Customer loyalty is a key element in surviving today’s retail environment, and email marketing is an effective and inexpensive way to build it. Although social media is considered by some to be the marketing wave of the future, email is still the second most popular incoming traffic source. While social media encourages interaction, email allows you to provide more intimate, personalized content. The first step is building the email list itself. It’s easier for business owners who sell their products online to compile an email list, but although brick-and-mortar businesses may have to work a little harder and longer, their efforts generally result in high-quality leads and high conversion rates.
Tips for Building Your Email List On-Site Establish a reason to collect your customer’s information. Providing an explanation for your request will increase participation by 35 percent. It doesn’t even have to be a good reason for the strategy to work, but most people will react more favorably if they are offered some sort of benefit. You can ask your customers to participate in a survey, join a rewards or loyalty program or sign up for a free newsletter with discount codes or coupons. You can even base the sign-up on a bribe; offer free meal vouchers, bonuses or entries into a contest. Get as much information as possible. Ask for names, email addresses, occupations, birthdays, physical addresses, phone numbers and company names and details. The more data you obtain, the better you can analyze and segment your customer base. For example, if you own a restaurant, people who live or work nearby are more likely to become repeat customers and take advantage of your email promotions. If you know their birthdays, you can send personalized offers to help them celebrate. Knowing your customers’ hobbies and pastimes can help you pinpoint the products most likely to spark their interest. With more information, it’s also easier to weed out redundant contacts, and reduce wasted effort. When possible, use a digital sign-up form. Automatic sorting and organizing simplifies the process. Not only do you save yourself from hours of data entry, you also eliminate the problem of hard-to-read handwriting. Consider making access to your digital sign-up form available on-site. Providing a tablet computer or two at your checkout or customer service desk so customers can enter their data is feasible for low-to-medium volume retailers. If digital sign-up is impractical, provide a highly visible pen-and-paper version. With a handwritten sign-up sheet on display, your customers will be able to see for themselves how many others have joined your list, and this will lend a sense of legitimacy, which is especially valuable if your business is just starting out. If you are providing an open and visible list, don’t ask for highly personal information. Most people are not willing to reveal sensitive data to everyone who walks by. Online Marketing Basics: The Email The construction and content of your emails can be determining factors in their success or failure. Here are some basic commercial email tips every retailer should know. The subject line is the first thing your prospective customer will see. Use intrigue, humor and offers of free shipping or special deals to get readers to click through. Keep in mind that unless your readers identify you, they may assume your email is spam, so be original, and let readers know it’s you. Add a personal touch. Use real photos and names of your team members. Mention location-specific details when possible. Create a connection with your reader. Provide quality content that is both engaging and relevant to the reader. Include pictures and lists of popular products. Publish customer reviews, and invite suggestions. Reveal information to your email list that is not provided to the general public. Curiosity will make readers more likely to open your next email. If you only have a physical store location, include a link to a map for readers who may not know how to find you. Make your address and opening hours highly visible. Time your emails logically. A special romantic meal offer discovered on a weekend might be more interesting than it would be on a Monday morning. Know your subscribers. Use the data you obtained from their initial sign-up to analyze their motivation and interest in buying your product. Make it easy for your subscribers to share your content through social media. Your loyal customers can become great recruiters. Keep in mind that entertaining content is more likely to be shared. Think mobile. According to recent reports, more email is read on mobile devices than computers. Optimizing your email for mobile technology will ensure that your readers enjoy the best experience. Use email to develop relationships and reward loyalty. Email alerts are a great way to offer bonuses to frequent shoppers, alert readers to targeted special offers and create follow-ups. Provide a way to unsubscribe easily. Although you don’t want to lose them, it’s better to let subscribers go peacefully than to be reported for spam, or create negative word-of-mouth activity. Segmentation: Making Subscriber Information Work for You With the help of your email service provider (ESP) or independent email marketing software, you can slice, dice and segment your email list to sharpen your focus, and reduce wasted time and money. Reports that include your delivery success rates, open rates and click-through rates can help you measure the effectiveness of your campaign, and tweak your content to optimize results. How you segment your subscribers depends largely on your type of business and target demographic, but here are a few suggestions to consider. Location Age Gender Health Status Fitness Level Persona Occupation Ethnicity Buying Frequency Past Purchases Interest Level Education Level Changes in Buying Behavior Changes in Content Interest or Engagement Email type or Provider Satisfaction Level Frequency of Referral Persistence Pays Off Although it often requires a trial-and-error approach, a good email marketing strategy builds sales over time. Keep analyzing and trying new techniques; your growing email marketing savvy will eventually yield results. Originally Publish at: http://blog.cashierlive.com/
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