Over the past few years, research has consistently proven the benefits of email marketing for a business: low cost, high conversion rates and detailed tracking are all significant factors. But email marketing becomes more than just a tool for spam senders and email businesses. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the difference between spam and email-based emails, and many more of them accept licensed-based email marketing as a good substitute for direct email.
The good news is that the majority of people who receive a permit-based email open up, on average, 78% of them.
Jupiter Research reports that effective email marketing campaigns can generate nine times more revenue and 18 times more profit than email marketing. But making a successful business email is an art and a science. Here is a list of items, potential problems and practical solutions to keep in mind:
1. Spam! Spam! Spam! I do not need Viagra!
The average consumer receives more than 300 emails per week, 62% of which are spam. It is not surprising that there is such animosity in the industry. But spam filters, bulk folders and "spam reporting" features help consumers become more comfortable with the dangers of spam. Although 89% of users cited spam as a major concern in 2003, that number dropped to 85% in 2004, equivalent to an increase in the use of anti-spam tools.
So as a licensed business email marketing, what can you do? One tip is to remind your subscribers to add you to their "secure senders" list. The second, and most important, strategy is to ensure that your email marketing service provider has a good relationship with the ISPs. This will ensure that your email marketing campaigns get into the inboxes of your subscribers, not their unwanted email folders. If you choose email marketing software, make sure the company has strict anti-spam policies and adheres to Can-Spam guidelines.
2. Photos and Formatting: Why do my emails look broken?
Broken email campaigns are a growing concern among email advertisers, especially as a few companies and web-based email providers are now blocking graphics as a measure against spam. In fact, according to ClickZ, 40% of email marketing messages sent to inbox are "broken."
This was actually something that emerged during the Eliteweb beta testing stages, as we had a client in the Government of Canada whose recipients were using very secure email programs. The solution we have now found has become one of our most important competitive advantages.
What Eliteweb does is publish all the email marketing campaigns that are sent to a secure location on the web (the only place the original email recipients can access, thanks to an encrypted technology that verifies user authentication automatically). The technology also ensures that you can track the behavior of your users, even if they are reading your email campaign on a secure web site.
3. Personalisation and relevant content: In a business email, one size fits all.
In a recent study by Double-click, email users had a 72% chance of responding to a business email if its content was based on their stated interests. That number indicates the total value of allowing users to select their favorite groups and have control over which business emails they receive. Well-known interest categories, according to research, coupons and furniture.
But your coupon is incorrect unless the user opens the email. Users in the study said the most important reason for opening a business email is a name from the “from” location. So it is a good idea to make sure your company name is clearly written there. Another key feature is the "title" line. Users cite discount offers and exciting news like highly mandatory headlines, followed by announcements of new products and free post discounts.
4. Click past and convert: Show me the money!
So the user opened your email and read the content. Good. But where is the sale? There is good news here. First, consumers are more likely to buy as a direct result of a business email campaign. One-third of users in the Double-click survey purchased something by clicking the link in the email. Another 42% clicked on the email link for more information, and then purchased the product later. Second, online coupons are booming: 73% consumers use an online coupon to buy online, and 59% use an online coupon offline.
Industrialized, the best performers are tourism, hardware / software, electronics, clothing, food, furniture, gifts / flowers and sportswear. All the companies that send business emails in those categories said that between 71% and 80% of recipients bought their products as a result of the email campaign.
No need to worry if your company does not fit into one of those industries. The state of the art of email marketing changes seems to brighten up every day. The average click-through rate for purchases has increased by almost 30% since 2004 and the average order rate per email has increased by more than 18% since last year.
5. Tracking statistics: Who are my real customers?
Email marketing is a growing tool for successful CRM, and it is time for more businesses to see that. First, if your business provider's email services do not include detailed tracking, in real time, you get an immature contract. Real-time tracking is now an industry standard, and very important, as it allows you to see the exact time a user opens your campaign, clicks on your link and makes that purchase. Reading your users can help you improve your communication efforts, so that each campaign performs better than the last (several email service providers also allow you to compare the effectiveness of your campaigns).
But many retailers are still in the dark. According to a recent WebTrends survey, only 5% of retailers are overconfident in their online marketing efforts, while 26% admit they are “blind.” WebTrends claims that low self-esteem comes from a lack of knowledge when it comes to measuring, which means there is still a lot of work to be done.
In email marketing, mindless photography will not take you very far. But if you are serious about following these important gaming rules, you will have to reap the same great results as most online and offline businesses.
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