Emails That Convert: Your How-To Guide
The wait is over! We’ve whipped up a ‘how-to’ when it comes to creating emails that convert. Understandably email marketing can be overwhelming but we’re here to break it down for you. Consider this your basic email bible of what to consider when it comes to producing a high converting campaign.
Segmentation
Segmentation is the process of dividing your email subscribers into smaller lists or segments. This division is based on your subscribers unique characteristics such as their position in your sales funnel, interests, pain points, preferences, location, gender etc.
Each subscriber/customer who signs up to receive your email communications will be at a different stages of the decision marking process. Some are ready to convert immediately while others may take 3-6 months and some who prefer to only shop once a year during Black Friday.
Blasting a discount focused email to new subscribers straight away may put them off especially if they are still exploring and looking for reasons to shop with you (e.g. good returns policy, fast delivery, competitive delivery fees etc).
Segmenting your list allows you to create a tailored customer experience and send effective communications to the right group of people at the right time. For example, your regular campaigns should target subscribers and customers who engaged in some way during the last 90 days.
There’s a few ways you can establish engagement, try these:
Clicked any email
Opened any email - use this cautiously since the iOS15 update has artificially inflated Apple Mail Users ope rates
Visited your website
Made a purchase
Recently subscribed
This group, has a higher propensity to conversion and sending to your engaged subscribers is important for your sender reputation and email delivery.
Email Design
A well designed email should allow the reader to digest content with ease and compel them to act. The design and flow of your email is crucial for logically communicating your emails objective and inciting action. The design should direct the reader's eye to key messages ensuring the most important message contrasts and stand out.
Our top tips for nailing your design;
Keep your layout clean and as minimalistic as possible.
Include the first CTA above the fold and use colour contrast to make CTA’s stand out.
Use high-quality imagery only. Design images to 1200px wide and set it to 600px wide in your email platform for optimal image clarity
Play around with white space to break up sections of text & images. This goes for font sizes, styles and weights.
A popular method is to structure your design is to keep pattern in mind. This means the placement of imagery and copy should flow in a direction that keeps the reader interested and funnel down to a CTA.
The goal is to keep your subscribers to be engaged, clearly understand the purpose of your email and easily click through to discover more.
Copy
When it comes to copywriting for eCommerce emails, keep it short, sweet and snappy. Emails don’t need to be filled with pushy sales text to be effective. Think quality over quantity with an irresistible call to action.
Create a goal and keep it in mind while developing copy. This will keep you focused on what’s important to say. We recommend getting personal and right o the point too. This will make the reader feel acknowledged and understood while not wasting their time.
Emails are another interaction with your brand. This interaction should be purposeful and it should be recongnisable. This means following your brand tone and voice, feature your brand colours and brand guidelines. Your subscribers should already familiar with your brand and continuity is of the utmost importance throughout each of your marketing channel communications.
Lastly, nail your CTA. Use engaging and creative language to encourage your reader to take the intended action. Try to avoid using bland, common CTA’s that are overused by retailers, instead try these:'
GIVE ME THE VIP TREATMENT
WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY
USE CODE VIP10 AT CHECKOUT
REFRESH YOUR WARDROBE
TREAT YOURSELF
TIP: To prevent your email from sounding like a sales call, ensure each email has a purpose and fits one of your content pillars.
User Experience
This one is crucial. Design is great, but it won’t hold up if the user experience isn’t there. You want your readers to easily navigate through your email communication without getting sidetracked, confused or losing interest because an interactive element didn’t work.
Usability
Structure your information with key pieces at the top and funnel supportive copy downward finishing with a strong CTA. Our favourite element when it comes to perfecting your email UX. When in doubt, keep it simple. Don’t confuse your reader by including multiple different messages. Streamline your communication and lead right to your end goal.
Visual appeal
The email should be easily skim read. We know, you put all this time into creating the perfect email only to cringe when you know most people will give it a glance at best. The more you can do to perfect your visual layout the better. Develop a couple of templates and test, learn and refine so that you’re continuing to evolve to meet your customers preferences. Use white space to break up key elements and soften the visual flow.
Well researched CTA
Nailing UX comes down the researching and predicting subscriber behaviour so you can deliver a unique end-to-end experience topped with a final CTA that resonates with the needs.
Tell them exactly what they need to do from digesting the email. If you’re in tune with your subscribers needs, this will be easily followed by them.
Branding
Visually your email needs to appear as though it’s from you. This means using images, text, colours, logos and creative that readers are familiar with. Follow these tips so you don’t leave your reader guessing;
Set a colour pallet (your brand colours + a few accents)
Use unique style / font to highlight your CTA
Ensure the imagery you use is consistent across all your marketing channels
Develop tone and voice for your email copy (this could be a simplified version of your current brand t&v.
Create a template that makes your content stand out (use this each time).
Include your social media links and a tag line.
Your brand is the strongest part of your business, let it work for you.
Personalisation
Inboxes can be a busy place. Personalising your emails allows you to cut through the noise. Consumers are more likely to be loyal to a brand who caters to their preferences and targets them with personalised offers - this is where segmentation comes in.
Here are some ways to personalise your emails:
Add first name field in your subject line
Include location specific information
Trigger automated emails relevant to the subscribers lifecycle stage
Note personal events like birthday or location specific holidays
Sign off your emails with a personal signature
Make your reader feel loved!
RECAP:
In summary, here are our top tips for creating a banging email;
Segment your email list. This allows you to create a personalised customer experience and send the right content to the right subscribers.
Design your email to work for the reader.
Develop email copy that is on brand but try to avoid pushing sales tactics. Make sure it’s short, snappy and concise.
Consider your UX above all else. Ensure information is credible, that it flows, creative is relevant and all links / CTA’s are in working order optimised for mobile first reads.
Make sure your email looks and sounds like it’s from you!
Keep it personal, baby! Make the reader feel like you’re speaking directly to them by using their name and only sending them communications they will be interested in.
Still a bit unsure where to go from here? We got you.