DOUBLING YOUR EMAIL MARKETING REVENUES
With a little extra effort, ongoing analysis and testing and refinement, most companies can double or triple revenue from their ecommerce program in just a few months. In this article, we'll provide tips and suggestions on list building, email creative, list management, segmentation, offers, delivery and testing. And even if you aren't selling products or services via your email program, there are a number of ideas and tips in this article that you can apply to your newsletter, announcement, or other emails.
Read further for the following Tips:
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_ List Building
_ Creative
_ List Management
_ Segmentation
_ Testing
One of the most effective (and obvious) means to increase revenue from your ecommerce email is to grow your list. Here are some quick suggestions to move your list towards a consistently upward growth trend:
_ Web Site Form: Perhaps the single most important method of growing your list is by optimizing your email subscription form on your Web site. Don't rely just on your home page to capture new subscribers. Many of your visitors may enter your site from a search engine on a specific page. If possible, a simplified form - or at least an impossible-to-miss image that links to the form - should be included on every page of your site. Additionally, many consumers will need an incentive before they will sign up for anything. Consider offering them a discount
($10 off), Free Shipping on orders over $100, or other incentives taken off their first order.
_ Shopping Cart Form: Most Web sites capture a customer's email address during the check out process for order and shipping confirmations. But, it is critical that you also strongly promote an opt-in check box for customers to receive your ongoing promotional emails. Additionally, use this opportunity to solicit additional information that may help you better target your customers down the road and provide emails that are more relevant to customers. This might include demographics such as their gender and preferences, such as product interests. This information can be gathered to send more targeted emails down the road.
_ Search Engine Pay-Per-Click Programs: Various research studies indicate that search is one of the most frequently used means for consumers to find products online. Many etailers find that pay-per-click (PPC) programs such as Google, AdWords, and Overture can drive significant traffic to their site. If you utilize these programs, as mentioned above, it is important that you make it easy for visitors to sign up for your promotional emails whether or not they make a purchase.
_ Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Optimizing your site for search engines can be one of the most costeffective means to driving traffic and growing your list. Whether you use an external SEO consultant or handle it internally, make sure you optimize every page of your site to achieve top rankings for the products listed on each page.
_ Refer-A-Friend: Utilizing your email technology's "Refer-A-Friend" feature can generate a consistent number of new subscribers. If you promote the refer-a-friend program (i.e., $5 off to the person who forwards the email) - a typical forward rate might be in the 1.5% range, with 10% of the new recipients actually subscribing. On a list of 100,000 that means you would gain 150 new subscribers - not a large amount, but it may be enough to offset your unsubscribes each month.
_ In-Store Promotions: If you have retail locations, make sure you promote your email offers in your stores. Have sign-up forms at the cash registers, promote subscriptions with point-of-purchase displays and train your employees to encourage email sign up.
_ Media Buys and Newsletter Sponsorships: Obviously, advertising - both online and offline - will drive more traffic to your site, which can then be converted to email subscribers and customers. Banner ads average about 0.25% CTR. Newsletter sponsorships (text or banner ads within the email newsletters) typically have similar CTRs, but can be very effective. Whatever your offline/online advertising program entails, it should include driving potential customers to a landing page, as well as messaging that encourages people to subscribe to the promotional emails.