Email marketing is crucial in nurturing your people to create brand loyalty, increasing % of return customers, higher value average sales, more items per sale and that loyal cult following that creates industry leading labels. With powerful automation capabilities, the sky really is the limit in what can be done, but that does not mean it all SHOULD be done. Annoying your people is a fast track to the unsubscribe button.

So let’s clear the confusion with the email automations all ecommerce brands should be using.

Welcome Emails

Welcome emails are the virtual handshake of the ecommerce world. They set the tone for the future of your relationship with your customers and make them feel like a valued member of your tribe. First impressions are important! This is not a one size fits all approach. Welcome emails should be customised based on where they enter their journey, e.g. after a purchase, join from a website to learn about new products, comps and alike. Make them personal and do not be too salesy too quickly! This is a place to get your future loyal customers to fall in love with your brand, not chase impulse buys.

Abandoned Cart Reminders and Browse Abandonment

Abandoned cart reminders are like that annoying friend who won’t stop texting you until you finally make a purchase…but in this case, it’s a good thing! These flows trigger when someone abandons their carts and/or leaves after perusing particular items for some time. This is your chance to overcome objections, but be warned, no one likes a dodgy salesperson with desperate discounts. Build value, handle objections and reassure your potential customers. Make sure your rules are tight so you are not spamming people that are checking out what you are doing on the regular.

Order Confirmation and Shipping Notifications

Order confirmation and shipping notifications are the virtual high-fives of the ecommerce world. They let your customers know that their order is on its way and keep them in the loop at each step. This is where we reassure the customers they are valued, not forgotten, and keep them excited about what is about to land in their mailbox.

 

Upsell and Cross-Sell Emails

Upsell and cross-sell emails are like having a personal shopping assistant. They suggest complementary products to customers based on what they have already purchased. When done properly your customers are wowed about how much you know about them, their wants and their needs. When dealing with upsell and cross-sell emails, make sure they are targeted and relevant. These automations need to be timed to a tee.

Customer Re-Engagement Campaigns

Customer re-engagement campaigns serve as a friendly reminder to customers who haven’t been around in a while. They bring them back into your world with exclusive promotions and incentives. We all love a bit of VIP treatment every now and again, so these campaigns are your chance to make your customers feel valued and wanted. Tell them how much they mean to you and stop you falling to the bottom of the inbox.

Re-engagement emails are not only important in bringing back potential customers, but also in weeding out those who sit in email lists as inactive contacts. When an account has too many inactive contacts it can have a negative effect on the deliverability of future campaigns, so it’s important to remove inactive contacts,

Thank You Campaigns

Thank you’s are a great way to inform your subscribers about a recent action they took with your website and help create a better customer experience that can result in a deeper relationship and stop buyer remorse. A great thank you sequence will prevent returns and see first time purchases become brand advocates. We love to include product care tips as well as an appropriate brand story so customers know they are more than just a sale.

Review Requests

An extension of a ‘thank you’ campaign is a review request campaign. Some businesses will choose to ask for a review in the same email as their thank you email, depending on the delivery timing, which should be based on a well mapped out and researched customer journey (insert marketing nag here). However, it is also quite common to send a review request separately. In any case, positive reviews boost credibility and make potential customers trust your business – you need these splattered all over your website! You can also include a reward for photos, social shares and alike to help get that juicy UGC going.

Stock Alerts

These are the most overlooked but one of the most powerful in gaining revenue from excited customers. Let them know something on their wishlist is back in stock, or something that they viewed is on sale. Short. Sharp. Exciting.

 

Flows can be overwhelming, we get it. But they are important. So map out your customer journey based on how often people purchase from you on average, and start with these basics. Then watch the data and refine/expand from there!!

Or…chat to your favourite ballsy marketers to do it for ya.

Either way, get it done.