People think email is dead but actually it is the fastest and cheapest way to reach your customers and get more sales. Over time, it can also help you build a loyal community for your brand. Let’s break this down:
Step 1: Building an email list
To build a good email list, it's important to attract people who are genuinely interested in your business. Here's how you can do it effectively:
Sign-up forms:
Make it easy for visitors to sign up on your website. Put sign-up forms on the homepage, blog pages, and footer.
For example: this signup form by Death Wish Coffee has users considering the purchase with a simple three-word headline with only one field to fill out.
Pop-ups:
Email popups can convert an average of 4.01% of visitors. Use pop-ups or slide-in forms that appear after a visitor has spent some time on your site. You can offer incentives like discounts or free downloads in exchange for an email sign-up.
For example: this pop-up by Nickey Kehoe gives Early access to new products, exclusive deals, the latest news, and invitations to in-person events. With the Vitals Pop-Ups App you could create custom pop-ups to capture leads and prevent cart abandonment.
Offer lead magnets:
Create ebooks, webinars, free trials, or case studies, that provide value to the visitor and encourage them to share their email address. This helps you attract subscribers who are genuinely interested in your products or services, leading to higher engagement rates.
Example: Before offering a discount, Hers asks where customers live, what their skin type is, and what their skin goals are. This shows that they care about understanding each customer's needs.
Step 2: Crafting effective email campaigns
Once you’ve built a strong email list, the next step is to have email campaigns that build relationships and keep your brand top of mind. How do we create the perfect email series then?
First, let’s see different types of emails:
Welcome Series or Onboarding emails:
These series can be short sequences (3-5 emails) suitable for low-priced, straightforward products or long sequences (10+ Emails) ideal for complex, high-priced items requiring more customer research and trust-building.
Here's an example of an email sequence:
Deliver the incentive immediately. Include a thank you note, bestsellers, and a few customer reviews.
Share your brand story and emphasize what makes your company special. Mention the discount subtly.
Highlight top-selling products and include multiple calls-to-action (CTAs). Feature product reviews.
Focus on social proof with customer testimonials. Include images and links to product pages.
Create urgency with an expiring discount. Keep your CTA clear and direct users to take the desired action. Use action-oriented language like "Shop Now," "Claim Your Discount,"
Pro tip: Always consider the timing and filtering for the perfect welcome series.
Timing: Send the first email immediately and the rest at regular intervals (e.g., every other day or weekly). Adjust timing based on the buying cycle.
Filtering: Use automation to create separate journeys for each type of user (like those who opened the email, but didn’t click or those who didn’t open at all or those who opened the email, didn’t click, but didn’t buy)Newsletters:
Newsletters
Consider the frequency of your newsletters:
Weekly: For businesses with frequent updates or time-sensitive offers.
Monthly: Ideal for most e-commerce businesses to maintain regular contact without overwhelming subscribers.
Here's an example of a newsletter content strategy:
Feature new product arrivals with enticing descriptions and high-quality images.
Share a customer success story or testimonial to build trust.
Offer a seasonal tip or how-to guide related to your products.
Include a section on upcoming sales or exclusive subscriber discounts.
Highlight a popular blog post or video content from your site.
Pro tip: Always optimize your newsletters.
Segmentation: Tailor content based on customer preferences, purchase history, or engagement levels.
A/B testing: Experiment with subject lines, content layout, and CTAs to improve open and click-through rates.
Promotional Series
Plan your promotional series around key events:
Holiday sales: Create a series leading up to major shopping events like Black Friday or Christmas.
Product launches: Build excitement with a sequence of emails before and after a new product release.
Here's an example of a promotional email sequence:
Teaser email: Hint at the upcoming promotion to create anticipation.
Launch email: Announce the sale or new product with all details and a strong CTA.
Reminder email: Follow up with those who didn't purchase, emphasizing key benefits or limited-time offers.
Last chance email: Create urgency with a final call-to-action before the promotion ends.
Thank you email: Show appreciation to those who made a purchase and consider offering a small incentive for their next buy.
Key considerations for effective promotional series:
Timing: Adjust email frequency based on the promotion duration. For short sales, emails might be daily; for longer events, space them out more.
Personalization: Use data on past purchases or browsing history to recommend relevant products in your promotional emails.
Cross-selling: Include complementary product suggestions in post-purchase emails to encourage additional sales.
Remember to analyze the performance of your welcome series regularly, and adjust your strategy based on open rates, click-through rates, and conversion data.
Pro tip: You could easily automate and personalize emails with the Vitals Email Marketing App to build trust with your customers; or even website visitors.
Step 3: Segmenting your email list for personalized marketing
Age: Tailor product recommendations and content to different age groups.
Gender: Customize offerings based on gender preferences, if applicable.
Location: Adapt promotions for local events, weather, or regional trends.
Income level: Adjust product suggestions to match different budget ranges.
Behavior:
Website activity: Target based on pages viewed, products browsed, or cart abandonment.
Email engagement: Segment by open rates, click-through rates, or overall engagement level.
Purchase frequency: Separate frequent buyers from occasional shoppers.
Last purchase date: Re-engage dormant customers with special offers.
Purchase history:
Product categories: Recommend related items based on past purchases.
Average order value: Offer upsells to high-value customers or incentives for low-value ones.
Seasonal buying patterns: Target holiday shoppers with relevant promotions.
Brand preferences: Highlight specific brands a customer has shown interest in.
Loyalty status:
VIP customers: Provide exclusive offers or early access to sales for your best customers.
New subscribers: Create a welcoming series for those just joining your list.
At-risk customers: Develop win-back campaigns for those showing decreased engagement.
By combining these segmentation strategies, you can create highly targeted campaigns, leading to higher open rates, click-through rates, and ultimately, more sales for your e-commerce store.
