Optimizing Email Copy for eCommerce Sites: Strategies & Tips

July 14, 2023
Kenny Trusnik

As an eCommerce business owner, crafting effective email copy for your online store is crucial to driving engagement and conversions. In this guide, we’ll examine how to construct effective email copy for your online store through captivating subject lines, storytelling body content and scannable formatting styles.

We’ll begin by exploring the art of writing captivating subject lines using power words, numbers, and personalization techniques. Next, we’ll discuss how to develop engaging body content through storytelling and scannable formatting styles.

Furthermore, we will examine the importance of call-to-action buttons in encouraging customer interaction and offer insights on harnessing personalization techniques to improve overall email performance. We will also emphasize maintaining a consistent brand voice and visuals throughout your campaigns.

To address common challenges faced by ecommerce brands such as shopping cart abandonment rates, we will provide actionable tips on crafting persuasive abandoned cart reminders and utilizing incentives like discounts or free shipping. Additionally, you’ll learn tactics for growing your subscriber list through exit-intent pop-ups and social media integration.

Lastly, our discussion will cover the benefits of leveraging email automation tools for lifecycle campaigns as well as upselling & cross-selling opportunities presented by post-purchase emails.

Table of Contents

Crafting Compelling Subject Lines

The subject line is the first thing recipients see when they receive an email, making it crucial for driving engagement. Discover techniques to create persuasive and attention-grabbing subject lines that resonate with your audience and encourage them to open your emails.

Using Power Words and Numbers in Subject Lines

Power words are emotionally charged terms that can evoke strong reactions from readers. Incorporating these words into your subject lines can boost open rates by creating a sense of urgency or curiosity. Examples include “exclusive,” “limited time,” or “last chance.” Additionally, using numbers in subject lines helps provide clarity and specificity, making them more enticing for customers to click on.

Personalizing Subject Lines Based on Customer Data

Personalization plays a significant role in increasing email opens as well. By leveraging customer data such as names, past purchases, or browsing history, you can tailor subject lines to individual subscribers’ interests and preferences. For example: “John, don’t miss out on 20% off our new arrivals.” This level of personalization encourages shoppers to engage with your ecommerce store’s content because it feels relevant and tailored specifically for them.

Engaging Body Content Strategies

Creating engaging body content for ecommerce emails is crucial to keep your readers interested and convey important information about products or promotions. To achieve this, consider implementing the following strategies:

Utilizing storytelling techniques in email copy

Telling a story can make your ecommerce email examples more relatable and memorable. Share anecdotes related to product development, customer success stories, or company milestones that will resonate with your audience.

Implementing scannable formatting styles

To improve readability, use short paragraphs and bullet points in your email content. This encourages shoppers to quickly scan through the text while still absorbing key messages.

  • Bullet point example 1: Highlight product features concisely.
  • Bullet point example 2: List benefits of a promotional offer clearly.
  • Bullet point example 3: Showcase multiple items from an online store collection effectively.
 

In addition to these tactics, incorporating images can enhance visual appeal and provide context for written content. Be sure to include high-quality photos showcasing featured products or services offered by your ecommerce brand. Also, optimize image sizes so they load quickly on various devices without compromising quality.

A combination of captivating storytelling techniques, scannable formatting styles, and visually appealing imagery will help create engaging body content that drives results for your email campaigns. Don’t forget to include a call-to-action that encourages shoppers to take action, such as offering free shipping or a discount for abandoned cart emails.

Effective Call-to-action Buttons

Boost your eCommerce business by creating compelling call-to-action (CTA) buttons within your emails. Understand the importance of clear language, contrasting colors, strategic placement of CTAs, and testing different variations to optimize results.

A/B Testing CTA Button Designs

To find the most effective design for your CTA buttons, conduct A/B tests. This involves creating two or more versions of a button with varying elements such as color, font size, and shape. By analyzing click-through rates and conversion data from each version, you can determine which design resonates best with your audience.

