Jan 4/11; Volume 30/Number 14
By David Romano
As a flooring retailer, there are so many things that can be done to engage customers and stay top of mind when they are ready to make an additional purchase or refer a friend. Email marketing is one such technique.
According to a survey conducted by Benchmarkinc in which several hundred flooring retailers participated over a three-year period ending 2013, independent flooring stores that send out frequent email blasts to previous customers experience:
- An increase of $53,506 in sales volume per associate
- 44.2% greater sales volume
- Higher profits; owners earned $25,099 more
If you want to take your email marketing to the next level, here are a few proven methods.
Promotional
The purpose of these emails is to promote a product or service, usually to entice customers to make a purchase.
- Make the offer clear. Your customers may not take the time to read your email, but if you have a clear offer that is front and center, they can’t neglect it.
2.Create a sense of urgency. Give customers a reason to act quickly, rather than let the email sit in their inbox. Use active language such as “Shop now.”
3.Keep it short. Promotional emails don’t require a lot of explanation. State the deal, tell customers how to redeem it and when it expires. Sum up the deal in 45 words.
Newsletter
Inform customers about company news, improve brand awareness and build a relationship with your core audience.
1.Break the body of your email into short, digestible and actionable sections of content, copy, images and calls to action.
2.Create an easy-on-the-eyes design. Think of your newsletter as a mini-newspaper. You want clear lines and divisions between your content. You want a simple layout with basic fonts. Don’t go crazy with the color scheme, either.
3.Include your contact information in an easy-to-find area.
4.The content should be useful to readers. Every piece of information included in your newsletter should have value.
5.Send your newsletter on a regular basis. You want your customers to look forward to your newsletter. To accomplish this, you have to be consistent.
Product advice
Offer advice on how to get the most from your business or product. At the same time, establish your authority in the industry.
1.The key to this kind of email is to offer tips that your customers want to read. Help solve problems they may have or obstacles they may need to overcome. Or, offer tips to help your customers use and maintain a product or service. Send an email that teaches customers how to clean wood floors or remove stains from of carpet. You could even provide installation tips for your cash-and-carry business.
2.Proofread—several times. Read it from the bottom up so your brain isn’t reading words that are not there. Then, have someone else read it. Nothing hurts your credibility like misspellings and grammatical errors.
3.Focus on customer service. Emails that offer product tips should also showcase your commitment to customer service. Tell customers, “We’re here for you.” Follow through with that message by adding contact information to the email.