Email marketing is a cornerstone of e-commerce and digital marketing – and with good reason.
Although many predicted that it would fall into disuse with the social media boom, email marketing has remained a strong factor due to its target demographic and unique purpose, often bolstered by other marketing strategies to deliver impactful results.
There are several components to email marketing to increase its efficacy, with your automated flow being one of the most important. So how do you fine-tune it? Reform Digital is here to answer those questions.
Why Email Marketing?
According to a study, there are over four billion email users worldwide – a good chunk of those are potential customers and clients for e-commerce businesses.
Email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective strategies for e-commerce, with an average ROI of $39 for every dollar spent, based on research.
Personalised Experience
Don’t underestimate the value of personalised communication. Customers appreciate when organisations know them on a first-name basis, their shopping patterns, browsing habits and so on. When done correctly, it can offer a personalised touch that elevates their overall level of satisfaction.
Nurture Existing Audiences
Email marketing offers you a solid route for nurturing existing audiences. You can communicate directly with their inbox when necessary. You set this communication window so it does not fall prey to the algorithms of social media and other digital marketing tools, making it a more tailored experience.
What Are Automated Emails?
Automated emails are designed to be delivered to subscribers on predetermined schedules or in reaction to user activity on a certain website. You can send these emails individually or as a drip email campaign.
Automated emails are a ‘set and forget’ strategy, unlike more active methods such as social media or SEO. When you do it, it needs to be done well to let it actively nurture your audience over time with minimal maintenance. Automated emails are often underrated channels, as their potential is high for both transactional and promotional purposes.
Must-Have Automated Email Flows
According to our email marketing experts, these automated email flows make all the difference in e-commerce.
Welcome
Whether through lead generation or organic methods, your new subscriber has filled out a form on your site. This is your chance to teach them about your business and prevent confusion or hesitation. An automatic email welcome flow can give your new lead bite-sized information on who you are, what you do and offer, your best-sellers, your community and more.
An effective welcome email flow for this industry sits at a 1–2% conversation rate, according to Klaviyo. Doubling that is a solid win and can be achieved through enticing offers such as sign-up forms and other supporting invites, further gathering leads into the flow.
Browse and Cart Abandonment
According to statistics from 2023, carts have an overall abandonment rate of just over 70%. Customers’ most popular reason for this is not being ready to commit to buying – which is why automated email flows for cart abandonment are so essential. Give your customers a nudge in the correct timeframe; too soon will be pushy, but too late may be confusing. Done correctly, data from Mailchimp says you can see an average of 34 times more orders per recipient.
Thank You/Post-Purchase
One of the more successful automated emails is post-purchase flow. For instance, Klaviyo can send out a thank you note days after your customers’ purchases, thereby increasing their level of engagement and satisfaction. In turn, this can increase their willingness to be a returning customer.
Good-To-Have Automated Email Flows
These are automated email flows that are good to set up when possible, according to our experts.
Exclusive Birthday Offers
When customers share details about themselves, such as their birthdays, this information can be a useful marketing tool – for example, exclusive birthday offers. This automated email flow makes your customers feel valued, and according to research, 44% of people check their emails for discounts. Schedule the emails to be sent out a week before birthdays so customers are incentivised to buy themselves a gift (as they deserve).
Back-In-Stock Reminders
It’s simple but effective. Use a consumer’s browsing habits to determine what products or services matter to them. If it’s not in stock, a back-in-stock email is a surefire way to drum up interest. This type of automated email flow is relevant to your audience, which makes it all the more powerful.
We Saw You Purchased X, Why Not Try Z?
Keeping in theme with relevancy, automated emails based on a customer’s browsing habits and purchase history can also boost email strategies. Research shows that 25% of a business’s revenue comes from repeat customers, so capitalising on interest is vital.
Niche Automated Email Flows
There are certain automated email flows that, as stated by our savvy team, are helpful for a specific subset. Talking to an e-commerce email marketing agency, such as Reform Digital, will help determine if you fall into this subset.
Feedback Flows
Automated flows centred around reviews and feedback are beneficial in a myriad of ways. The actual feedback helps you improve your services and products; the increased open rate (OR) and click-through rate (CTR) funnel into your email marketing strategy. Wins all around.
Re-engagement Flows
It’s normal for customers’ attention to ebb and flow. When you notice a pattern, however, you can set up an automated email to reach out to different segments and ’win’ them back. You can engineer engagement by asking them to update their details, offering discounts, recommending products from past browsing habits, and more.
Invest in an e-commerce email marketing agency to improve your marketing strategy. The team at Reform Digital is here to help. Contact us today to learn how to tackle your automated flows.
