Email marketing is one of the most effective methods of promotion and communication for both B2B companies and e-commerce owners. According to Litmus research, the return on investment (ROI) for email campaigns averages $36 for every $1 you spend. However, many companies make common mistakes that reduce the effectiveness of their marketing emails and cause them to miss out on valuable opportunities. In this article, we will explore some of the main reasons that limit your email marketing campaigns and share best practices to optimize your results.
Why improvement in email marketing is crucial
The main reason you should invest time and resources in optimizing your email marketing strategy is the high return on investment. Email marketing best practices help build trust with your audience by allowing you to send personalized messages and convert potential customers into buyers.
Some of the main benefits of a well-designed email marketing strategy are:
Common mistakes we make in marketing emails
One of the most common mistakes is a lack of email personalization. Using generic titles or avoiding the recipient's name reduces the sense of intimacy. Recent studies by HubSpot show that personalized email subject lines increase open rates by up to 50%. To achieve this, use the information you already have about each customer, such as their first name, purchase history, or preferences. Even a simple change in the subject line, e.g., «George, discover our new offers,» can lead to a significant increase in engagement.
Proper email segmentation is a key pillar of any email marketing best practices strategy. Many senders send the same message to their entire contact list, without taking into account criteria such as geographic location, gender, age, or recent purchase history. This approach leads to fewer opens and lower response rates. In contrast, targeted sending minimizes list unsubscribes and increases open rates and click-through rates.
For example, if you are an e-commerce owner who sells both women's and men's products, it is a good idea to send different offers based on purchase history or stated preferences. This significantly increases the likelihood of completing the purchase.
Beyond the title, the content of marketing emails must be interesting. Texts with unnecessary information or complex formatting are unlikely to hold the reader's interest. Ensure that the language is friendly, professional, and, above all, focused on the added value for the recipient.
Follow a clear structure: a brief introduction to the topic, a central section analyzing the product or service, and a call to action that leads to exactly what you want the customer to do (e.g., purchase, subscribe to a newsletter, download a free trial). Avoid excessive fonts and colors, as simplicity brings better readability and deliverability.
We live in an age where more and more people check their emails on their mobile phones or tablets. According to Statista, approximately 46% of email openings are made from mobile devices. If your messages are not mobile-friendly, then you will simply lose a large percentage of potential customers.
Ensure that images load quickly, call-to-action buttons are clearly visible, and text remains legible on small screens. Google also recommends keeping important information at the top of the message so that readers can immediately grasp the main idea.
Many recipients are disappointed when they receive constant sales offers without receiving any additional information or educational content. A simple «Buy today – 50% discount» may work occasionally, but nowadays the public wants to build a relationship of trust with the brand. Share tips, guides, customer testimonials, or short videos that answer common questions. Increase the value of your marketing emails by offering interesting information, valuable content, or personal stories related to your products.
Ways to improve your email campaigns
A/B testing is an effective way to find out what works best in your email marketing strategy. Try different versions of email subject lines, content, and calls to action. For example, divide your contact list into two sections and send a different subject line to each section. Measure the open rates and then adopt the version that worked best. Overall, A/B testing can significantly improve performance and lead to higher click-through rates.
A common mistake is to place too many different links or multiple buttons in the same message. This distracts the reader and can reduce clicks. It is recommended to have one, or at most two, calls to action (e.g., purchase, sign up, learn more). The text on call-to-action buttons should be concise and clear, e.g., «See Offers» or «Get Started Now.».
In addition to using names, you can also incorporate personalized product recommendations based on a user's purchase history or website browsing. For example, if someone was interested in sportswear, send them an email with the latest arrivals in sports shoes or a related article from your blog that analyzes the advantages of high-tech materials. This type of email personalization leads to more targeted marketing emails and better results.
Don't let your metrics go to waste. Track open rates, click-through rates, deliverability, and conversion rates for each campaign. With this data, you can improve your targeting, identify where you are losing opens and clicks, and increase the overall effectiveness of your marketing emails. Use tools such as HubSpot, Mailchimp, or Campaign Monitor to analyze your results.
A good email marketing program can bring impressive results to businesses of all sizes, especially e-commerce owners looking for immediate ways to increase their sales. By avoiding common mistakes (such as a lack of email segmentation or an indifferent approach to content) and following specific email marketing best practices, you can increase open rates, boost click-through rates, and develop more meaningful relationships with your customers.
Email marketing strategy is constantly evolving and requires continuous adaptation to new technologies, changing audience needs, and the demands of electronic communication. Focus on providing value, clear message structure, proper segmentation, and extensive use of analytics tools. This way, your marketing emails will never get lost in the spam folder, but will become a valuable channel of communication and direct interaction with your audience.
