The Benefits of Automated Email Marketing for Ecommerce

The Benefits of Automated Email Marketing for Ecommerce

There are plenty of benefits to opting for automated email marketing for your business, especially if you are running an ecommerce store. In the web of the internet, your ecommerce store might never be visible to customers, and the only way to let people know about your existence is by using email marketing. Beyond just that, here are more reasons why you should opt for automated email marketing.

Personalized email marketing. Every business owner knows that no two customers are the same — so why send them the same email? With automated email marketing, you can segment your customers on the basis of varying factors like their interests, gender, average spending and more. This allows you to create marketing emails attuned to a focused demographic of your customers to receive a higher click-through rate and, in turn, purchases. From a customer's perspective, they feel appreciated and valued knowing that they are taken care of on a personal basis.

Increased customer engagement. People see advertisements and promotions night and day. The last thing they need is mass automated email marketing in their inbox. Most of your probable customers won't even open the emails unless the content actually reflects their personal interests. Sending a personalized email increases the chances of customers opening it and checking your website.

Save money on marketing. Automated email marketing is considered one of the most affordable ways of marketing. It is relatively easy to create, doesn't always require flashy graphics and is highly focused on your target audience. All you need is your target audience's email addresses. If you don't have a huge marketing budget, automated email marketing is your solution.

Analytics. Unlike other forms of marketing, automated email marketing gives you instant feedback on the performance of the campaign. A/B testing is often used in email marketing, where two types of email are sent to the same demographic; based on their performance, the best version is selected for a wider campaign. There are many free and paid automated email marketing software options to choose from.

Increased customer retention. A business thrives with new customers, but a business is only successful if it can retain customers as well. Reminding your existing customers about exclusive offers and new merchandise via automated email marketing helps retain them and makes them visit your store or website more often.

Setting Up Automated Email Campaigns for Your Ecommerce Business

Setting up automated email campaigns might seem like a complicated process, but in reality it is fairly simple. There are many email marketing platforms with free and paid versions if you want more in-depth analytics, and you can always start with the free versions to see which one suits you best. Some of the popular ones are Mailchimp and Constant Contact. Once you set up your account, you can customize emails to be sent based on various actions: for example, send an automated email when a new customer signs up or creates an account, send reminder emails if a customer forgot to check out after adding items to the cart, or remind customers of price drops on products they have shown interest in.

Addressing customers matters. Automated email campaign software helps you create a template that can be edited to reflect customer details. Including customer details gives emails a more personalized feeling, as each one is exclusively addressed to the recipient. Common details that can be merged into a template are the customer's name, purchase history or any other information you have about them, which enhances the customer's connection with your brand or product.

Segmenting customers by demographics helps you tailor better email templates that reflect their interests. You can create templates for customers who made recent purchases and different templates for customers who haven't purchased in a while: one can suggest products that go well with recent purchases, while the other can showcase current offers.

Time your emails. Say your probable customers work a 9-5 job and don't always get time to check their emails during the day — there is no point sending your marketing email during those hours. Knowing when your customers have a higher chance of opening and interacting with your email is key to conversion. With automated email marketing software you can schedule emails for a certain time or day, and most businesses schedule emails months ahead for a simplified marketing process.

Track and analyze. The world keeps changing, and so does your customer base — what worked last week might not work this week. Keep track of your email marketing's performance if you want to stay ahead of the competition. Analytics show which parts of an email people clicked: if you are a furniture store and notice more interactions on affordable desks, craft your next email to showcase more affordable desks. And always run an A/B test with a small group before sending a bulk email.

Tips for Creating Effective Automated Emails

Now that you have a glimpse of why automated email marketing is essential for your business, don't jump right into sending bulk emails. It is highly recommended you do thorough research on crafting the email. Even though automated email marketing is an efficient way to advertise your business, annoying your customers with too many emails will drive them away.

• Always customize and personalize marketing emails before you send them. There is a higher chance a 'Hi, Jack' will get read than a generic 'buy this'.

• Keep a check on the tone of the email. Email originated for business conversation, and unlike texting it still uses a balance of professional and funny tones. Strike the right balance to resonate with your customers.

• Never forget to include a call to action button or statement. As evident as it is that your email is intended to be clicked, customers won't click unless you ask them to.

• What you think is the perfect email might not resonate with your customers. Test two versions of the email before you finalize the bulk send.

• Once the campaign is out, monitor performance. See how many people open the email and interact — you will gain a better understanding of your customers' behavior.

Automation Beyond Marketing Emails

Automated email is a powerful tool for every business in this day and age, and it extends beyond marketing. Payment platforms can automatically send reminder emails to customers who miss a payment on a recurring billing plan, keeping tabs on all recurring payments without manual chasing.

Automatic card updater features go a step further: both the customer and the business owner are notified about expiring credit cards, and new card information is updated automatically. Pairing automated marketing emails with automated payment communications saves time and keeps revenue flowing.