5 Unmissable Ways to Use Email to Increase Conversion Rates

Most businesses use email, it’s a vital form of communication between you and your customers and should form a key part of your digital marketing communications. Where some businesses are failing however, is utilising email to have a real impact on conversion rates - and therefore revenue. 

Question is, what can you do to really make the most of your email marketing list, and nurture those leads to convert them into paying customers? Take a look at our 5 unmissable ways to use email to increase your conversion rates!

1. Re-engagement Campaign

Keeping your customers engaged is key to ensuring that your brand is always the first one that springs to mind when they are browsing the web. Chances are, you’ll have some customers that will become disengaged over time, despite your best efforts. This is where re-engagement campaigns can play an important part in getting those customers to come back to you. Think about using your automated email software to identify customers who haven’t purchased from you for a set period of time. Then send them an email to temp them back. Show off why they should shop with you again. Do you offer free delivery? Are your prices competitive? Utilising email in this way will ensure that you remind your customers what they are missing out on and encourage them to check out your site again and convert them back into paying customers. Can’t argue with that can you?

2. Call To Action

How can you effectively communicate with your customers and cut through the noise of their busy email inbox? It’s a challenge that faces every email marketer. One way to overcome this and increase your conversion rates is to ensure you have a clear call to action. Using bold, informative statements that concisely and clearly emphasise your selling points will make your brand immediately stand out. So what can you use? The language should be dynamic and urgent, for example ‘Buy now for huge discounts’ or ‘Subscribe today to find out more’. Statements such as this tell the customer what to do, for example ‘subscribe’ and give them a reason to do it, for example to get ‘huge discounts’. Get your call to action positioned centrally in the email and make it stand out, and you can’t fail to notice an increase in your conversion rates.

3. Abandoned Basket

Abandoned baskets are a common issue facing online retailers, and are effectively the virtual version of ‘window shopping’. Just as retailers in bricks and mortar stores aim to turn those window shoppers from browsers into purchasers, online retailers must try to convert those customers who abandon their baskets prior to completing the purchase. That’s why sending an abandoned basket reminder email can be a sure fire way to help increase your conversion rates. Getting the language and layout of the email can be key in persuading the customer back to your site. Think about including images of the products and highlight reasons to purchase such as your returns and exchanges policy. It’s also important to decide how long to wait from the time of abandonment until the email is sent to ensure you give the customer enough consideration time.

4. Refer a Friend

If one of your friends tells you about an experience that they enjoyed, chances are you’ll want to give it a go too. Sending out an email to ask your existing customers to ask them to recommend your brand to some of their friends is a great way to grow your database and obtain details of potential customers. Due to the value that is placed on their friends opinions, being referred by a friend means that they are more likely to be someone who is already interested in your products and therefore more likely to go on to make a purchase and increase your conversion rates. It is possible to incentivise this by the use of offers which benefit both the current and the prospective customer, for example offering both customers a £10 voucher once the friend that is recommended makes a purchase of over £50. Ensuring that the offer is only available once the friend has made a purchase means that customers will not simply recommend uninterested friends in order to receive the discount.

5. Promotions

Everybody likes a special offer, and using email to send out promotions is a definite way to increase your conversion rates. But how do you ensure that the email is going to the right people and at the right time to deliver maximum results? There isn’t a one size fits all approach to promotional emails, so use your automated email software to segment your database and send out targeted promotions to different groups. Customers with a high lead score who have not yet made a purchase might be tempted into making a purchase by a well-timed email offering a discount off goods purchased within the next 48 hours, for example. Loyal customers, on the other hand, could be sent a promotion to reward them for their continued custom. By being savvy with your promotional emails you can make sure you keep customers engaged with your brand whilst increasing your revenue.