A prudent ecommerce store owner knows the value of an email list. Building an email list doesn't take much work, but you are required to set the right tools into motion from the start. This includes the following:
- A system that captures customer information upon checkout
- An email subscription form that gives something out in exchange for an email
- An email receipt tool with options for upsells and coupons
- An email newsletter service like MailChimp or AWeber
You're not required to do all of these, but it's highly recommended. Why?
Because email marketing is still one of the best ways to get people to come back to your store. People are far more willing to see messages from companies in their email inboxes. Customers aren't as receptive to these types of marketing messages in text or social media post form.
Therefore, you have to get the infrastructure in place, then keep an eye on it to make sure everything is running smoothly. Email receipts and email collection forms are automated, and you have the option to send out newsletters on a weekly or monthly basis.
But what about learning how to get more subscribers for your ecommerce email newsletter?
A list with no subscribers isn't doing your business any good, so there's no reason to send out newsletters. Likewise, the more subscribers you get the more chances you have of reaching out to customers new and old.
Seeing as how the email marketing game is so crucial for online stores, let's explore how to build that list to the best of your ability.
Make it Incredibly Easy to Sign Up For Your List
Do you have four fields that people need to fill out in order to signup for your email newsletter? That should be cut down to one, maybe two. Does it require users to click on three buttons and see multiple pages before they're completely registered? That should most definitely not be the case.
Customers are wary of giving away their emails in the first place, so the last thing you want to do is make the process harder for them.
Give Out Killer Incentives for Every Signup
By killer I mean amazing. A 20% off coupon looks pretty good to a new visitor to your website. I once saw a survivalist blog giving away a free waterproof match set for every email signup. I looked on Alibaba and saw that the company was paying maybe 10 cents for each unit, making it a rather cheap item to give away.
Another type of incentive would be a raffle. You can decide on a more expensive gift and only give that gift to one person. I also like the idea of a comprehensive guide that goes along with your niche.
Ask People to Share Your Newsletter Signup Form
This can be done with every newsletter you send out. Make the case of “If you like this email, share it with others who would as well!” You can also add social media buttons to each of your emails.
Provide an Automated Email Course
In order for this to work, you must market it to the customers thinking about subscribing in the first place. After that, it must be an incredible course guiding them through questions they might have about your product.
For example, a hardware store might include a guide called “Learning How to Fix Everything in Your New Home.”
Offer Options for Your Customers to Decide on What They Want To Receive
Customers want to keep the email to a minimum. Therefore, consider offering them checkboxes to decide on the type of content they want. Maybe someone only wants blog posts about headphones and not TVs. Leave it to them to decide.
Take Advantage of Unique Social Network Tools
One interesting part of Facebook is that you can start advertising to ask people to signup for your email newsletter. You don't even have to necessarily pay for this promotion. MailChimp has a feature for adding a signup form to your Facebook page. This way, you can promote the signup through a Facebook post, then direct people to the tab on your business page.
Other social networks like Instagram and Twitter allow for links leading to the signup form. This is kind of a chicken before the egg scenario, because you might also need to build your social following. In this case, reaching out to current customers, friends and family is a good start. Not to mention, you could always take out a social media ad.
Get Going with the Popups
Ecommerce popups are getting more and more creative. Instead of embedding your subscription forms, consider going with an app that reveals exit intent forms. So, when a customer tries to leave your site the form shows up with an incentive. You can also have large welcome mats, slide-in forms, banner forms and more.
Use Your Blog as a Launching Point
A great way to build trust with your customers is by offering a high quality blog. Since you're selling products online, it makes sense to share blog posts with tutorials, guides and other fun material that's actually going to help out the average customer.
Pumping out generic content and constant product updates isn't that great. Instead, give them the documentation they crave after buying a product. For example, if you sell power tools, a series on building and fixing stuff around the house should work perfectly.
The thing with a blog is that you can embed email subscription forms below or above each post. This means that every time you share a blog post they are being reminded of your newsletter. Once they trust you enough they'll signup. You can even let them know that they'll get even more cool stuff through the newsletter.
Are You Ready to Get More Subscribers for Your Email Newsletter?
With all email newsletters you must craft content that's going to intrigue your customers. But the first step is getting people to signup for your newsletter in the first place. Start with simple signup forms then move onto more advanced tactics like popups and incentives.
If you have any questions about getting more subscribers for your email newsletter, let us know in the comments section below.
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