In today’s economic climate, where a large percentage of consumer purchases are done online, business owners without a web presence shortchange their potential success and revenue. In United Parcel Service’s annual survey of more than 5,000 shoppers, a majority of consumers have stated that they bought more of their purchases on the web than in stores — a first in the history of the long running survey. In light of this historic statistic, it is imperative that businesses have an online marketing strategy included in their business plans. If they don’t, they’re at risk of forfeiting their share of the revenues being created by consumers opting to shop online rather than in physical stores.
Emailing your way to eCommerce success
One reliable way to guarantee a business’s long-term success and generate revenues from online shopping is to develop an effective email marketing strategy. The key to a successful email marketing campaign is to be flexible and avoid rigid rules of what should and should not be done. Experimenting with various options to find out what resonates with consumers is critical to staying ahead of the competition. If a business can develop an eye-catching email campaign that stands out from that of its rivals, it’s most likely to capture the attention of consumers and their wallets!
How does a small business owner develop an unique email marketing campaign that compels leads to make a purchase? Given the overwhelming amount of emails the average person receives each day, most of which is discarded without a second glance, an effective campaign is no easy task. But with a little creativity and outside-of-the-box strategies, it’s totally doable.
Tip #1: stay on subject
The most successful email marketing campaigns are grounded in the adage about making a first good impression, so let’s start with the email’s subject line. Arguably more important than the actual email content, the subject line of an email often determines whether the recipient opens it or not. Marketing firm Chadwick Martin Bailey has calculated that 64 percent of readers will open an email due to the subject line. Therefore, when crafting an email marketing campaign, a catchy subject line — one that evokes curiosity and gives the reader pause — is imperative. Because you’ll never get any sales if customers never open the email. Wordstream has some great advice on how to frame a great subject line.
Tip #2: a straightforward message
Once opened, your email must totally engross your reader. Keep everything short and to the point. Most people want to get right to the heart of the matter and not waste time sifting through the unnecessary banter, witty or otherwise.
- Write a personalized message;
- Use the word “you” and write in a way that speaks directly to readers;
- Avoid boilerplates and favor content with personality – your personality!
- Once you have your reader smiling and engaged, you can move on to the sale.
Beyond just trying to sell an item, never forget to elaborate on the problems your product solves. Remind readers of all the headaches they are forced to confront without your product. Once you’ve accomplished all of that, present a clear deadline for purchasing the item or service, along with a very clear call to action at the end of the email.
Everyone’s inbox is full, so it’s important to make your email stand out. Once you have potential customers regularly opening your email with the expectation of funny and interesting content, your email marketing strategy will be considered a success, and making a sale becomes much easier.
