Are you using email to promote your online business? If you’re not then you could be missing out on one of the most efficient marketing strategies available to your business.
If you are already successfully selling products online then you probably have some type of database of customers, and you should be taking advantage of that list by sending scheduled emails outside of the standard transactional email you send when an online purchase is made. The transactional email itself is very important in that it is verification of the transaction, and many online retailers send it without any form of marketing message included. This is the standard procedure to avoid violating any Can-SPAM laws, although there are clever lawful ways to advertise in the transactional email, we’ll save that for another time. For now let’s focus on how to start an email marketing campaign without violating the Can-Spam laws.
If you sell various products or services then you have more opportunity for email marketing than if you sell one product or service. And if your products are exclusive to you, such as designer clothes or a range of outdoor items, then you have greater opportunity for email marketing because you probably have a niche consumer group that actually wants to receive your emails, you just need to take a common sense approach that will keep your customers interested, engaged and opted in.
First of all let’s consider that you already have a decent level of Internet traffic, users are registering on your website, and you have a decent email list. One critical mistake marketers make is sending the same old sales pitch email over and over again because it generated revenue the first time, and maybe even the second time. Although it may not be necessarily violating the spam laws it may be violating the recipients tolerance, and may just end up as an opt out and then in the junk mail folder. At that point consider that customer a lost customer.
Here are the types of emails you should be sending.
Welcome email
New subscribers to your website should receive one of these. It shouldn’t be an advertisement email but rather an outline of the benefits of registering on the site. In this email, take the time to reinforce the positive aspects of registering with your site.
Conversion email
Your new customers signed up to receive your message because they are interested in what you have to say. Focus on strengthening your brand while again reinforcing the benefits of receiving the emails. You should begin a subtle approach to market the benefits of your products. Take this time to explain to the customer how to use your products and what the benefits are. Nothing beats a compelling case study so create them and include them in your emails.
Sales Growth
Taking advantage of timely up-sell and cross-sell opportunities can drive incremental revenue as well as provide a more robust purchase experience. This is where offering a range of products is an advantage because you can make up-sell offers after the original purchase.
Customer Retention
Good customers should receive special treatment and are more likely to return to purchase again. By offering incentives to loyal customers you’ll not only strengthen the relationship but also open up opportunities to gather future marketing data by having them fill out surveys, provide feedback or even refer friends. This type of email should be used throughout the entire customer life-cycle.
So you have an idea of what type of email to send. Now how are you going to send it?
There are plenty of email campaign tools available to you and I’ve listed several of the ones I’m familiar with below; however there are plenty of others available for you to investigate.
www.myemma.com – $99 set up and around $30 per month will get you started.
www.constantcontact.com - cheaper than my emma starting at around $15 per month and has a prepay discount. You can also conduct online surveys with this tools survey feature.
www.campaigner.com - starts at about $25 per month. Has build in Can-Spam requirements features.
Like all other forms of marketing, Email marketing takes effort. But knowing the right message to send to your customers can result in loyal customers and increased revenue. Consider adding email marketing to your advertising strategy in 2009.
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