Create More Customers with Email Marketing for Small Business
Having a great blog or website is good progress, but if you really want to rule your own digital realm then you’ll need more than just a platform.
You need a way to capture the names of visitors that stop by your website or place of business so that you can stay in touch with them once they go home.
People have short attention spans, and if they aren’t in your store or on your website, then they aren’t going to know about your special holiday sale. Unless they subscribe, they won’t remember to come back to check for more posts…they rely on search to find the information they need.
Many bloggers make the mistake of assuming that all customers navigate the web in the same manner as they do. The truth is that we bloggers are unique – we spend hours learning how to master the digital realm whereas normal users only show up when they need something.
As a business owner, you have to find a way to stay in touch with your clients, customers, and prospects, regardless of whether they are on your website or not. This is why using an email capture system is not only important, but essential.
The way it works is this…you create a white paper, a powerful free report, or a 10 step email series that gives away some of your best tips. You explain your business, your products, and your philosophy to these readers in exchange for an email address. To some, it might seem like a lot to give up for an email address, but the money is not in the content, it’s in the list because over time, you can convert cold traffic into warm leads and eventually – customers.
Think about what you can do with a list of emails:
- Email coupon codes for subscribers only
- Create customer surveys
- Ask them to come back and check out your new content
- Introduce new inventory
- Build trust and authority by sending free information
- Create rewards programs
Now, take the list concept a step further and imagine being able to create a separate list of customer email addresses. This customer list is your most prized possession, as it has a list of everyone that trusts or respects you enough to give you their hard earned money. It’s proven that these customers, even if they’ve only purchased once, are much more likely to buy in the future than any cold lead right off the street.
They are also going to be your biggest evangelists, so if you can provide them more incentive by staying in touch, offering free content, and sending them special “customer only” promitions, then you can convert them into lifelong customers and brand advocates.
Here’s how you can do that:
- Clearly identify your focus on good customer service by providing them with contact details every time you send an email.
- Offer special discounts to previous customers
- Offer incentives for referrals
- Test a new product or offer by sending it to your customer list first
- If a customer shows up to your store with a “VIP Coupon,” you treat them like a VIP. They’ll love this.
- Continue to follow up after each sale, to show you aren’t a hit and run type of business
- Ask for feedback on the goods or services purchased so that you can fine tune your products
Look at how Amazon does this with their wish lists. They know what you like to buy, so they constantly send you offers on similar items. Sure, they email me every day, but almost every single email is relevant, so as a customer, I appreciate it.
Once you start collecting emails, you can segment your lists into client and customer lists so that you can create a unique pitch for each one. You aren’t being sneaky, you are simply addressing the needs of the different groups. A prospect or customer might forget about your product or service, but they’ll remember when they get that email. If they don’t buy now, they might in the future, and an email list is the best way to make that happen.
You can also use email to manage affiliates. If you have an affiliate program, you can create an entirely separate list to train and educate your affiliates in order to help them make as much money as possible. If they do well, then you do well.
Sign up with AWeber
If you don’t have an email list, you need to get started ASAP. We’ll cover the how to throughout this week, but first, you need to grab an account at AWeber so you can be prepared for what’s to come. AWeber is by far the easiest and most cost efficient email provider to use. They also do a great job of getting their emails to the inbox rather than the junk mail folder.
Once you’ve signed up for an account, or even the free test drive that they offer, you’ll see how easy it is to create great looking, unique, email forms, set up automatic broadcasts, and send instant alerts.
It’s never too late to start collecting emails, but the earlier you get started the better. You’ve already built a blog or website as your primary web asset, now it’s time to put it to use.
Ping This Post 
Stumble This Post
Related posts:
- How to Set Up an Email Funnel
- How to Add an Email Form in Wordpress
- 3 Ways to Use Social Media for a Product Launch
- How Social Media Can Help Your Business
- How to Create a Social Media Funnel
