Increasing Conversions through Emails

“Customer Conversion is dependent on the right customer conversation.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru

It may be one of the more traditional methods of communicating, but there is no doubt that getting in touch with existing and prospective customers via email, is still alive and ‘kicking’. Growing a business is tough – more so when it is only in the online realm. A large number of new and ‘sophisticated’ tools and options have now been introduced, which have made it easier for companies to direct maximum traffic to their sites, thereby enhancing the chances of conversions. Given this scenario, every company would need to get the maximum return from any communiqué they send out and every marketing activity they undertake. An attempt at increasing conversions through emails, then, does not seem like a far-fetched or traditional idea. The key lies in writing effective, articulate, and engaging content that will immediately arrest and keep the attention of the reader.

Given that there are so many companies approaching the same set of customers, many emails translate to spam – research shows that at least 90% constitute spam, which serves to irritate customers and turn them away from companies. It is therefore extremely imperative for companies to take a close look at what they send out, to whom they send information, and the frequency at which they do so. The aim is obviously towards increasing conversions through the emails, and unless the messages come across as customized, authentic, and relevant, customers are sure to discard them as unwanted. The good news is that there is a lot of information, processes, and advice available for companies to help them write great emails such that they increase engagement and conversion levels.

It would be unwise to send out any information or emails to any company or individual, without first getting a complete understanding of who you are connecting with and what would be the most critical piece of information they would need. It would be necessary to understand who in the organization would be the decision maker, and what can be known about the person in order to establish a relationship with her or him. The fact is that the attention span and interest levels of people and companies is rather short and if increasing conversions is the aim, it would be essential to give them something exciting and interesting to read, else they would ignore the message and move on. The worst enemy of increasing conversions through emails is automation – rote and robotic messages that are clearly one-size-fits-all can prove to be extremely irritating to the readers, who would probably delete all future messages without even reading them.

Of course, sending out messages is important for a company if they are to increase awareness and get more customers. However, the mistake some companies make is blabbering, about themselves and how great their products and services are, from the start of the message. No one has the time or the interest unless there are clear benefits for the person reading the message. It would be better to first off show the reader the advantages and benefits to them and why no one else can give them what they need. By establishing credibility for your company and its offerings, the message could then introduce your company and list some of its achievements. Increasing conversions through emails is all about writing content that would instantly catch the reader’s attention and seem relevant to their current needs and expectations. Once your message has their attention, they would be more likely to take the next step or click on the CTA button for more information.

It feels quite impersonal and annoying when messages that do not have a personalized email id, hit our inbox. The email is usually sent from some random id such as Do Not Reply – which is a complete put-off for any reader. If a company does not wish to engage or allow its readers / customers to respond, why waste their time by sending them a message. Customers want to feel in control and know that they are valued by a company – being able to respond and ask questions is a customer’s right and by using impersonal email ids, a company is basically taking away that right. Well – customers will leave and prospective ones would engage with companies that know how to treat them.

As mentioned, a thorough understanding of the target audience is imperative if a company wishes to increase conversions through emails and other forms of communication. Generic emails, especially the ones that are confined to templates, can be extremely annoying for customers. Increasing conversions through emails is all about first making a personal connection with the reader. Sure, it takes time to send out individual emails to customers, with their names at the start of the ‘conversation’, but it becomes worth the trouble when readers becoming buying customers and share the information with others, thereby encouraging them to become interested in the company too. The investment of time and effort is usually one time – if done correctly – post which, the relationship can be smooth and easy through little maintenance and attention. A good way to get attention and increase conversions through email communication is by referring to an achievement or milestone credited to the company or individual, at the start of the message. This would serve to enhance the interest of the reader, and make them feel special through the acknowledgement.

Ensure that the subject line of the email is catchy, specific, and pertinent to the receiver. Generic subject lines are very easily ignored and trashed. In addition, the content too must be specific. It should let the reader know exactly what they can expect from the company, tell them who they should connect with in the company, and provide timelines for various actions and solutions. For increasing conversions through emails, ensure that they are designed to convert – stay away from ambiguity, generalizations, and an impersonal tone. Be clear and specific – beating around the bush and using ‘flowery’ language will only make the reader annoyed, which could lead to them unsubscribing from any more communication from your company. Sometimes customers may not know what they want – communication and messages that help them decide faster, will find favour with them. Such messages relieve their stress and anxiety of choosing from the myriad and seemingly same options. Simplify and make their life easier and your company is sure to increase conversions in its favour.

Companies know that in addition to increasing conversions through emails, they would also like the readers to share the message if they find it interesting and relevant. To ensure this, the messages should have one or two call to action buttons – this would suffice and readers would be more amenable to sharing when they do not seem burdened by too many such buttons. It should not seem like they are working for you to create awareness but rather that they would be helping a friend or associate by sharing the piece of information. The premise underlying messages from a company should be to engage and interest the readers – if the ask from them is too much, especially for prospective customers, they might end up feeling frustrated and not even read the message.

Successful messages through emails are those that can help to create more success – not just for the company but for the target audience too. A succinct, articulate, and relevant email would have a better and more lasting effect, than many long-winded, yawn-eliciting ones!

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