Emails are a key function of ecommerce, being one of the main ways you communicate with and motivate buyers. Not only are they a way to let shoppers know of upcoming specials and deals, but they’re also a way to increase your customer base and build loyalty. If you’re not in the know about these seven email tips specifically for online sellers, then this post has you covered.
1. Include Your Store Info in Every Email
If you’ve got a brick-and-mortar store, then you need to be including the following information to make it as easy as possible for people to make their way to you:
- All the locations you have, with their closest one labelled ‘Your Local Store’ (instead of ‘Nearby Locations’ or ‘Nearby Stores’ for personalisation).
- Hours of operation.
- Phone number and email.
2. Write an Eye-Catching Subject Line and Preview Text
The subject line is your first, and strongest, chance to grab your reader’s attention so it should be informative and enticing, but not spammy-sounding. You can also add in the recipient’s first name or include the word ‘thanks’ to further increase the chances of your email getting opened.
When it comes to preview text, those first few words that appear before the email’s been opened, optimising it can also be a difference-maker if the email gets opened or sent to the trash. Optimise the text to make it exciting enough they can’t resist clicking on it.
3. Validate the Reply-To Email Address
As a rule, I delete emails if the address is something like ‘info@email.com’ or ‘do-not-reply@email.com’. Why? It tells me that it came from a mass list where some bot sent it according to a pre-arranged schedule. But if I see an actual name in the address and ‘from’ field, I’m much more likely to read it because I think a real live, person sent it. The former makes me feel like a number, while the latter makes me feel like a valued person.
4. Work on Building a Big Emailing List — Regularly
Having a big email list already doesn’t mean you can take it easy because there are plenty of people like me who regularly unsubscribe from lists. And there are even more people who aren’t even on your list.
The best way to build a list (or make it bigger) is to prove to people they’ll get something out of it. Usually something free, whether it’s an ebook or gift with their purchase. You’re asking people for their personal information, so you have to be prepared to make a sacrifice on your end.
5. Segment Your List
No matter if you’ve just built up a list or already have a big one, segmenting is right up there in importance. This means dividing up your list based on audience type, whether that’s by age, gender, geographic location, previous buying history, or anything else that can help make your emails more precise and targeted. And then once you’ve segmented your list, craft email templates you can use to appeal to each demographic.
6. Convince them of the Value and Need for Your Product
It seems a self-obvious thing to say, but in today’s world, consumers have more choice than ever before. And if you’re not really convincing in your email about the value and necessity of your product, why would buyers ever part with their money when they’ve got all the choice in the world?
To establish value, show (don’t tell) how it will meet their fashion, function, fun, or comfort interests by way of an engaging story or photo series. Then, prove why they need that item in their life and why they can’t go without.
7. Finish Off With a Call to Action
It’s all well and fine to write the best email in the history of emails, but if you don’t actually tell buyers what you want them to do, your email is all for nought. Here are some things you can do to make your CTA stand out:
- Be clear, concise, and straightforward.
- Write in the present tense.
- Be descriptive (this will also help your visually-impaired users).
- Use only one CTA so there’s no confusion.
- Tell people exactly what you want them to do (e.g. ‘Click here to save 50% on your next order’).
- Make the CTA button big enough so people can easily see it.
- Put the CTA button in a colour that’ll stand out, both on its own and from the rest of the email.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have the email tips you need to be successful at it, go out and practice their effectiveness in the real world. And after you see the results of your efforts lead to more users and higher sales, leverage that into more success by using FeedbackExpress. We’ll handle all the work you don’t feel like taking on, like providing email templates proven to increase feedback, filter messages, source the world for ecommerce news that’ll help you stay on top, and make sure your plants are watered when you’re away. Okay, so we can’t actually do the last one, but everything else is possible. To get your free 30-day trial, all you have to do is register.
