Building The Perfect Email For E-commerce

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Email marketing stands strong as the dominant digital marketing strategy. People check their inboxes throughout the day, so it's a way to reach them at any time, and they can easily refer back to a certain email that caught their attention.

So, how to design an email or email graphic that will best capture your audience and bring in sales for your dealership? There are some key factors to pay attention to:

Subject Line

This is all your email recipient will see before they choose whether or not to click on your email, so tread carefully. Try to be creative and instill curiosity, but also let your recipient know what to expect inside.

Example: "Just your luck - St. Patrick's Day specials through March 20th!"

Send Time

You can definitely benefit from some trial and error here, as there's no one perfect send time for every customer, but keep a few things in mind:

People generally check their emails in the morning, either just after they've woken up or when they sit down to start their workday. An email sent at this time has a pretty good chance of being read. But you also have to consider that your readers receive and read through the largest volume of emails at this time of day. To make sure yours doesn't get lost in the shuffle, be conscious of your subject line, using the tip above, and also be sure that your email delivers the content and quality it promises.
Another time of day to consider - around 4 or 5 p.m. Most people are ending their workday and starting to wind down, but they're likely to look at emails one last time before checking out. They may not be as alert as they were in the morning, but they also may have more time to give your email the attention it deserves.

Optimize Emails for Mobile

With your customers constantly on the go, it's likely that your email will be read on a mobile device. Are you prepared for that reality? People are often impatient, and they have high expectations for quality content and imagery. If your email isn't formatted correctly for mobile, you could lose out on a sales opportunity.

Mix it Up

Try not to get stuck in a rut of only sending promotional emails about sales specials or new inventory in stock. Even if those do provide value for your customers, they're likely to get bored and stop paying attention - or worse, unsubscribe. A few ways to switch it up:

Inspirational incentives: Sharing industry tips; stories about your customers or staff members enjoying their bike; eye catching imagery. Inspire your customers and give them a reason to come into the store.
Customer loyalty offers: Reward your email subscribers with special discounts that aren't available to other customers. This is also a good place to personalize in email marketing using customer data - example, "Hey Alex! To show our appreciation for you as a valued customer since 2015, we'd like to offer you a 15% off discount through May 31st."
Post-purchase follow-up emails: Send your recent buyers information that they can use to supplement their purchase - a safety inspection checklist, or a demonstrational video perhaps. Recommend any additional products or accessories that could be useful. Congratulate them on their purchase. This is another great way to personalize and thank customers for their business.

Provide a Clear Call-to-Action

This is the most important aspect of your email marketing strategy. Always make it easy for your customers to reach you. With a sense of urgency ("Contact us today!") and an easy way for them to do so (a direct link to a lead submission form), you can expect to see a huge increase in engagement with your e-newsletters.

Email marketing has proven to be the easiest way to turn a one-time buyer into a lifelong customer. Make your emails stand out and watch the opportunities for sales come in.