Email Marketing for E-commerce Store Owners
E-commerce is the ultimate in 24/7 access, delivering what people want, when they want it. Your email strategy should work in the same way, helping people along the funnel on auto-pilot.
Automated email marketing can work in synergistically with your e-commerce business, effectively engaging your customers, recovering lost sales, and driving growth without risking scaleability issues. Some e-commerce platforms have flexible in-built email marketing options, whereas others can be integrated with your favourite email marketing platform (Mailerlite is great for this!). The right email marketing strategy can significantly impact an e-commerce store’s success, so let’s make it happen for you!
Automated Email Possibilities
Every store is different, so you may be able to get creative, but here are some of the core automations we set up for our e-commerce clients.
Abandoned Cart Emails
We've all received them at some point! Abandoned cart reminders work, especially if you're willing to include a discount.
Coupons & Promotional Offers
Seasonal sales, birthdays, newsletter exclusives, whatever the reason, coupons could bring customers back to your store.
Review Requests
Reviews are a crucial marker of trust for e-commerce shoppers, so make sure you get them with automated requests.
New Product Launches
Set up announcements for new products in advance or template an automation for future. Just pop in the details and hit send whenever you add to your store.
Back in
Stock
Back-in-stock notifications can be surprisingly effective, especially for niche or high-quality items. A timely automated announcement will ensure your customers get the memo.
And the best bit? You may already have the capability to do this with your existing e-commerce platform!
If you don’t, we’ll set you up on a free platform.
E-Commerce Platforms with Built-in Email Marketing
- Shopify: Offers comprehensive built-in email marketing tools, allowing users to create, send, and track campaigns directly from the platform.
- Wix: If you are selling through Wix, you have an in-built email marketing option.
Platforms Requiring External Software
- Etsy: No in-built email marketing functionality.
- WooCommerce: Provides basic email marketing features, including order notifications and customer communication, within the platform, but we would recommend adding Mailerlite.
- Magento: While it has transactional email capabilities, advanced marketing automation and segmentation often require integration with external email marketing software.
- BigCommerce: Offers some email marketing features, but integrating with external platforms can provide more robust automation and segmentation options.
If you have an e-commerce store, we recommend Shopify emails if you are on the platform, Mailerlite for WooCommerce and other e-commerce platforms.
If you are just getting started with your e-commerce store, we can help with that too, from platform decisions to optimization. Click here for more information.
Common Mistakes in Email Marketing for E-commerce Stores and How We Can Help
Overly Promotional Content
One of the most common mistakes is sending emails that are too focused on selling, which can lead to customer disengagement. Emails should provide value beyond just promoting products, such as sharing tips or more about your business.
Lack of Segmentation
Sending the same email to your entire list without segmentation can result in irrelevant content for many recipients, leading to lower engagement and (much!) higher unsubscribe rates. Segment based on interests, behaviours, demographics, or previous purchases.
Poor Mobile Optimization
A huge number of consumers check emails on mobile devices, so make sure you optimize emails for mobile to boost user experiences and engagement.
Ignoring Analytics
Use analytics to track and measure the performance of email campaigns. Analytics provide insights into what works and what doesn’t, allowing for data-driven improvements. Don’t just set them up, set a date to review and see what’s working for you.
Inadequate Personalization
Generic emails that lack personalization fail to engage recipients. Personalization should go beyond just using a subscriber’s name. Try to tailor content to the reader’s preferences and history.
Inconsistent Email Frequency
Sending emails too frequently can annoy subscribers, while sending them too infrequently can lead to disengagement. It can be a fine line and is highly dependent on finding the right cadence for your specific business. Once you’ve cracked it, maintain it to keep subscriber interest high.
Weak Call-to-Action (CTA)
Emails without a clear and compelling CTA can miss conversion opportunities. As can an email with multiple CTAs. A single, strong CTA guides the recipient on what action to take next, such as making a purchase or visiting a website, but should do so in a way that doesn’t feel forced.
So how can we help you?
As digital marketing experts who have worked with dozens of businesses in the e-commerce sector, we can use our experience to provide a strong start point for your store. We will meet with you to strategize before we do anything, and formulate a comprehensive strategy to maximize engagement. Then, we’ll take a data-driven approach, discussing our findings with you, every step of the way.
Our team will create copy, A/B test to determine the most effective content, subject lines, and send times, and set everything up to seamlessly work away in the background, nurturing your customers without tieing up your time.
Effective e-commerce email marketing can provide you with a treasure trove of information that can help guide your business strategy, and will create an audience of return customers. You won’t need to be tied to your inbox, and yet you will see tangible results. Ready to talk strategy? Click the button below!
Frequently Asked Questions About Email Automations & Segmentation
Email marketing is an essential element for e-commerce stores as it lets you communicate directly with customers, drive traffic to your website, and showcase your products in engaging ways. It also offers a high ROI, making it a cost-effective marketing strategy. E-commerce is, by nature, 24/7 and convenient, so email marketing is a great extension to this ethos.
We recommend a combination of the following: welcome series, abandoned cart reminders, promotional offers, newsletters, order confirmations, and feedback requests. All should be fully branded and in the correct tone for your business.
Email marketing enhances customer engagement by delivering personalized and relevant content based on customer preferences and behavior, fostering loyalty and encouraging repeat business. It takes your e-commerce store, which likely already has a set audience, and drills that down to make your communications feel like they are speaking to an individual.
External email marketing platforms offer several advantages over in-built solutions. They typically provide more advanced features such as sophisticated automation, detailed analytics, and robust segmentation capabilities, allowing for greater flexibility and customization in email campaigns, but they can also mean an additional subscription that isn’t needed.
External platforms often integrate with a wider range of third-party tools and systems, too, so if you are working with multiple systems, data sharing may be simpler through an external email marketing system.
The fundamental principles of email marketing remain consistent, no matter where you’re selling, but there are additional considerations for international sellers. International campaigns require attention to localization factors such as language, cultural nuances, and regional preferences to ensure effectiveness and no social faux pas or time zone snafus.
International sellers must also navigate varying data protection and privacy laws, such as GDPR in Europe, which adds complexity not typically encountered in national email marketing efforts.
International data regulations can be tricky to navigate so make sure you understand and adhere to the specific data protection and privacy laws of each country you are targeting. This includes regulations like the GDPR in the EU and the CAN-SPAM Act in the US.
Working with an experienced agency or legal advisor can help ensure compliance and avoid potential legal issues.
Improving email deliverability involves several best practices, such as maintaining a clean email list, using a reputable email service provider, and ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations. Personalizing content and avoiding spammy language can also help prevent emails from being marked as spam. Regularly monitor your deliverability metrics and make data-driven adjustments can as needed. We also offer a Domain Health Check, which looks at deliverability markers, such as DMARC records, blacklistings, and more. If you would like a Domain Health Check, let us know.
Ready to Explore E-commerce Email Automations With Us?
Email automations are a must-have for any e-commerce store looking to maintain and build its customer base. From strategy to implementation, we’re with you every step of the way.
Contact us today to discuss how we can automate your email marketing.
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