The Integrated Email
By Debra Ellis
About Debra
Email marketing is the most effective way to increase sales, improve service, and keep customers coming back. Getting the most out of email campaigns requires an integrated strategy that crosses channels and motivates people to act. “The Integrated Email” provides realistic solutions and best practices for navigating the land mines of spam filters, short attention spans and increasing competition that marketers face today.
Debra Ellis is a seasoned direct marketer specializing in using integrated strategies to keep customers coming back and buying more. She is the author of several marketing guides and the Multichannel Magic blog. She can be reached via email (below), on Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and Facebook.
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Email Marketing Redefined: The 3 Keys to Customer Retention
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The best customer retention strategies begin with the first order and continue until the lifespan is complete. Everything that happens from the first visit to completion of the final order is part of the experience of shopping with your company. Memorable experiences make people more likely to return when they need your products or services again. Memories are made by both good and bad experiences.
You expect customers to return to place another order after a good experience. Yet, surprisingly, customers are more likely to return after a bad experience when the issues are resolved than after an uneventful good experience. Solving the problems that contribute to a bad experience creates trust, and the more customers trust your company, the more they buy.
Consistently keeping promises also builds trust. When an order is placed, fulfillment is expected. Simply fulfilling orders will not retain customers because every legitimate business fulfills orders. You have to do more to differentiate your company from the competition. Relationships retain customers. Email allows companies in high-volume business to communicate with people on a one-to-one basis. This establishes relationships. Yes, it is at a superficial level, but it serves the purpose of personalizing the customer experience and significantly improves retention rates.
Most people aren't fooled into thinking that "[insert name here]" emails are personal. They know that is a form letter, but that doesn't matter as long as the information included is relevant. People placing orders are not looking for best friends, they are looking to solve a problem with minimal effort. The problem may be not having the perfect outfit for the next party, the best coffee maker, a service that would make their jobs easier, or a variety of other challenges. Whatever the problem, if your company provides the solution, keeps the customer informed, and makes everything as easy as possible, people will keep coming back for more.
There are three key components to an effective customer retention strategy:
- Knowledge of the Customer Lifecycle—Knowing how people normally act provides insight into drop-off points and inspires ideas for keeping them from leaving. When you know how each segment of your customer base typically performs, you can recognize when someone prematurely drops out of the buying cycle.
- Execution of a Detailed Communication Plan—Good communication is the key to all successful relationships. Sharing information about order processing, special sales, use of products and available services contributes to customer retention because it simplifies the buying and consumption process.
- An Automated Reactivation Process—Reactivation must start as soon as a customer reaches the first drop-off point. When you know your customer types well enough to know when they have passed the next order point without making a purchase, you can catch them before they are completely gone. Email automation simplifies the reactivation process. Create a strategy designed to connect with customers before they migrate to a competitor.
Plan your reactivation strategy to start while people are still in the active buying cycle. Every email sent from your business to your customers should have a retention element in it, such as these:
- Make people feel valued and appreciated
- Solve problems before people ask for help
- Provide value above and beyond offering low prices
- Keep people informed throughout the buying process
- Provide information on the use of products and services
- Create a bond between company and customer
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