10 Email Marketing Mistakes to Fix and Triple Your Website Traffic
Email marketing isn't as simple as compiling a list, writing a message and then sending it out. Of course, if it were that easy every company would be doing an effective job with their email marketing campaigns. There is much more that goes into a successful and highly effective email marketing effort, but once you've realized the mistakes you may be making and work towards fixing them, you'll almost certainly see a significant increase in the conversion rates you see and the amount of traffic being driven to your website.
Your email list can be one of the most valuable resources you've got, but if you're making any of these mistakes, it could be costing you.
Not sending different emails to different groups in your database
Using a 'one size fits all' approach to email marketing may get you some clicks, but it won't be nearly as effective as segmented and targeted email campaigns. Dividing your email list into groups, then sending out different messages to each group will yield far better results. If your recipients aren't getting emails that are relevant to them specifically, they're likely to tune out – if they start getting too many of these repetitively irrelevant emails, they may ask to stop receiving them altogether. Start sending out emails to your different groups for free using ReachMail.
Skipping the A/B Tests
Not all subject lines are created equal. The content within the email may very well be interesting and relevant to the recipients, but if there's no draw to actually open the email, all of your effort with the content will go in vain. Compare two versions of the same message by testing out different subject lines to see which ones are best received and show the highest open rate. Once you've figured that out, use the better subject line and ditch the other.
Being too generic in your emails
Once you've found the subject lines that get people opening your emails, don't waste this opportunity to send them engaging content. You've got to quickly capture and hold your audience's attention span, and if you're sending boring, generic emails, there's no way you'll accomplish this. Keeping your branding at the forefront, create dynamic content that actually gets readers excited to continue reading, clicking and buying. Easy Word Count helps you keep the message short and on point, while UK Writings can give you professional help on the proofreading side of things. (TCC uses Sarah Evelyn Edits)
Keeping your email separate from other outlets
Use everything at your disposal in concert to make the most of your email marketing. Separating the different aspects of your business, such as e-commerce and external databases, means you aren't taking advantage of all facets available to you. Synchronizing your systems and communications should be an essential component of your digital marketing strategy, allowing you to trigger targeted email campaigns. In the same way, you've got to ensure that your message can be seen and heard across all platforms. Litmus is the easiest way to create emails that are compatible across all devices.
Not testing emails beforehand
This can be an embarrassing but easily avoidable mistake if you take the time to test out your emails before hitting the 'send' button. Ensure that links, images and all other content is working perfectly, and make sure your text is well written and error-free. EssayRoo will proofread and edit your emails for you to weed out any mistakes. For simple and beautiful template designs, Target Hero is a great resource. One major factor you'll want to watch for is spam checking your message. The last thing you want is to be directed straight to the spam folder for an error that could have easily been remedied.
Proceeding without a planned process
You will want to put in place a process for creating, editing and sending out your email messages. But, you'll also want an overall plan for how frequently you'll be sending out messages. Although there may different players involved, everyone needs to be on the same page or you could risk over-emailing your list.
Neglecting to optimize your content
You've only got a short opportunity to make an impact big enough to get your recipients to open, read and continue clicking through your email. You've got to keep the message engaging, but concise and on point, so it's essential that you optimize the space you've got with the most effective text. Paper Fellows and Academized are excellent resources for copywriting assistance, staffed with professionals who can help you get the most from your limited word count.
Driving people away from opening because of the Sender Name
There's a careful balance that needs to be reached when composing the sender name you're using. Many companies are tempted to use a fake or random employee name as the 'sender', which can trigger recipients to instantly flag it as salesy spam. On the other hand, using just the company name as the sender can come off as impersonal. A blend of personal name and company name seems to have the best reception. Kate Hudson-backed Fabletics sends out many of their emails with the sender name as 'Kate Hudson from Fabletics'.
Not taking the time to create an effective subject line
So much focus is placed on the content within the email and, of course, what you've got to say in your email is vitally important to your message. But you can't look past the importance of the subject line. After all, it's what will cause your recipient to either dismiss your message from the start or open and continue reading. It shouldn’t be a simple “Monday Morning Newsletter” in the subject line. As mentioned before, you can also test out different subject lines on each email. Start off simply with Mad Mimi, where you can create, send, share and track your email newsletters.
Ignoring your Stats
Looking at the results your emails are producing is important to improving your messaging and continually growing your business. Open rates, bounce backs, and other data is readily available to users at MailChimp. Ignoring this data simply means that you won't be able to make the necessary changes that could be holding your email marketing campaign back.
Try a few of these out the next time you send an email and you might just be surprised!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gloria Kopp is a digital marketer and a PR consultant from Manville city. Now she works as a content manager at Australian Help company. Besides, she is a regular contributor to such websites as Engadget, Huffingtonpost, etc. Read her Studydemic blog.
Gloria Kopp
