Mark as Important: Your eCommerce Business Guide to Effective Email Marketing

From new promotions to the latest inventory shipment, one of the most important facets of eCommerce is getting the word out to your target audience. With Black Friday and the holiday season just on the horizon, and most shopping turning virtual as we continue to navigate through COVID-19, it’s even more critical than ever to have an effective marketing strategy that gets your product in front of your customers — and utilizing email marketing is one of the most efficient ways of doing so. 

Of course, the risk with email marketing is that your messaging ends up ignored or going to your potential customers’ spam boxes — but that’s only if you’re doing it the wrong way. When you do it the right way, the results speak for themselves — consumers who purchase through email marketing spend 138% more on average. Your eCommerce business can see increased revenue through efficient marketing strategies — as long as you have all the right tools.

Find Your Audience, and Lock Them In

First things first, you need to make sure that you have your mailing list ready to go. While you might already have a few leads, having a visible spot on your site where shoppers can subscribe to your newsletters can help grow your audience. Of course, their first thought might be, “oh great, another email that’s going to clog up my inbox,” — which is why an incentive helps get people to subscribe. This could be through a 10% off coupon, which is automatically sent to them upon signing up for your mailing list.

Casting a wide net can sometimes be effective in the world of email marketing, but targeted campaigns can see more results. Especially if you sell a wide range of products, and your customers may only come for one specific section of your store, segmentation is the best way to get your message to the right audience. For example, let’s say you are a pet food provider, and you sell treats for dogs, cats, fish — you name it. Not everybody has the same pets, and dog lovers might be quick to either mark as read or move to junk if they see a promotion about feline food. Segmentation allows you to avoid cluttering their inbox and get the right customers to your product.

Don’t Lose the Sale — Or Their Attention

One of the most important things about running an email marketing campaign in eCommerce is utilizing drip campaigns, especially when it comes to abandoned carts. How many times have you shopped online, added something to your cart that you decided you would come back for, and then completely forget about it? If you say you haven’t, you’re probably lying.

Most CRMs can help you set up drip campaigns for abandoned carts, notifying your potential customers to complete their orders and making sure you don’t lose that conversion. The campaign will automatically send an email to the customer the day they leave the site with an item in their cart, with notifications as often as you want afterward if they have not completed the order. And don’t be afraid to offer a discount to their final purchase — whether it be 10% off or free shipping (if possible) — to incentivize them to follow through with their order.

It’s All a Give and Take

Now that they’re on your list, give them a reason to open and buy your product! Especially during the holidays, you’re likely offering discounts and promotions galore. With 73% of shoppers likely to turn to online orders this year, it wouldn’t hurt to have a few email-exclusive offers up your sleeve. A catchy headline, an exclusive discount code, and the right timing might be all you need to see your numbers skyrocket.

And don’t forget — email marketing is yet another platform to grow and promote your business. While your customers are seeing your messaging and making their purchases, it may be wise to include an opportunity for them to leave your business a Google review or provide feedback on their experience. Of course, having an incentive for doing so — such as a rebate or discount for filling out a survey — always helps!

How 1SEO Can Improve Your Email Marketing Campaign

Knowing the right way to target your audience and send effective emails is half the battle. Finding a creative way to do it that helps you stand out from your competitors is a completely different task. When you partner with 1SEO Digital Agency, you are choosing a company that has been helping eCommerce businesses develop effective email marketing strategies for years. Through industry-leading platforms such as MailChimp and Constant Contact, our team has consistently helped improve ROI for companies looking to go to the next level. If you’re ready to see how email marketing can boost your online store’s presence, contact our team today!