Learn all about email marketing and how it can help to increase your sales. This guide will walkthrough all of the necessary steps and give improve your emails.
Date:
December 23, 2022
Author:
Joshua Malik
Writer, entrepreneur, and marketer, I have helped companies grow and scale their digital marketing impact.

December 23, 2022

Email

If you have an online store, you know how important it is to get new customers and keep the ones you already have. Email marketing is an excellent way to do this because it lets you connect directly with your audience and promote your products and brand. In this post, I’ll talk about the basics of e-commerce email marketing, like how to set up an email campaign, what kinds of emails to send, and how to measure how well your efforts are working. Whether you're new to email marketing or just want to improve what you're doing, this post will give you the information and tools you need to be successful.

A girl who is on her computer buying things online.

What is an E-commerce email?

Email marketing is sending targeted, personalized emails to a group of people to promote a product or service, build relationships with customers, and increase sales. It involves making email campaigns, writing email content, dividing email lists into segments, and using software to track and analyze how well the campaigns are working.

What's Involved in Email Marketing?

There are two main types of emails for customers: promotional and transactional. 

Promotional emails tell customers about new products or services and making sales. Transactional emails, on the other hand, give customers information like receipts, order confirmations, and shipping updates.

Email marketing is key to the customer journey because it keeps customers informed and interested. Businesses can build trust and loyalty with their customers by sending them personalized and useful emails.

The Difference Between Promotional and Transactional Emails

Promotional emails are emails sent to people interested in a product or service. Most of the time, these emails go to a large group of prospects. They raise brand awareness and boost sales.

Transactional emails, on the other hand, are sent to a specific customer after they have done something specific. These emails encourage customers to do something, like buy something or ask for information.

The purpose of email is the main difference between promotional and transactional emails. Promotional emails promote a product or service, while transactional emails provide information or confirmation about a specific action.

The content of the email is another difference. These emails may have sales offers, discounts, and other promotional content, while transactional emails are usually more straightforward and full of information.

Newsletters, campaigns, and product announcements are all promotional emails. Order confirmations, shipping updates, and emails to reset your password are all examples of transactional emails.

Why Transactional Emails are So Important

Transactional emails are an important part of online business communication and e-commerce. Most of the time, these emails are sent automatically after a customer places an order, changes their account information, or asks to reset their password.

One of the main purposes of transactional emails is to build customers' trust by giving them accurate and timely information. Most of the time, these emails are the first time a customer talks to a business; they can either make or break the customer's opinion of the business. If a transactional email is sent quickly and has the correct information, it can help build trust with the customer and create a good relationship. On the other hand, if the email arrives late or has wrong information, it can make people angry and lose their trust.

Transactional emails that are sent on time and correct are very important. They can help a company's reputation and customer loyalty. These emails are also important to the customer journey because they give customers important information and updates as the process goes on. This lets customers know what's happening, which is important for building trust and maintaining a good relationship.

How to Create a Promotional Email Strategy

Getting in touch with potential customers and promoting your business or product is easier if you have a marketing plan. Here are some steps to think about when making an email marketing plan:

Define who you want to reach. The first step in making a marketing email strategy is to be clear about who you want to reach. This will help you ensure your emails are relevant to the interests and needs of your readers.

Create a sign-up form. A sign-up form is an important part of a campaign. It lets people choose whether or not they want to get emails from your business. You could put sign-up forms on your website, social media pages, or store.

Designing email templates is important in giving your emails a professional look that fits together. Choose a layout and color scheme that matches your brand, and use clear, concise language to convey your message.

Set up a plan: Determine how often you will send emails to your audience to promote your business. This cadence will depend on your business's goals and the needs and preferences of your audience.

Test and improve: Test your promotional emails and make any necessary changes before sending them out. This will ensure that your emails get to the right people and work well to promote your business or product.

By following these steps, you can make a successful promotional email strategy that helps you reach out to potential customers and promote your business or product well.

How to Create a Strategy for Transactional Emails

Some things that can be sent in these emails are order confirmations, shipping updates, and requests to reset passwords. Having a plan for transactional emails can help you engage and keep customers and increase sales and income. Here are some things you can do to come up with a plan for transactional emails:

Use a dedicated service. Transactional emails often need more advanced features and deliverability than traditional marketing emails. Using a dedicated service like Sendgrid or Mailgun can help make sure that your emails get sent quickly and reliably.

Connect an email plugin to your e-commerce platform. 

If you have an e-commerce platform like Shopify or WooCommerce, you can use an email plugin to send transactional emails automatically when your customers do certain things. You won't have to send these emails by hand, which can save you time and effort.

Segment your email list. Transactional emails are usually more targeted and personalized than marketing emails, so it's important to segment your email list to ensure you're sending the right message to the right person at the right time. 

For example, you could divide your list based on where your customers live, what they've bought in the past, or something relevant.

Personalize your emails. Transactional emails are a great way to add a personal touch to your messages and get to know your customers better. Using merge tags, you can add the customer's name, location, or other personal information to your emails.

Optimize your subject lines. The subject line of your transactional emails is often the first thing your customers will see, so it's important to ensure it's clear, concise, and interesting. Use language that is easy to understand and include important details, like the order number or shipping information.

Include a call to action: Transactional emails are a great way to increase sales and engagement. Think about putting a call to action in your emails, like a discount code or a link to products that go well with the one you're sending.

Test and look over your emails. You should always test and look over your transactional emails to see what works and what doesn't. Use tools like A/B testing to try out different subject lines, content, and calls to action, and then look at the results to see what gets the most engagement and conversions.

Start Planning Your E-commerce Email Marketing Now

Start your email plan immediately if you want your business to do well. Email marketing is a cheap way to reach out to potential customers and keep them informed about your products and services. It lets you connect well with your audience and get more people to buy from you.

Here are some steps to get your plan off the ground:

Define your target audience: Find your perfect customer and make a buyer persona for them. This will help you ensure your campaigns meet their needs and interests.

Goal-setting: Figure out what you want your email marketing campaigns to do. Do you want more people to visit your website, more sales, or more people to know about your brand? If you have clear goals, you'll be able to tell how well your campaigns are doing.

Choose a platform. Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and GetResponse are well-known choices. Pick a platform that meets your needs and fits your budget.

Design your email templates: Make email templates that look good and fit your brand's image. Engage your audience and get them to buy from you using high-quality images and clear calls to action.

Build your email list: Start collecting email addresses from people who visit your website, follow you on social media, and buy from you. Give people a reason to sign up, like special discounts or free shipping.

Write interesting subject lines and interesting content your audience will find interesting. Use personalization techniques, like putting the person's name in the subject line, to get more people to open your emails.

By starting your e-commerce email marketing plan now, you can build a strong presence in the digital market and reach more people. With a well-thought-out plan for marketing, you can get more people to visit your website and make more money for your business.