A happy customer is a loyal customer.
And loyal customers are important. In fact, the chances of selling to an existing customer are between 60-70%. Which drops to a mere 5-20% for new customers.
But what is the key to keeping customers happy?
64% of customers state that experiences are worth more to them than prices. And 81% make purchasing decisions based on how much they trust a brand.
So it seems that a positive customer experience is the key to keeping customers happy, loyal, and spending.
And email can help brands and businesses do just that.
Read on to learn 7 ways that you can improve your customer experience with email marketing.
1. Personalised communications
If you take nothing else from this post, please take this one piece of advice.
Personalisation is essential to improving your customer experience with email.
80% of customers are more likely to purchase from a brand that offers personalised experiences. In fact, personalised emails deliver 6 times higher transactional rates.
Therefore, you should ensure that every email you send out is as tailored and targeted to the individual recipient as possible.
Personalisation can go beyond simply using the recipient’s first name. To offer a truly personalised experience, you need to learn as much about your database as possible. And communicate with them accordingly.
Consider personalisation based on age, gender, location, buying habits, browsing habits, and even the weather.
2. Welcome emails
The average open rate for a welcome email is 60%. And they generate 4 times more opens and 5 times more clicks than regular marketing campaigns.
But there’s another reason why welcome emails are so essential to the customer experience.
Because first impressions count.
The welcome email is an opportunity to present your brand in the best possible way. At a time when the recipient is at their most engaged.
After all, if a recipient has made the effort to sign up to your emails, or even make a purchase from you, this is the best possible moment to get in touch with them, begin to build a relationship, and keep them engaged.
3. Post-purchase and onboarding series
Congratulations! You’ve got a new customer.
But now isn’t the time to get complacent. Just like sending a welcome email, post-purchase and onboarding communications are essential for a smooth introduction to your brand and service.
Whether you are a B2C brand sending a post-purchase follow up, or a B2B brand sending an onboarding sequence. These emails share a lot in common.
They should both offer reassurance that the purchase has been successfully made and what the next steps are. Whether that be delivery information, or an introductory call.
They should include relevant contact details, such as customer support, account management, and social media channels.
And lastly, they should include links to your most useful content. Whether that be support documentation, product videos, or related blogs.
4. VIP treatment
We all love a birthday. And an anniversary. Frankly, any special occasion.
And that’s because we all love to feel a little special.
Continue this theme with your customers by giving them the VIP treatment. After all, a one way relationship won’t last long. If you want to keep your customers happy and engaged in the long term, you’ll have to give a little something back.
The VIP treatment could be something as simple as sending a birthday or anniversary email, or offering exclusive discounts, and even pre-launches of your products to your most engaged customers.
5. News and updates
We hate to point out the obvious. But don’t forget to keep your customers in the loop when it comes to your latest news, product launches, or offers.
A lot of marketers focus on converting new customers. But your current customer base offers a wealth of potential purchases.
Start by making them feel part of the ‘family’ with updates about new store openings, new hires, or new product ranges.
Or incentivise them to make a purchase with your latest sale or promotion.
6. Ask for feedback
Your customer base holds a wealth of useful information. So make sure you are tapping into it.
By reaching out to your customers for feedback, suggestions, and reviews, you are not only gaining invaluable insight, but you are also making them feel heard and valued.
Customers like to know they have an influence on the business they are buying from or product they are using. So make them aware that their feedback counts. And will be heard.
And of course, positive feedback and reviews offer brands opportunities to shout about how great their product and service is. It encourages potential customers to trust a business, and helps build positive brand awareness.
7. Preference centres
Last but not least, offer your customers control over how you communicate with them.
We like to think that our customers want to hear all about our business. But sometimes less is more. Similarly, for the most engaged customers, they might want to hear from you as much as possible.
Gauging communication frequency is difficult. But if you don’t get it right, you increase the chances of unsubscribes or even spam reports.
In fact, 43% of users will mark an email as spam because they either find it difficult to unsubscribe, or simply can’t be bothered.
So make the process of controlling the frequency and type of communications received by offering a clear and simple preference centre in all of your emails.
Looking to improve your customer experience with email marketing?
Then speak to the experts!
Our friendly team are always on hand to offer advice and support on all things email, personalisation, and customer experience.