As your consumers are browsing the internet, they’re constantly experiencing moments that are inspiring their next purchase. But not every company is great at using every medium available to them to tap into that purchase intent. For example, one of the key overlooked places where you’ll find purchase intent is in email marketing campaigns. In large part, this is because many companies are thinking about their email efforts incorrectly, and not fully incorporating it into their eCommerce strategy. In other words, if you’re not using email marketing as a conversion path, you’re missing out—it’s that simple.
That’s because targeted, well-executed email campaigns can deliver incredible results. For example, one recent study showed that the average company can generate nearly $46 for every $1.30 they pour into email marketing campaigns. Although the average open rate for eCommerce emails is 15.68 percent and the average click-through rate is 2.01 percent, you can boost both of these numbers with the right tactics and strategies in place.
Tips on Making Email Marketing More Effective for eCommerce-Specific Initiatives
By making shrewd investments of resources and energy in your email marketing campaigns, you can experience better business outcomes. With that in mind, here are four tips to keep in mind as you refine your email marketing efforts.
1. Use personalization and relevant messaging.
Research suggests that emails with personalized subject lines are 26 percent more likely to be opened. What’s more, personalized emails also deliver 6 times higher transaction rates.
If you’re using email marketing automation software, chances are you already personalize your campaigns—at least to some extent. But remember, personalization is more than putting someone’s first name in an email. It’s also making sure that the content of your messages resonates with each recipient.
This is where email list segmentation can be particularly helpful. If, for example, you can group your audience into 10 different buckets, you can personalize your outreach with each of these groups and expect better results on the other side.
2. Implement an abandoned cart strategy.
As eCommerce companies know too well, the job isn’t over when someone adds a product into their shopping cart. In fact, the average shopping cart abandonment rate is nearly 70 percent. This means that for every 10 times someone adds something into their cart on your site, only three sales actually follow.
You can address this low-hanging fruit by implementing an effective abandoned-cart strategy that encourages these individuals to re-engage with your website and reconsider their purchase. In fact, research suggests that the average open rate for these kinds of emails is 40.14 percent with a 28.64 percent click-through rate.
To do this, set up email flows that automatically engage shoppers who have abandoned their shopping carts. These emails can range from gentle reminders that their carts still have items in them to offering slight discounts to encourage consumers to finalize transactions—and everything in between.
3. Identify and promote cross-sell opportunities.
You can get better results from your email marketing efforts by identifying and promoting cross-selling opportunities based on each individual’s search history and past order history. Not only does this help meet each consumer’s growing expectations around personalization, but it should also help drive more sales. Your audience is reminded about products that they’ve spent time looking into or products that people who’ve bought similar items have purchased as well.
4. Make emails shoppable.
While email campaigns are designed to guide individuals toward purchase, each individual message is also an opportunity to connect with consumers and encourage them to reach into their pockets and make a purchase.
That means if you have been successfully setting up your email campaigns to cultivate purchase intent, you could also be introducing your digital storefront within your emails, capturing purchase intent within the email itself, and making it shoppable. Remember, the easier you make it for your audience to buy products from you, the more likely they will actually complete a purchase.
Ready to Sharpen Your Email Marketing Efforts for Your eCommerce Company?
When done correctly, email marketing can be a highly effective vehicle for tapping into purchase intent and driving eCommerce sales. Unfortunately, when it comes to their actual email marketing campaigns, many eCommerce companies leave much to be desired.
This creates the perfect opportunity for eCommerce companies like yours to invest the time and resources needed to optimize your email marketing initiatives. With the right approach, you can engage your audience more effectively and deliver considerable ROI along the way.
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