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Email Customer Newsletter

What goes in it?

         

sun818

9:20 pm on Feb 5, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



Since I added an option for "join our mailing list" in our shopping cart checkout, we've been receiving customers interested in e-mail. I have some ideas for sending out a monthly e-mail. Any suggestions on content? How long should it be?

So far, I'm considering secitons for:

  • New products this month
  • Discount coupon code
  • Small tech article on exciting products or upcoming standards
  • Unsubscribe instructions

    [edited by: TallTroll at 1:55 pm (utc) on Feb. 10, 2003]
    [edit reason] user request [/edit]

  • choster

    1:13 am on Feb 6, 2003 (gmt 0)

    WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



    I'd suggest not including all the content in the e-mail itself, but to make the e-mail more like a detailed table of contents with links to the full articles your website.

    And in addition to the topics you've identified, I would also add

    - highlight cool or little-known features of your product(s)
    - give a blurb about how a customer/client has found success with your product
    - answer common support questions, or make reminders about patches/upgrades/fixes

    That way, your customers won't view the e-mail as a mere advertisement, but as a resource that will help them in their own jobs/projects/lives-- and something worth staying subscribed to.

    hannamyluv

    5:54 pm on Feb 7, 2003 (gmt 0)

    WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



    It really depends what thrust are you going for...

    You can do a info newsletter and that will give you a more loyal but less profitable email. Basically an info newsletter is there to remind people that you exist so that when they are ready to buy your products, you will be the first person they think of.

    A sales newsletter will have a higher opt-out and lower open rate but will generate more money.

    We do mostly sales newsletters. We normally put a few items on sale and present that to them as special deals only for email subscribers. We have found that they then come to the site and buy additional items as well. Coupon codes work well too because people feel they are losing money if they don't spend it (go figure)

    Other things to included:

    Physical address (you look more legitamate if you let them know where you are based at. We have ours going across the bottom of the email)

    Customer Service Email address and phone# if avaliable (some people will want to call to place an order, unsubscribe or if they have questions)

    Encouragement to "Forward to a Friend"

    But overall, don't put too much in your email. Focus on one thing per email. Like perhaps one email will be about New products this month, the next will have a discount code, the next can have an article. Don't throw it all in at once. It's too much information all at once and your customer will lose intrest quickly.