Wonder what online retailers are using to generate more business using their email marketing? In a recent research study, Return Path, an email certification provider, evaluated 45 different online retailers with some interesting findings. Their staff purchased products and signed up to the retailers’ email marketing and documented the results.

Here are some interesting findings:

• All retailers sent an order confirmation within 24 hours. But only 33% had promotional messages within the confirmation.
• 31% of companies added purchasers to their email lists without requesting permission.
• Only 15% of the companies used data they received during the purchase to target their subsequent messaging.
• 40% included promotional content in their transactional messages.
• 58% of the retailers sent the same first promotional email to buy­ers as to inquiries.
• Just 25% of companies asked for feedback from buyers as surveys (9%) or product reviews (16%)

Tips to generate more e-Commerce business from your email marketing:

• Use promotions in transactional emails (order confirmations, shipping confirmations, etc…).
• Send segmented promotions based on what was purchased (promote complementary relevant products).
• Use dynamic content for different messaging based on demographics (client vs. prospect, location, gender, etc…).
• Use cart abandonment emails within 30 minutes of abandonment to increase conversion from prospect to buyer.
• Ask permission of buyer to join your email marketing as part of the check-out process (you can pre-check their consent in the form as long as it is visible).
• Interact with your readers and ask for feedback as a survey or product review.

I’d like to thank Return Path for this excellent study and encourage you to read it in detail. If you need help getting more return from your email marketing give us a holler.