Like any other marketing channel, email marketing has evolved to adapt to evolving customer expectations and needs.
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In other words, what used to work a few years ago doesn’t work as well today.
For example, segmented email campaigns have replaced email blasts. Email personalization has gone beyond simply using a recipient’s first name to sending relevant content and offers based on the stage they’re in on their buyer’s journey.
As a result, 78% of marketers report an increase in email engagement and the revenue they get from email marketing has increased by 760%.
To increase your email conversion rate, there are a few things you need to pay attention to if you want to earn a subscriber’s trust and convince them to take action.
We’re going to go through four items that you should include in your marketing emails to help boost email conversion rates.
1. Ensure your “Sent From” name is credible
Have you ever found yourself searching for something on Google, then looking at the URLs of the sites before clicking on the search results?
That’s the power of branding influences your credibility. The same thing happens to your marketing emails.
While 33% of email subscribers open emails based on subject lines alone, 45% of subscribers open emails based on who sent it.
The sender’s name signals to a subscriber that it’s safe to open that email. Additionally, having all marketing emails coming from one person in the company creates a sense of familiarity, which breeds trust.
If you’re promoting a credit repair company, for instance, and you want your marketing emails to convert, they need to look legit by making sure that your sender is credible. It could be the CEO, Founder, or any other senior individual in the business.
Imagine marketing a credit repair company with a “Sent From” address that lists the name of an employee no one outside the business knows about.
That’s a major red flag that tells the customer your service might be a scam. If your subscriber doesn’t know who is behind these marketing emails, they won’t even open it, let alone convert.
Using a “no-reply” email address also hurts credibility. For huge, faceless corporations, it’s easy to get away with this. But small businesses can’t, because it makes them seem unapproachable.
Why would a subscriber buy something from someone they can’t reply to? What if they have questions about your product?
2. Upsells
During their buying journey, your potential buyers make two types of commitments to the brands they’re interacting with.
Time and money.
Once they subscribe to your email list, they are more likely to open emails as you continue to nurture them through the sales funnel. Financial commitment starts with a trial membership or the purchase of a low offer product.
When prospects are making these commitments, it’s best to introduce upsells and cross sells whenever it’s natural and relevant.
Brian Greenberg, CEO of True Blue Life Insurance, makes a strong case for upsells.
“Since the customer already bought one product from you, now you can show them what else you have on hand,” he said.
These could be products related to what they have already bought. Normally, such products are meant to improve the experience they already have when using the main product.
For example, an info product seller would provide a consultant, done-for-you service as an upsell, or even software tools that can improve utilization.
Greenberg goes on to add, “You don’t want to leave any money on the table, and email lets you offer new products in a very non-intrusive way.”
He’s absolutely right in this regard.
On average, upsells will provide 10-30% more revenue. That’s not money you want to leave on the table.
3. Offer relevant Discounts
In your email list, you have three different types of buyers:
- Spendthrifts
- Analytical buyers
- Average spenders
In your marketing emails, you want to make sure your discounts align with their buying behavior to boost conversions.
For example, an analytical buyer will look for different products and service providers to find the best deal.
Offering a discount makes their work easier because they no longer have to spend a lot of time analyzing different offers to get the best deal.
In addition to making a buyer’s work easier, discounts come in to create a sense of urgency. That means your subscribers will take action when the offer is still valid.
If you’re an online merchant during a holiday or special period (Christmas, Black Friday, or Halloween), you will want to inform your customer through email about your special rates. You could also let them know that some products will only be available for a limited time.
For example, a gift personalized strikes a balance between timing and having something for each of their buyers.
In their Cyber Monday sale, they have gifts available for all budgets. Their messaging clearly conveys that all subscribers can buy a gift, no matter what kind of spender they are.
4. Use reviews and case studies to overcome objections
The customers you have are your best brand advocates.
Their thoughts and feelings about your brand and products have more convincing power as compared to your marketing messages.
That’s because they are where your potential buyers want to be. They have solved the problems that your buyers want to solve through your products and services.
To convince your potential buyers to become customers, your customer reviews and case studies are your best bet.
Reviews and case studies help you overcome objections by relating to the problems and challenges that your potential buyers have, while reassuring them that they are making a good purchase decision.
Conclusion
When it comes to making sales, your marketing emails are your Swiss army knife. What you include in each email matters just as much as what you say and how you say it.
If you’ve been struggling with getting more subscribers to open your emails, don’t focus solely on writing better subject lines.
Pay attention to your “Sent From” address to earn credibility.
If you want to make more per transaction, provide relevant discounts and align your upsells with what customers buy.
If you want to overcome objections, include reviews and case studies in sales emails.
By implementing these four strategies, you can give your email marketing a much needed shot in the arm and see a noticeable increase in your conversion rate.