Increasing the conversion rate of your email marketing campaigns can be a constant challenge, in this post, you will find some tips to increase your conversion rate and achieve your goals.
Most of us are aware of the fact that it is important to create email marketing campaigns that are interesting for subscribers and potential customers.
At least you should be. But there are other factors, other important points.
So that we don’t forget some of the pieces of the puzzle, it would be better to review the steps of the purchasing process.
The steps of the purchasing process for conversions, typically are as follows:
1.- Recognition of the need
2.- Searching for more information
3.- Evaluation of the available options
4.- Decision
5.- Behavior after purchasing
Normally, a buyer will go through all these phases to complete conversion, except where:
- For trivial purchasing of everyday products (usually, you will not see a consumer searching for more information before buying an apple)
- For purchasing products that are already commonly purchased (the same food you always buy)
In other situations, the consumer will decide he needs or wants something, and will start searching for more information about a product or service that solves his needs, evaluating alternatives available within the kind of product that the customer wants to buy.
Finally he will decide to buy generating a conversion (or he will choose not to buy), and after the purchase, the customer will probably start requesting support, leaving his opinion about the purchase, etc.
- 1 In an email marketing campaign focused on conversions
- 2 How to create the newsletters in this case?
- 2.1 What are the regular participants of a purchase process?
- 2.2 We can see this better with a brief example
- 2.3 The initiator, in this case the subscriber, must have all the information in a clear and visible way.
- 2.4 It is important to know your potential customers and their environment
- 2.5 Do you think this approach is complex?
- 2.6
- 2.7
- 2.8 Can you understand the importance of creating email marketing campaigns that will answer the questions and doubts of all the people who can be part of the conversion process?
- 2.9 This is an example, of course, but in your next email marketing campaigns
In an email marketing campaign focused on conversions
The newsletters can be useful in different stages of the buying process, but the emails should always be focused on convincing the user to take the final step, the conversion.
After the recognition of the need, in the research phase, when the user is searching for more information, a newsletter with some autoresponders can be a very good option, to show to the user that it is worth buying the product or service.
In addition to providing a means of direct communication.
Email campaigns are one of the best option for the rest of the phases of the buying process, of course.
Thus, with email marketing campaigns, sending newsletters, it is possible to influence the buying decision, with exclusive discounts and promotions, to try to encourage conversions.
And after the purchase, we can help the customer to get the most out of the product purchased, asking for his opinion, to answer questions or encouraging other purchases.
Up to this point, we are talking about things we discussed in previous articles.
Usually, we think that the subscriber who is reading the emails is the person who will decide to purchase the products.
And if the one who decides whether or not to buy is not the subscriber?
In many cases, the person who needs the product or service and it will make the buying decision is the same.
But this is not always so.
Someone who wants to buy an online marketing course, smartphone, or a book, will most likely go through all the phases of the buying process alone.
However, for more expensive purchases or when the person doesn’t have the financial means, other people can be part of this process, and this will affect the conversions.
What are the regular participants of a purchase process?
- Initiator
- Informant
- Influencer
- Decision Maker
- Buyer
- User
We can see this better with a brief example
Imagine a young man with myopia problems, he would be the initiator, looking for a solution to his problem.
It is possible that a friend or acquaintance of the young man made a similar operation in the past and talked with his friend about his experience.
If this friend told him about the hospital or the center where he went through the operation, perhaps the user can subscribe to receive the newsletters from the company for more information.
The company, through email marketing campaigns can act as the influencer and informant, directing the new subscriber through each step of the process, guiding the user to get the conversion.
Probably the guy will be the end user of the service, and so he will be interested in certain aspects of the operation:
- Duration of the surgery
- Effectiveness (success rate)
- Duration of postoperative
- And the price
This information should be included in newsletters, but it is clear that the subscriber will not take the final decision, so this company would also have to include other information on the email marketing campaigns.
In this example, perhaps the young man is a 18 year old student who is able to choose the most appropriate treatment, but dependent financially from his parents, who should participate in the decision until the conversion.
