Email’s Role in Online Shopping

In just the last six months, email open rates have increased 80 percent on mobile and tablet devices, according to a recent infographic produced by Optimind Technology Solutions, indicating that email clearly still has a place in today’s increasingly fragmented digital world. Additionally, the average return on email marketing investment is estimated to be $44.25 for every dollar spent which is great news for any marketer. For brands with an e-commerce sales channel especially, email represents a major opportunity to spark interest and drive sales.

Why Email?

Not only does email marketing lead to more sales, but also to larger sales. According to the Optimind infographic, consumers who receive email marketing from a brand tend to spend up to 83 percent more when shopping than online shoppers that did not receive email from the brand. Additionally, their orders are up to 44 percent larger, and they tend to order 28 percent more often.  Altogether, those are some pretty compelling sales figures and certainly make the case for email marketing initiatives.  Personalized email is especially alluring to shoppers, leading to increases in email engagement and overall conversion rates (adding products to a shopping cart, final sales, etc.). This type of email often speaks directly to products that a visitor has viewed previously or suggests products based upon previous viewing behavior.

Optimize Your Email Marketing for Online Sales

If the facts above have convinced you that you should add email marketing to your digital media mix, read on for three impactful tips to maximize your email marketing campaigns and drive online sales:

Make it Visual

Did you know that online articles with images get more than 90 percent more views than those without?  The same goes for email, in which a product description will be far more likely to be viewed when accompanied by a picture. This makes sense given viewers retain 58 percent of what they see but only 10 percent of what they read (Optimind). People are visual creatures, they need to see what you are talking about in order to be driven to action. Do your subscribers a favor and be sure to include quality images of your products, services or location in your email marketing.

Use Video Liberally

While images are the ‘better’ in email’s good/better/best scenario, video is the ‘best.’ When given the option, only 20 percent of people will read text while 80 percent will watch a video with the exact same content.  Additionally, a consumer who views a product video is up to 144% more likely to add that product to their cart than a consumer who doesn’t (Optmind). How do you like them apples?  Start peppering testimonials, promotional video and tips and tricks assets into your e-newsletters and blasts, then watch your bottom line grow.

Provide the Reviews they Need

Depending on the type of product, the average online shopper may consult up to 11 consumer reviews before they make the decision to purchase. Nearly 70 percent of shoppers will consult reviews or ratings prior to making a purchase, and 63 percent are more likely to make a purchase from a site that has ratings or reviews (People Claim). If 7 out of 10 people agree that consumer reviews make them more comfortable in their purchase decision, why not give these shoppers what they need right within your email? Adding ratings and reviews to your email marketing campaigns can help bypass the time and research that shoppers are expending, closing the gap between consideration and purchase and increasing your email marketing returns.

[This post originally appeared on Asking Smarter Questions and is republished with permission.]

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