Despite your best efforts, sometimes it seems like no matter how often you send an email, your customers are completely ignoring you. They seem to just scroll past your message or even worse, hit delete. Marketers cannot afford to have their emails ignored, since emails drive a majority of the revenue for e-commerce companies. If your email metrics are suffering, it’s time for a revamp. Here are six reasons why your customers are ignoring your emails and what to do about it.
- The Email is Irrelevant
There is nothing more ignorable than an irrelevant email. If a client has recently purchased power tools and you are sending an email about high end hand bags, chances are that you aren’t turning any heads. If you want to get noticed, then stop sending irrelevant emails. Look at the data and personalize the email to make it more appealing. Even if you don’t know a ton about the customer, use what you have to determine the best message. Look at past purchase behavior, location, gender or weather to send something relevant. The compelling message will get your customer's attention and help increase interest in the offer.
- They’ve Already Made the Purchase
Once customers have made a purchase, they don’t want to hear about that item again. If a customer has purchased a grill, chances are they are not going to buy another one. Ensure that your email program is talking to your e-commerce program. Create a business rule that once a purchase is made, the product a customer was browsing is no longer promoted in your emails. Instead, try to upsell accessories. The email should be promoting grilling tools, cooking utensils or barbeque rubs.
- The Creative Doesn’t Capture Their Attention
Consumers are bombarded by marketing messages everywhere they go, all day long. They are used to turning out this barrage of messages, so you can’t afford to send boring creative. Take time to develop eye-catching content and imagery that will capture someone’s attention. A customer should be able to absorb your message within a matter of seconds, so be sure that the design and layout are inviting to the eye.
- There Isn’t a Call-to-Action
So, what if your email is eye-catching and relevant and customers are still ignoring your messages? While the models may look great in your new fall fashions, if there is no objective, then people aren’t going to respond. You need to create a strong call-to-action to get people to click back to your site. Are you promoting a time-sensitive sale of those items or are you giving customers an exclusive glimpse at your new line? Determine the objective and then write a clear and concise call-to-action to support this goal. And be sure that the call-to-action is clickable and links to a supporting landing page. This will deliver a strong customer experience.
- The Subject Line Doesn’t Live Up to Its Promises
Don’t make false promises. They are disappointing, and will lead to the delete button. If you have a sale and most of the items are 20% off, don’t write a subject line about a 50% off sale. Even if you do have one or two items with a larger discount, choose the number that best reflects the reality of your sale. Customers will appreciate your honesty and will be more likely to trust your subject lines and open future messages.
- You Have Terrible Timing
Timing is everything. If you are running a sale for a tropical vacation when people are our enjoying great weather in their town, then they probably won’t see it. If you are sending emails on Saturdays when people are out with their families, or Monday morning when they are catching up on work emails, they may not take the time to look. It’s hard to tell what time is best to send a promotion for your product. Timing is an element that you can constantly test and optimize. If you find Tuesdays more effective, then start mailing on Tuesdays. But if open rates slump in a few months, try that test again. The right time may change throughout the seasons.
