A retail transaction, whether it be in a brick-and-mortar retail store or through an internet shopping website, is the final link in the supply chain flow of goods and services. Email marketing can help close the gap between the first and final link, and although some people may deem email marketing as spam and ineffective, this is far from the truth if email marketing techniques are employed effectively.
To get the best out of email marketing, you should collect data on your target market. Sending an email to the wrong people is ineffective, and wastes both yours and the receivers time. It can also damage your brand’s image.
Use data from third-party apps and integrations such as Shopify and WooCommerce, as they can provide pertinent and reliable information on your customers. You can learn about their purchase history, birthdays and interests, meaning you can send an informed and relevant email about a product or service that is more likely to be of interest to them; increasing the chances of a response and purchase. By collecting reliable data, you can personalize your emails, which leads to 2.5 times more click through rates than non-personalized emails. It also leads to 6 times more sales.
Additionally, 69% of online shopping carts are filled, only to be abandoned before checkout. The consumer may be deliberating the purchase and needs an extra push into clicking the ‘checkout’ button. Therefore, if you collect data on who has left a full shopping cart, you can send them an email reminding them that they forgot to checkout. Big name companies such as eBay, send these prompting emails; coming across as a gentle reminder. Such automation emails connect with their customers, generating 320% more revenue.
Your email marketing campaign is important; 74% of consumers become frustrated when an email isn’t relevant, so getting your IT right is fundamental to the success of your overall marketing strategy. Segmentation, automated emails and personalization get higher click-through rates and generate more sales from their campaigns.
Source: Do’s and Don’ts of Email Marketing for Retail by Campaign Monitor