How much are you getting out of email marketing for e-commerce? Because if you’re in the business of selling products and engaging customers, then the answer should be ‘a lot, actually’. When it comes to e-commerce, email marketing is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal.
A good email marketing strategy for e-commerce is your chance to put yourself in front of appreciative eyeballs. Your chance to nurture warm leads, re-engage past customers, and put your content to good use.
On top of all that, email marketing has a whopping ROI of $36 for every $1 spent. (For UK readers, that’s £29 for every £0.81 at the time of writing.)
So, what exactly do you have to do to harness the awesome power of email marketing for e-commerce? Read on, and we’ll tell you. (Hint—it works best if you’re using ScoreApp too.)
First thing’s first:
1. Build a high-quality email list
It’s not enough to have an email list as long as your arm. You need to make sure it’s a high-quality email list. That means the type of idea that leads are going to be receptive to, what you have to say and what you have to sell.
Building a high-quality list takes time and more than a little effort. There are no shortcuts, no quick ways to get ahead. The good news is there are tried and tested ways to build a top-notch list organically, and the results will be all the better for it.
For a start, you can gather email addresses by:
- Offering discounts and giveaways for signing up: Nobody can resist a bargain, especially if they’re already a warm lead.
- Incentivizing exit-intent pop-ups on your site: Don’t let browsers leave your site without enticing them onto your email list first.
- Running interactive quizzes: A ScoreApp quiz is a more engaging way to gather email addresses, as well as a gateway to welcome and nurture sequences.
2. Segment your audience to personalize your emails
Having an email list isn’t the full story, even if it’s packed with high-quality leads. For email marketing for e-commerce to really sing, you need to segment your audience.
Purchase history, previous browsing behavior, business size, customer lifecycle stage—all of these and more can be used as segments. Once you know where your leads fit, you can personalize your email content so it really resonates with them.
Recommend products based on past purchases, discount items frequently viewed or left in abandoned carts, and link to content that matches a known pain point. These are all ways to drive better engagement and form loyalty.
As for how you get leads into those segments, that’s where ScoreApp steps in. Instead of having to manually input each lead and their details, ScoreApp does it for you. Set your segment parameters and criteria, and ScoreApp will use the data from your lead magnets to put them where they need to be.
3. Use automation to save time and increase sales
Whether you’re setting up a welcome series, a nurture sequence, or a drip campaign, automation is there to lighten the load.
With automation (powered by ScoreApp), you can instantly contact anyone who has abandoned their cart, or recent customers who might appreciate a follow-up. In either case, the chances to re-engage, cross-sell, and upsell are there for the taking. Automation makes it happen without you having to think about it.
And not only that, but automating your email marketing for e-commerce lets you set the frequency of your campaign messages and use specific content for your list segments. All of which adds up to less manual intervention and a greater impression on the reader.
4. Offer exclusive deals and promos for e-commerce products
One of the reasons an email marketing strategy for e-commerce is so strong is that it lets you get right in front of your leads. There’s none of the doubt that comes attached to a paid ad, and less of the noise of social media. Just you and the person who clicks ‘open’. Because of that closer bond, email campaigns are perfect for sharing:
- VIP-only offers and deals for those on your mailing list.
- Flash sales and limited-time discounts. Scarcity is good for tipping people over the edge of converting.
- Seasonal promotions and tie-ins to holidays and events.
Remember, always end your emails with a clear CTA. Telling readers exactly what you want them to do (and how it benefits them) is the best way to encourage engagement.
5. Highlight social proof and user-generated content
How often do you seek out user reviews? Whether it’s movie reviews on Rotten Tomatoes or the Trustpilot score of a professional body, reviews from our peers hold serious sway. Particularly if their thoughts and experiences align with our own.
That’s why testimonials from previous customers work so well. Use ScoreApp’s data to pinpoint pain points and find testimonials that match for an even greater impact.
For more advanced social proof, you can even encourage customers to submit photos and short reviews. Then, it’s just a case of posting them to social media and starting conversations with more potential leads.
6. Don’t forget to optimize for mobile devices
If you’re not optimizing your emails for mobile devices, then you’re waving goodbye to a huge chunk of your audience.
Your emails should be responsive and able to dazzle no matter the screen they’re seen on. A sizable 47% of people check their emails on their phones and tablets, so don’t ruin the experience for them.
If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few pointers:
- Use a single-column layout. Don’t overcomplicate things.
- Keep text concise and readable. Avoid long and rambling paragraphs.
- Include large, tappable CTAs. If you want your readers to carry out an action, make sure they know what it is and that they can do it with the touch of a finger.
7. Test and analyze your e-commerce marketing campaigns
One of the key tenets of email marketing strategy for e-commerce is that the work is never complete. (Sorry about that.)
On the plus side, that means there’s always a chance to improve your campaign results thanks to analytics and testing.
Integrating ScoreApp with your email marketing platform makes A/B testing elements instantaneous. Test different subject lines and body copy, images and designs, and CTAs to find the best version.
Improve your e-commerce email marketing with ScoreApp
E-commerce email marketing is a marvellously versatile tool. It lets you reach leads on a one-on-one basis, making it easier to nurture and sell to them.
There are certain ways to make the most of your email marketing for e-commerce. Building a high-quality email list, segmenting that list, and automating your outreach all save time and boost efficiency and sales.
ScoreApp helps you do every one of those techniques and more.
ScoreApp’s lead magnet data segments your list and informs personalized email content. A/B testing gives you the chance to optimize your emails and campaigns in real time, while automation ensures email engagement never stops for the night, or is left to be picked up at a later date.
And because ScoreApp integrates with the most used email marketing platforms, implementing your email marketing strategy for e-commerce is a breeze.
ScoreApp is free to try, so see how you can use it to boost sales with e-commerce email marketing today.
