campaign, target different segments with personalized messages. Split up your list by gender, income, and age. Soon, this can really increase the click rates on your automated messages.
Smart e-commerce marketing rewards loyal customers. For example, by segmenting a list of repeat customers, you can thank them with a special discount. This kind of extra attention is quickly becoming the norm—rather than the exception—in today’s economy.
It’s Better-Looking
The surge in e-commerce email marketing quickly divides automated messages into two camps: awful and appealing. (Make sure yours is the latter.) Consequently, streamlined messages with attractive visuals, bulleted lists, and clear calls to action win the day. All others scream “amateur” and get thrown away.
Email Marketing is Now More Nuanced
A good argument can be made that breakthroughs in email marketing won Barack Obama the 2012 election. A simple experiment with split testing—sending two versions of an email with a single change—resulted in a $2.2 million fundraising difference. By changing the call to action, subject line, or image in one email, you’ll hit more targets with future messages.
Solving Abandonment Issues
Previously, abandoned carts were seen as necessary evils of e-commerce email marketing. Fortunately, that’s no longer true, thanks to the advent of abandoned cart emails. By sending automated messages luring customers back to their abandoned carts, savvy businesses have recovered 60% of broken off sales.
Increasing Engagement
In an ever-growing digital sales world, reviews are king. Sending follow-up emails asking for feedback is not only a chance to improve your performance, but it makes customers feel valued. Now, instead of a polite extra step, requesting reviews has become standard for successful businesses.
Email Marketing Is the Only Tracking Tool Left
Due to stricter privacy laws, e-commerce sales have become one of the few reliable ways to track business. Using analytics from your email campaigns, you can learn a lot. Such discoveries can include how many people visit your store, which categories they search, and how shoppers behave.
If you’re not sure how to read this data, don’t worry; it’s a big nut to crack. Start your research with this article on deciphering email metrics.
Email Marketing for E-Commerce is Truly Helpful
Wildly successful products and services often sell out, which is a problem most e-commerce marketing campaigns are happy to have. Still, the odds of turning off good customers is a fair concern. Today’s automated messages can tell shoppers when items are back in stock, keeping their good will and your sales.
E-commerce email marketing can also take advantage of “wish lists.” Setting up email automations for customers based on their wish lists is a great way to soothe disappointed shoppers. By alerting them to sales and updates about these products, customers feel valued and you get more sales. In a world full of annoying marketing emails, these kinds of messages are truly welcomed.
Earning Trust
Using your list to create a referral program is one of the best tools in the e-commerce marketing toolbox. More and more, word-of-mouth recommendations are trusted over ad campaigns. By rewarding loyal customers with referral discounts, you expand your business while fortifying existing relationships.
Keeping Customers
Marketing for e-commerce should always include a customer retention plan. Rather than sending out more and more automated messages to unlikely prospects, take advantage of the gold you’ve already mined. A clever win-back email campaign is now part of any savvy online marketing strategy.
E-Commerce Email Marketing Changed Expectations
Now that seasonal sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are a staple in the retail calendar, e-commerce email marketing reflects this shift. As a result, a yearly schedule of planned discounts can boost profits while pleasing experienced online shoppers.
Adapt to the Unusual Circumstances
Changing shopping sensibilities and trends have upended the global market. But thanks to the adaptability of e-commerce email marketing, businesses survive and even thrive in these challenging times. If you want help navigating these choppy waters, book an appointment with Email Broadcast. We’ll craft an automated messaging campaign that makes you evolve—rather than go extinct.
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