Positioning CTAs Strategically Within the Email Layout

  • Above the Fold: Place your primary CTA above the fold so that recipients see it immediately upon opening your email. This encourages quick action without having to scroll down.
  • In Line with Relevant Content: Position secondary CTAs next to related text or images to provide context and increase engagement. For example, place a “Shop Now” button beside an image showcasing a featured product.
  • Near Closing Statements: Including a final CTA near the end of an email reinforces its message and serves as one last reminder for readers before they close out.

Incorporating these strategies into your email content will help maximize their effectiveness while ensuring that customers are encouraged to take desired actions on your online store. Don’t forget to include promotional emails and abandoned cart emails to your email campaigns. Also, offering free shipping is a great way to entice shoppers to make a purchase. Keep your email newsletters short, witty, and funny to keep your email list engaged with your eCommerce brands.

Harnessing Personalization Techniques

Personalization is a powerful tool in eCommerce email marketing, allowing you to create highly targeted and relevant content for your subscribers. By leveraging personalization strategies such as dynamic content insertion or segmentation based on shopping history analysis, you can boost engagement rates and drive more conversions.

Segmenting subscribers according to their preferences or behavior:

  • Analyze customer data like browsing patterns, purchase history, and location to segment your audience into different groups.
  • Create tailored email campaigns that address the specific needs and interests of each group.
  • For example, send personalized product recommendations or exclusive offers based on past purchases or items viewed by customers.

Integrating AI-driven recommendations in email campaigns:

  • Incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) tools like Nectar or Salesforce Marketing Cloud, which analyze customer data to generate personalized product suggestions automatically.
  • This approach helps deliver highly relevant content that encourages shoppers to explore new products while increasing the likelihood of repeat purchases from your online store.
AI integration into Email campaigns.

A study by Experian revealed that personalized welcome emails led to an astonishing 86% higher open rate compared to other types of messages. Don’t pass up the chance to use these methods for your eCommerce business right away. Remember to offer incentives like free shipping and create abandoned cart emails to recover lost sales. Happy selling.

Consistent Brand Voice & Visuals

Establishing a consistent brand voice and visuals is crucial for creating a cohesive customer experience across all communication channels. This includes transactional emails like order confirmations or shipping updates, as well as promotional messages sent to your email list. By maintaining consistency in tone, language, and design elements such as logos and color schemes, you can strengthen your ecommerce brand’s identity and build trust with customers.

Tone of Voice

Make sure the tone used in your email content aligns with your overall brand personality. For example, if you have a playful online store selling novelty items, maintain an informal and humorous tone throughout all email communications. It’s like talking to a friend, but with a sales pitch.

Language

Use clear and concise language that reflects the values of your ecommerce business. Avoid jargon or overly technical terms that may confuse readers. Keep it simple, silly.

Design Elements

Incorporate visual components such as logos, fonts, and colors consistently across various platforms to create a unified look-and-feel for customers engaging with different touchpoints on their shopping journey. You can use tools like Canva, which offers pre-built templates designed specifically for ecommerce brands. Make it pretty, but not too pretty that it distracts from the message.

Personalization

Consider using personalized elements within email campaigns based on customer data (e.g., first name) to further enhance engagement rates while still adhering to established branding guidelines. It’s like getting a love letter from your favorite brand.

Abandoned Cart Emails

Don’t forget about abandoned cart emails. These can be a powerful tool to encourage shoppers to complete their purchase. Offer a discount or free shipping to sweeten the deal. Everyone loves free shipping.

Promotional Emails

Promotional emails can be a great way to incentivize customers and increase sales for your ecommerce store. Just make sure to balance promotional content with valuable information or entertainment. No one likes a pushy salesperson.

Email Newsletters

Email newsletters are a fantastic way to keep your email list engaged and informed about your ecommerce brand. Share new product launches, company news, or industry insights. Keep it interesting and relevant.

Email Campaigns

When planning email campaigns, consider the customer journey and where they are in the sales funnel. Tailor your messaging accordingly to maximize the impact. It’s like a book of alternate possibilities, but with shopping.

