Summary
Email newsletters are essential for eCommerce businesses, and for any business, a good way to stay in touch with your clients, at least reminding them you exist! Especially for eCommerce, a good email newsletter can make your store a success.
NEWSLETTERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT! If you don't have one yet, make one.
Email newsletters are essential for eCommerce businesses, and for any business, a good way to stay in touch with your clients, at least reminding them you exist!
Especially for eCommerce, a good email newsletter can make your store a success.
Here are some simple steps to make your newsletter:
- Choose a newsletter platform. You can integrate your ecommerce site with mass mail platforms like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, Sendinblue, Constant Contact, Drip, and others. All of these services do much much than newsletters; they also provide marketing automation features and other tools you may want to use at some point.Please check with us to see which platform works best for you.
At PWC, we've used Drip for years and it provides very nice automation and segmentation, and we use it in this email itself!
- Create some type of a "lead magnet". This is a freebie, coupon, or similar that is of great value for which someone will exchange their email address. It could be a checklist, video or written course, part of an e-book, or a coupon.You should also write an email campaign to properly delivery that lead magnet to your subscribers.
- Setup your site to get Subscribers. Integrate form code or some other means to capture those email addresses! We use Optin Monster all of the time (one of the great advantages you get by being on one of our Hosting, Update, Backup, and Maintenance plans).
- Have a plan for content marketing. Don't simply get people's addresses; make sure you stay in contact with them!What NOT to include in your email newsletter? Do not SPAM your customers and don't take a sales-driven approach.
And make sure your newsletter is clean, uncluttered, and mobile friendly.
- Measure the success of your newsletter. Use these guide questions to figure out if your newsletter or email marketing system is working:Are you growing in subscribers? Is your growth rate significantly higher than your unsubscribe rate? Do people stay subscribed for a long time? Does your open rate exceed 10-15%? Do subscribers click on links, and do they make purchases?
Password Security
This is an edited picture from the computer of one of Dave's family members! (Anyone else ever experience where their family doesn't listen to them?)
Their usernames and passwords are in sticky notes on the computer!
And most of the passwords are exactly the same!!! ARGGGGHHHH!
Please don't do something similar. Use a password manager!
Email Etiquette Rules to Know and Practice
1. Don’t use CC for mass emails.
2. Double check what you're clicking on. You might hit Reply All when you should hit Reply.
3. Don't assume email is private and confidential. Anything you write in an email can be shared, whether intentionally or accidentally. Emails may even be admissible in court.
4. Don't email when you're emotional. Angry emails raise the recipient’s defenses, and that’s not productive.
5. Write straight to the point.
