Increasing conversions via trigger-based email campaigns

I often hear a lot of talk about trigger-based email campaigns… but I rarely see it in use. Tamara Gielen of Be Relevant! tells us to 2 easy ways to effectively use trigger emails to boost conversions (originally from the Palmer Web Marketing Blog)

1. Email Customers Who Abandon Their Shopping Carts
An extremely smart tactic to bring back lost sales is to checkup on those people who never complete the checkout process. If you have already captured the customers’ email address, you can easily send them a friendly message informing them that you’re currently trying to improve your checkout process, and you apologize if they found anything confusing. In addition, you might want to give them a coupon code as an additional incentive for bringing them back.

2. Add a “email me when in-stock” feature
This feature is a no-brainer for sites that frequently sell out of their inventory. However, it’s amazing how few websites actually do it. Here’s how it works: Anytime a customer visits a product detail page that displays an “out of stock” notice, give them the option to be emailed if the item becomes available again. This serves two purposes.

First, it gives you an opportunity to capture their email address (opt in, of course). And second, it gives you the opportunity to save the sale if you re-stock the item. Now wait a minute, you think, most websites don’t allow people to visit pages of items that are out of stock. That’s true, but keep in mind that search engines will keep these pages indexed for some time. In addition, people frequently bookmark pages of products they would like to purchase in the future. This feature is even more useful if you sell a product that comes in multiple sizes or colors. For example, if you sell widgets that are available in both green and blue, and the green widgets are out of stock, your customer’s can be emailed when that color is re-stocked. Just like that, another lost sale is captured!

A third trigger campaign I would add to the list is “re-purchase reminder email.” If you are selling ink catridges online, for example, and you know your average consumer typically re-purchases ink cartridges every six months, you can set up a time-based trigger campaign that will send a friendly reminder to each customer just before the six month mark. Not only will they appreciate the reminder - they will most likely buy from you every time instead of the competition.

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Posted in Email marketing, Kelly Rusk, eCommerce