Email Marketing Practices of the Top Online Retailers

27 April 2010

Agenda •   Study Overview

•   Study Findings / Examples •   & Best Practices

•   Questions & Answers

Study Overview

US v Australian Study Comparisons

Study Areas Discussed Today

Home Page Opt-in?

Opt-in Options?

# of Emails in First 30

days? Emails offer discounts

Unsubscribe Alternatives?

Drum roll please…

C-

Key Takeaways •   Missing opportunities to grow your list •   Not capturing data/preferences to drive

relevance •   Many still fumbling the start of the relationship •   Likely driving customers away through increased

volume •   Not deploying the basics to keep them •   And that’s without doing anything cool..

1. Retailers Offering an Email program

2. Location of Opt In

Opt-in on Home Page

Australia – 94%

US – 96%

…butwhatIseeisthis…

On closer inspection…

Be clear – a little too cute

Better Location

Calls to Action At the Top

Above the Fold

3. Choices offered to registrants

A good time to show some personality

Why Preference Centres?

•  Demographics & interests •  Up to date/changes Data Capture

•  “My Email” •  Better retention

Subscriber Empowerment

•  Preferred frequency, lists •  Basis of personalisation, segmentation

Increased Relevance

Preference Centre Touch Points

Opt-in

Welcome

Regular Emails

Web Site

Transactional Emails

Opt-out

No Data, No Relevance

Logical Personalisation?:

•   Gender •   Marital status •   Age ranges on signup •   Wedding anniversary •   Significant other’s birth date

4. Number of emails received during a 30-day period

Mixed News?

14% send NO Emails 31% are mailing

5+/month (20% less than

US)

9.5% are mailing 21+/month

(6.5% more than US)

30 Emails in 30 Days

Monday Madness / Sale / Bonanza / Megasale / Markdown Madness etc

What’s the Potential Impact of Over Mailing?

5 times per month

12 times per

month

Revenue – Churn – Reputation….

Retailer – Increased Frequency

Unsubscribes and spam complaints went through the roof

Financial Impact of Increased Mailings

Start With A Good Welcome Program

•   Text •   Single email •   IT Generated •   No marketing messaging

•   HTML •   2-part email series •   Marketing generated •   Promotions, education

75% increase in conversions

5. Emails offer Sales/Discount incentives

No offer or incentive?

It’s an offer but not very strong.

Did I want the catalogue?

Relevance to my interests and purchase history?

5. Unsubscribe links leading to preference centres

Should I Stay, or Should I Go?

Alternatives at Opt-out?

Why Recipients Unsubscribe

•   Too Frequent

•   Irrelevant Content/Offers

•   Also, lack of email address change functionality

So What are the Alternatives?

Alternatives

Frequency

Format

Change Email

Profile/ Preferences

Channel

Other Emails

Promote Alternatives In the Email

50% of one company’s subscribers presented with alternatives to unsubscribing stay!

3 Key Options

Staples – Really Good, But Not Perfect

Missing: -   Frequency Option

-   RSS or catalog option -   Contact info.

So What’s It All Mean?

•   Look for competitor weak spots •   Evaluate current practices

–  Potential impact –  Resources required

•   Act on best opportunities first •   Test everything

Resources

•   WhitePaper–   AustRetailersStudy

•   ResourceCentre–   Whitepapers

–   Webinars

–   Blogs–   Casestudies–   Newsle:ers–   h:p://www.silverpop.com/markeBng‐resources/index.html

Q & A / Reminders & Contacts

Jeff Clark - jclark@engagedigitial.com.au

www.silverpop.com Twitter: @Silverpop www.slideshare.net/silverpop

Complimentary Email Program Audits (5 key insights) Jeremy Heap – 02 8019 7064 jheap@engagedigital.com.au

Thank You

Don’t Forget – 6-9th July

See Silverpop at the Exhibition and Speak in the Conference