Free shipping can

Free Shipping

Offering free shipping can be a powerful incentive to encourage shoppers to complete their purchase. Just make sure to factor in the cost of shipping when setting prices. No one likes hidden fees.

 

Key Takeaway: 

Establishing a consistent brand voice and visuals is crucial for creating a cohesive customer experience across all communication channels, including transactional emails and promotional messages. Use clear language that reflects the values of your ecommerce business, incorporate visual components consistently, personalize email campaigns based on customer data to enhance engagement rates while still adhering to established branding guidelines. Don’t forget about abandoned cart emails or offering free shipping as incentives to encourage shoppers to complete their purchase.

Reducing Shopping Cart Abandonment Rates

Don’t let your eCommerce business suffer from high cart abandonment rates. Craft effective abandoned cart reminder emails to encourage shoppers to complete their purchases and boost your revenue. Here are some successful strategies to help you create persuasive copy and use incentives in your abandoned cart emails.

Crafting Persuasive Copy for Abandoned Cart Reminders

  • Create a sense of urgency: Use phrases like “limited time offer” or “only a few items left” to compel customers to act quickly.
  • Showcase product benefits: Highlight the unique features and advantages of the products left in their carts.
  • Address potential objections: Provide information on shipping costs, return policies, or customer reviews that can alleviate any concerns customers may have about completing their purchase.

Using Incentives to Encourage Completion

  • Limited-time discounts: Offer exclusive deals like percentage-based discounts or dollar-off promotions valid only for a short period after abandoning the cart. This tactic encourages shoppers to take advantage of savings before they expire. Check out these ecommerce email examples for inspiration.
  • Free shipping: Many online shoppers abandon carts due to high shipping fees. Offering free shipping can be an effective way to entice them back into completing their purchase. You could also consider setting a minimum order value threshold required for free shipping eligibility. Learn more about the benefits of free shipping for ecommerce brands.

Growing Your Subscriber List

Building a robust email list is essential for eCommerce businesses looking to increase sales and customer engagement. Companies like Zulily experienced a 400% boost in sales after using OptinMonster to grow their subscriber list through improved blog content and adding lightbox opt-ins on their site. Let’s explore various strategies for expanding your email client base, leading to higher click-through rates and business growth.

Exit-Intent Pop-Ups with Enticing Offers

Capture potential subscribers by implementing exit-intent pop-ups that display when visitors are about to leave your website. These pop-ups can offer exclusive discounts or free shipping, encouraging users to join your mailing list before they go.

Encouraging Social Media Followers to Join Your Mailing List

Utilize the potency of social media websites by inviting followers from networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other platforms to sign up for your newsletter. Share valuable content such as how-to guides or industry news along with an easy-to-use sign-up form link within posts.

  • Email Marketing Tip: Offer incentives like discount codes or early access deals exclusively for new subscribers who sign up via social media channels – this will encourage more people not only to follow but also become active members of your online community.
  • Email Automation Tool: Use tools like Klaviyo, which integrates seamlessly with most popular eCommerce platforms, allowing you to easily create targeted campaigns based on user behavior data collected across different channels (e.g., abandoned cart emails).

Maximizing eCommerce Email Marketing with Automation Tools

Effective email marketing is crucial for any eCommerce business, and automation tools like Postcards and OptinMonster can take your campaigns to the next level. By automating various aspects of your email content, you can save time and ensure that each message is tailored to specific customer segments.

Targeted Lifecycle Campaigns

Lifecycle campaigns are a key component of this strategy. These targeted emails cater to customers at different stages in their journey with your brand, from new subscribers to loyal repeat buyers. Some examples include:

  • Welcome series: Introduce new subscribers to your online store and encourage them to make their first purchase.
  • Abandoned cart series: Remind shoppers about items left in their carts and offer incentives like free shipping or discounts for completing the transaction.
  • Re-engagement campaigns: Reconnect with inactive customers by showcasing new products or offering exclusive deals.

To maximize results, it’s essential that these automated messages maintain a consistent brand voice and visual elements across all communication channels. This ensures a cohesive experience for recipients, making them more likely to engage with your content and ultimately convert into paying customers.

