In the first blogpost, we explained how transaction mails are useful for marketing purposes. This second blogpost explains the most important criteria that are significant for sending successful transaction mails. It is very important to pay attention to these criteria, because, like the positive aspects, negative ones (e.g., non-functioning delivery) are also perceived by the receiver due to the high significance of transaction mails. The 5 most important criteria are illustrated by the following examples.
1. Delivery
On the one hand, it is imperative to avoid arriving in the spam folder when delivering, especially when it comes to order registrations or Opt-In confirmations. That leaves a negative impression on the customer and is maybe even a lost opt-in for the company. On the other hand, it is important to ensure that all emails sent are legally secure.
2. Speed
The customer is waiting for the message, so it is better not to let him wait for too long. The customer does not want to wait, especially at the end of a registration confirmation or the order confirmation. May be he even thinks something did not work. Even worse, if the customer is dissatisfied and thus the attention or the interest disappears. A good guideline is 15 seconds. The customer should not wait longer than that.
3. Tracking / Optimization
Due to the high potential of transaction mails for marketing, the possibilities for optimization are also very high. Therefore, it is essential for successful transaction mails to make them measurable. The information obtained from the tracking data helps to optimize successful transaction mails. In addition, it is useful to test transaction mails in the design to find out which variants work better for which goals (for example to buy opt-ins or sell cross-sells).
4. Customizability
The shopping basket / transaction information from the back-end system is the basis for individualizing the mail. If there are no further opt-ins, it is possible to insert an opt-in teaser into the mail, so that the customer can log in to the newsletter with one click. If there are already advertising opt-ins you can offer cross sells, upsells or top brands, which fit into the interest profile of the customer, instead of the teaser. If the customer is a first-time buyer, it is also sensible to offer a coupon for the next purchase in order to secure the probability of a subsequent purchase.
Therefore, an element-based set-up of individualized transaction communication provides a lasting strategic and consistent approach.
5. Easy integration
There are various possibilities and providers for the integration of elements into transaction communication. The focus should be on a simple integration so that the backend systems does not have to be adapted and the time effort is minimal. An example would be that the backend systems send the emails via a marketing automation technology, which converts the email before sending them to the customer. This ensures the performance and delivery of a successful transaction mail, it offers central templates with easy adaptability and also their measurability.