Email Marketing 101
How to increase open and click through rates
Did you know that email was first implemented in the early 1960’s? This messaging across users on the same system was just the beginning. By 1971, the first ARPANET mail was sent with the familiar @ syntax. Originally only text, internet email was extended by Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) to carry text in other character sets and multimedia content attachments. (Wikipedia)
The rest is history!
Today, email marketing can be one of the most profitable forms of marketing on your Shopify. Although not the most efficient form of marketing, there are specific steps you can take to increase open, click and conversion rates through email marketing.
The average email open rate is 22.7%. For you fraction lovers, that’s less than 1 in 4 emails that are opened. (MailChimp.com)
The average click through rate is only 2.91% (MailChimp.com)
But, of those who do click, the average conversion rate is a whopping 19%. (ActiveCampaigns.com)
This means those who do click have a very high intent to purchase. So, if we increase the open rate to just 35% and increase our click-through rate just one percentage point to 4%, we can effectively double our ROI from email marketing - without changing conversion rates.
100,000 x 22.7% x 2.91% x 19% = 126 Customers
1000,000 x 35% x 4% x 19% = 266 Customers
So, here are some great ways to increase open and click-through rates.
Single Call to Action (Increasing CTA)
Modern emails can be filled with countless CTA’s. ‘Get Discount’, ‘Sign Up’, ‘Order now’...etc. But if you are truly looking to increase your click rates, you need to really focus your emails down to a single CTA. Emails with a single CTA increase clicks by 371%. (mailmodo.com). Really get specific on who the email is for (segmentation) and what single offer you're providing.
Always A/B Test Subject Lines (Increase Open Rates)
Subject lines are the most obvious variable that impacts your open rates. And those who A/B test their subject lines see a 27% increase in open rates (mailmodo.com). It is important to draw users in with subject lines. Give them an idea about what’s inside, but also lead them to want to learn more. Putting too much in subject lines can cause many users to immediately ignore them if they're not interested. Be strategic yet ambiguous.
As a simple example: if you’re offering free shipping on orders over $100, don’t call out the $100 in the subject line. Just showcase the free shipping to draw the user in.
Always Resend to Non-Openers (Increase Open Rates)
The number of brands I have worked with that don’t do this is remarkable. With open rates at a measly 23% on average, you should always be re-sending the email to all those who have not opened. Fortunately, most email softwares will allow you to do this automatically, reducing the extra work associated with exporting lists or segmenting. (I recommend Seguno for most small brands on Shopify.)
Send at the Right Time (Increase Open and Click Through Rates)
What day do you send emails? What time? How well do you know your audience. Is it best to catch them early in the morning? Or maybe during lunch? After they get back from work?
And remember - 23% of all email opens occur during the first hour after delivery. After 24 hours, an email's chance of being opened drops below 1%! (superoffice.com). So timing is everything.
So, what’s the best time to send? Early morning to mid-afternoon based on the data. Sending your email between 9a.m. to 2p.m. should yield the highest engagement rates.
Time of Day: (HubSpot)
But what day should you send? By the data, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. And this makes sense, Friday is Friday, and most people are busy on the weekends.
Day of the week: (CMS.enginemailer.com)
These are just some of the ways to increase open and click-through rates that will help to grow your Shopify. Some of the additional ways include:
Mobile-first design perspective. 81% of emails are opened on a mobile device. (campaignmonitor.com)
Sending from a person’s name at the company rather than the company name. 35% Increase in open rates. (pinpointe.com)
Including just 6-10 words in your subject line. Most mobile email clients show just 90 characters.
Personalization - putting the user’s first name in the subject line.
Now go and grow.
J
Recommended Apps:
Seguno is one of my favorite email marketing softwares available for Shopify. It integrates with Shopify in ways other softwares cannot. If you’re a small team, Seguno is the best option for you.
Klaviyo is one of the most popular and one of the most powerful email marketing softwares available for Shopify. With endless options and integrations, Klaviyo is a powerhouse option for email (and SMS) marketing.