Don’t miss out on the benefits of email automation and targeted lifecycle campaigns. Start implementing these strategies today to boost your eCommerce brand’s success.

Upselling & Cross-selling Through Post-purchase Emails

Boosting your eCommerce business revenue through post-purchase emails is a smart move. Upselling and cross-selling to customers who have already bought from you can lead to increased ROI from this affordable yet effective form of digital marketing.

Recommending Complementary Products Based on Past Purchases

Identify potential complementary products based on your customer’s purchase history. For example, if a customer bought a camera, recommend accessories like lenses or tripods in your email content. This not only encourages shoppers to explore more options but also enhances their overall experience with your online store.

Highlighting Limited-time Promotions or Exclusive Deals

  • Create urgency by showcasing time-sensitive offers such as discounts or free shipping for related items.
  • Promote exclusive deals available only to existing customers as an incentive for them to continue shopping with you.
  • Showcase seasonal or trending items that complement the original purchase, driving interest and encouraging repeat business.

To maximize the effectiveness of upselling and cross-selling efforts within your eCommerce emails, consider using AI-driven recommendation engines like Nosto. These tools analyze user behavior data and suggest relevant product recommendations tailored specifically for each individual subscriber. Implementing personalized suggestions will increase engagement rates while boosting sales opportunities across various segments of your email list.

Examples of Effective eCommerce Emails

Need some inspiration for your eCommerce email campaigns? Check out these ecommerce email examples that are sure to grab your customer’s attention and drive sales.

Don’t Forget About Abandoned Cart Emails

Abandoned cart emails are another effective way to recover lost sales. Send a friendly reminder to customers who left items in their cart and offer an incentive to complete their purchase. This can be a discount code or free shipping offer.

Wrapping Up

Upselling and cross-selling through post-purchase emails is a smart strategy for eCommerce brands. By recommending complementary products and highlighting limited-time promotions, you can encourage repeat business and boost your revenue. Don’t forget to use AI-driven recommendation engines and check out effective eCommerce email examples for inspiration. And, of course, don’t forget about abandoned cart emails.

 

Key Takeaway: 

Boost your eCommerce business revenue by using post-purchase emails to upsell and cross-sell. Identify complementary products based on past purchases, highlight limited-time promotions or exclusive deals, and use AI-driven recommendation engines like Nosto for personalized suggestions. Don’t forget about abandoned cart emails as another effective way to recover lost sales.

FAQs in Relation to Email Copy for Ecommerce Sites

Why is email important for ecommerce?

Email marketing is a cost-effective way for ecommerce brands to build customer relationships, increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, and boost sales.

What is the ideal email sequence for ecommerce?

The best email sequence for ecommerce includes welcome emails, promotional campaigns, transactional messages, post-purchase follow-ups, abandoned cart reminders, and re-engagement emails.

How do you write effective emails for ecommerce?

To write compelling emails for ecommerce, use power words, engaging storytelling, scannable formatting, persuasive CTAs, and consistent branding. Check out these email examples from OptinMonster.

Is email marketing effective for ecommerce businesses?

Email marketing is a highly effective strategy for ecommerce, with the potential for high ROI, customer retention, and subscriber growth. According to Campaign Monitor, email marketing can yield an average ROI of $38 for every dollar spent.

Conclusion

Email copy for ecommerce sites is crucial for any successful online business, and crafting compelling subject lines, engaging content, and effective calls-to-action can increase open rates and conversions.

Personalization techniques, consistent branding, reducing cart abandonment rates, growing subscriber lists, and implementing email automation tools can also help boost sales.

Upselling and cross-selling through post-purchase emails encourages repeat purchases, establishing stronger customer relationships and driving revenue growth.

Klaviyo’s popular automations and integrations provide options for post-purchase upsells, win-back campaigns, and omnichannel strategies. Additionally, the rise of SMS marketing in eCommerce presents an opportunity to incorporate this capability into your overall strategy.

To take advantage of all that Klaviyo has to offer for your email marketing needs, schedule a call with Forest City Digital today.

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