It is very likely that the parents, who will be responsible for taking the final decision, will need or will want additional information, for example:
- Possible side effects
- If the clinic provides health insurance
- Financing options
- Payment Methods
- Reputation
- The name of the surgeon
As campanhas de email marketing devem incluir informações que sejam importante para todos os participantes no processo de decisão (não é necessário que todas as informações sejam enviadas no mesmo e-mail, você pode criar mais de uma newsletter), mas é preciso incluir todos os detalhes corretamente.
The email campaigns should include information that is important for all participants in the decision process (it doesn’t mean that all the information should be sent in the same email, the company can create more than one newsletter), but they should include all the important details.
The initiator, in this case the subscriber, must have all the information in a clear and visible way.
Moreover, elements that provide direct answers to questions that would be relevant to other participants should also be accessible. Perhaps through icons or links.
It is important to know your potential customers and their environment
We talked about this in other articles, but the important thing is to try to understand the customers to know what they need and what they expect.
Some key issues to consider might be:
- Family situation
- The economic level
- Professional situation
- Personal Aspirations
Remember that while it is important to inform the main subscriber, the other parts will also have important questions that should be answered.
Do you think this approach is complex?
Nothing is easy. It is as I explained at the beginning, perhaps in products or services where the recipient of the email will go through all the steps alone, and will make the decision himself, this strategy is not very important.
But when talking about more expensive products or services, the process is different.
However, this is more apparent in B2B products or services, business to business. In these cases, it’s rare that one person can go through all the stages of the buying process and make the decision alone. B2B companies typically have multiple departments that will be part of the decision process.
We can see another example to better understand it.
Imagine a company whose marketing department works with its own CRM, created by their staff. Over time, the marketing department could start finding limitations. Limitations that other software’s don’t have.
Members of this department know that their work could be done in a much better way, with one of these tools, so they decide to search for more information about the various options. They start visiting the websites of various software’s. Subscribing for different newsletters for more information, as well as contacting companies with questions.
What do you think they want to find in these newsletters?
- Certainly they are looking for information on how the softwares work
- They would like to know for which tasks they can use the system
- What automation can be developed
- What are the new options available in the software
In short, they want to know how one of these tools could help them to be more efficient in their work.
Different companies developing these kind of CRMs, through email marketing campaigns and autoresponders, can provide all this information in several messages.
Later, they will select their favorite softwares.
But surely they cann’t buy the software without authorization from their directors!
At this point, more people will be a part of this process, with other questions:
►The development department: They will need to know if the new software can be integrated with the different tools used by the company and what are the costs and options for migrating existing softwares to the new one.
►The finance department of the company: They will need to know the costs of the new software, whether it is a single payment, annual, how many licenses will be needed, etc.
►The company’s board: they will want to understand the “tangible” benefits of this change and the total costs (price, period of migration and adaptation, etc.).
►The sales department: They will need to know whether the new system can provide the information they typically need
As you can see, several departments, with different requirements and questions that need answers before taking any decision that can generate a conversion.
Can you understand the importance of creating email marketing campaigns that will answer the questions and doubts of all the people who can be part of the conversion process?
If an email marketing campaign will focus only on the needs and questions of the marketing department, you would have fewer options to generate a conversion.
However, if we analyze the buying process and its participants, email marketing campaigns can be more complete, providing answers to all the participants, simplifying the process of buying and with this you can stand out from competitors, showing that you understand better the needs of a company, and therefore it would be more likely that you can develop a more efficient software.
This is an example, of course, but in your next email marketing campaigns
Before sending the message, remember:
►The sales process and its participants.
►What information each participant need and what data you can add in your newsletter so that subscribers have these details.
► If you use autoresponders, think of the emails that will be more efficient, starting with the most general answers, to send other information to other users in other emails.
The main objective is to clearly define all the stages of the Sales process, to direct your subscribers and send more relevant information at the appropriate time, so as to make the sale.
I hope this post is helpful!
Leave us your opinion on the conversion strategy you use.