6 Killer Email Examples Ecommerce Entrepreneurs Should Steal

Guest Post by Victoria Greene

The cornerstone of any good ecommerce marketing strategy is email. The benefits of email marketing are tenfold. It’s a great and low-cost way to reach out to specific customer segments, increase brand awareness, promote special offers, and grow your ecommerce store.

But what if your emails aren’t getting the return you expected? The average open rate for marketing emails is 17.62%, with a click-through rate of 7.97%. If your metrics aren’t measuring up, you need to up your game.

And who better to learn from than the best? I’ve gathered for you six examples of killer marketing emails that you should absolutely steal for yourself — entirely guilt-free.

 

H&M

Check out this email from the clothing retailer H&M. We’ve seen emails from fashion brands a thousand times, but these guys have nailed it. The reader is presented with a flat-lay photo of a ready-made outfit in a clean format, easy on the eye. The items themselves are carefully chosen and neatly laid out, with clear calls-to-action below. H&M know that visual content doesn’t have to be a spectacular masterpiece — it just has to look good.

How do I do it right?

You don’t have to be a fashion brand to get H&M quality visuals. Work with what you’ve got! If you’re selling gorgeous kitchenware, lay it out amongst some bowls of colorful ingredients on a chopping board for that homespun look. Learn how to take good photos and get creative with your product to make your emails pop.

 

National Dry Goods

Your customers get anywhere from 1 to 1000 emails in their inbox everyday, from their grandma who just bought their first computer to a shady prince asking for your bank details so they can transfer you the $100,000 you just won. So how do you make your email stand out?

National Dry Goods knows how. Their welcome email is written by none other than the founder of the online retailer Harold Apples. He adopts a genuine, humble tone as he thanks the reader for providing their email address to them, straight away fostering a relationship of trust between the brand and the consumer. Apples is also humorous, with a hint of self-deprecation, putting at rest any doubts the customer might have when signing up for their newsletter.

How do I do it right?

The email above is something of a departure from the usual marketing emails we’ve seen. Rather than punchy headlines and short, sharp promises, National Dry Goods adopts a wholesome tone, with relatively long text compared to other emails. It shouldn’t work… and yet it does. This just goes to show that finding the right tone of voice will really engage your customers. Being authentic and direct in your emails, with just a little humor to make them sparkle, is an approach that will work wonders for your brand.

 

Dote

Abandoned cart emails are the knights in shining armor for ecommerce entrepreneurs. They go after dithering customers who are this close to making a purchase, and 72% of customers who buy from them convert in the first 24 hours. But how do you do them right? The virtual shopping mall Dote knows. Their email is simple and humorous without hassling their customer: a shining example of an abandoned cart email.

How do I do it right?

Customers generally abandon carts for a reason, so you’re going to need to get persuasive. Appeal to their doubts (“that t-shirt will look great on you!”), or even offer them a discount code to clinch the deal. It’s also worth experimenting with subject lines, as this is the first thing your customer will see in your email. Inject a little humor into it, or play around with themes, such as Christmas or Valentine’s Day-related subject lines. Remember, work on your calls-to-action and, like Dote, don’t be afraid to get creative!

Why not make use of Moosend’s subject line tool? It calculates an estimated open rate score, and compares it to the industry average. It’s free to use, so test your subject lines as many times as you like.

Harry’s

Do you remember that sense of fear you felt when your mom would count down from ten before you had to be in bed? The mail-order shaving equipment company Harry’s definitely does. That’s why their email includes a steadily ticking countdown timer to let their customers know how long they’ve got left to take advantage of their Christmas gift set. Add to that a bold, pressing call-to-action, and you’ve got a killer marketing email right there!

How do I do it right?

Setting a deadline on a sale or a special offer is a tried-and-tested method of boosting sales. It creates a sense of urgency and compels customers to make a purchase, there and then. There are a lot of free countdown widgets out there for you to use. But be sure to include appropriately urgent language and good calls-to-action to really push your customers towards the checkout.

 

Headspace

The meditation and mindfulness platform Headspace delivers a beautiful onboarding email to their customers. It’s understated but clear, outlining for the reader a compelling goal with a call to action. It goes on to list the broad details of its service, with bold headings and short, simple descriptions. No hassle, no fuss, no distractions — just a simple outlining of its service and benefits, with a clear call to action.

How do I do it right?

With an average email reading time of 11.1 seconds, it’s crucial that you keep it as short and sweet as a babyccino. Use clear headings and tight sentences to sell your stuff. Once a customer is in your store, you can build on that interest further.

 

Verizon

Verizon’s email employs one of the most reliable tricks in the marketer’s handbook: social proof. The customer scans through the slick images, reads through the detailed product descriptions and watches the embedded Editor’s Pick video.

Throughout the email, they’re being sold to, both through clean visual content and cool product descriptions. They’ve seen the goods, they’ve read the benefits. Now Verizon closes on that by providing genuine affirmation from other satisfied customers. Consumers know that a brand will only ever sing their own praises, but seeing positive testimonials from real customers like them will give the product credibility.

How do I do it right?

Adding social proof to your emails is a great way to grow your online store. To gather good reviews, single out repeat customers who have ordered more than one product. These are loyal customers who will probably be more than happy to give you a review. And if they’re wavering, why not sweeten the deal with a discount voucher?

 

Email marketing is the ecommerce entrepreneur’s friend. They’re versatile and relatively cheap, and can be used to achieve a variety of means. From boosting sales and welcoming customers to raising brand awareness and chasing up your abandoned shopping carts, the sky’s the limit. With so much potential at your fingertips, it’s worth learning how to do them right. Ramp up your visuals, work on your calls-to-action, and develop a tone of voice — you’ll soon start to see the benefits for your ecommerce store.

 

Victoria Greene is a branding consultant and freelance writer. If you’re after  the latest in the worlds of ecommerce, marketing, and design, check out her blog, Victoria Ecommerce. Victoria is passionate about helping store owners get the most out of their ecommerce business.