Direct email marketing is the solution to a very big problem for online retailers.
Ask anyone looking at the traffic reports for their online store and they will tell
you that nothing drives them more crazy than getting someone to their site (either
naturally or through an advertisement) and then seeing them leave. They are gone
into the abyss that is the online market place, possibly never to return again.
At this point they're pretty much gone. This represents another lost customer, lost
revenue, and increased frustration. If only there was some way you could stay linked
in with that customer. You know they had some interest in your offering (after all,
they ended up at your site in the first place) and maybe their next trip is the
one that converts. Introduce a direct email marketing solution as part of your marketing
and strategic mix and you might be able to lure those lost patrons back.
It's a proven fact that it can take up to 6 touch points before a customer trusts
you enough to make a purchase. Are you planning on achieving all 6 touch points
on one visit? That is a very ambitious goal. Chances are you'll get some touch points
in on the first visit, but those are only the first steps. You can easily add a
signup box to your website from any major email marketing company and collect visitors'
addresses. Once you have that, it's a path to getting the necessary touch points
to seal the deal.
Once you have a person's permission to contact them (remember, do not spam as it
will hurt your business in the long run!) you can easily create snazzy email marketing
promotion to get them back to your site. Whether you're selling T-shirts, office
furniture, or DVDs, you know that certain deals just can't be passed up. Why not
put one of those deals in front of your customers and get their mouth a little wet.
Even if it's been weeks since they visited your t-shirt site, for example, if you
offer a "buy 1 shirt, get 1 free" deal, you'll see an instant spike in traffic and
a boost in conversions. Eeaching out to customer has always been the role of direct
marketing, but now, with email marketing , it all happens electronically.
Direct email marketing is a powerful tool that can boost your sales, but don't expect
that to happen without a little effort on your part. You need to take the time to
understand your customers, know what interests them, figure out how to pique their
curiosity and make an offer based on all that. The more you target your email marketing
message effectively, the greater your response rates will be, and the faster people
will come back to your online store.
The online retail marketing place is fiercely aggressive and there are tons of competitors
just a click away from your site. You need to outperform the competition by making
sure your store is in front of the customer a lot more. With direct email marketing
campaigns you can get your store information and special offers right in their inbox.
You will ingrain your online brand in their minds so that come purchase time, they've
racked up enough touch points that their decision is easy.
Direct email marketing is a gateway to building the relationships with your customers
that will make them want to buy from you. By staying linked with your customers,
you will develop an edge, because your offers will extend beyond your website and
into the inbox of potential buyers.
