We\u2019ve said it before:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Owning a highly-engaged (and ever-growing) mailing list adds a ton<\/em> of value to your website when selling your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But it\u2019s not just the list<\/em> that your potential buyers will be looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019ll also be looking at what you\u2019ve been doing to engage<\/em> with the people on this list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Basically, your buyers will want to know they can hit the ground running and easily keep their email initiatives moving in the right direction once they take over. The higher their potential ROI, the more valuable your site will be in their eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your job, then, is to put in place the structures, processes, and strategies that will enable them to carry the torch, and to build on the successful foundation you\u2019ve created for your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps the<\/em> key to making all this happen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Email marketing automation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we\u2019ll explain exactly what you\u2019ll need to do to set up a powerful email marketing automation strategy as a way to increase the value of your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you own an e-commerce or SaaS website, your approach to using email marketing automation to build your brand<\/a> should follow the same overarching best practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the main goals of marketing emails is to deliver valuable content and offers to just<\/em> the right person, at just<\/em> the right moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In many cases, email automation is used to engage with those who have recently taken a specific action (e.g., signed up for your mailing list, made a purchase, or abandoned their cart). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Email automation can also be used to deliver timely messages, such as a birthday email and anniversary offers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s crucial, then, that you know what these high-value moments are<\/em> in the first place. Once you\u2019ve identified these critical moments throughout your customer\u2019s journey, you need to determine what your customers\u2019 needs are at each moment \u2014 and how you can use email to cater to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A bit later on, we\u2019ll discuss how to best use email automation throughout the main stages of the customer lifecycle<\/a>, providing tips and examples from some of today\u2019s most successful brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, it\u2019s important that you understand what these moments look like for your<\/em> audience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some events, such as the ones we mentioned above, are a bit more universal. Cart abandonment, for example, happens once a customer leaves a site without buying the items in their shopping cart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other customer behaviors and events may be a bit more specific to your product or service. As we\u2019ll discuss, the SaaS and e-commerce customer journeys involve a number of high-value moments that you\u2019ll need to take advantage of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In either case, though, you\u2019ll want to map out your customer journey to identify the<\/em> moments where use of email automation is vital to a positive outcome \u2014 and to further engagement with the customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the above in mind, you also need to remember that your audience isn\u2019t homogeneous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though they may take similar actions and encounter similar events throughout their buyer\u2019s journey, their needs and expectations at these moments will vary depending on a number of factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Failure to understand and cater to these needs can derail your email marketing<\/a> initiatives altogether via:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two key areas to focus on when segmenting your audience for email automation purposes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Engagement and purchase histories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n E-commerce companies, for example, may want to segment their audience by Average Order Value, Repeat Purchase Frequency, or overall Lifetime Value. Similarly, SaaS companies should consider a customer\u2019s usage metrics and the tier of service they purchased, along with LTV, to segment them appropriately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The benefit of segmenting by customer value and engagement is two-fold:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For one thing, this will allow you to deliver more laser-focused content and offers to your high-, mid-, and low-value customers \u2014 presenting each with offers that match their typical spending habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (In contrast, sending a high-priced offer to your low-value customers probably<\/em> won\u2019t be too effective. And your high-value customers will almost certainly ignore any low-priced offers that come their way.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Digging a bit deeper, you\u2019ll be able to tailor your overall approach to each segment at certain moments. For example, you might offer a low-value cart abandoner a small freebie with their purchase, while offering a high-value customer a substantial discount to return to their shopping cart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, it\u2019s all about knowing exactly what to offer a given customer at a given moment in their journey. In segmenting your customers by value, you\u2019ll be able to deliver that which meets their expectations, and gets them to engage further with your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether or not a recipient opens a given email, you\u2019re going to want to follow up with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, the content of this next<\/em> email will depend on what they did with the last one. If they failed to open the email entirely, you may simply need to send a quick reminder to the top of their inbox a day or so later. You can also use strategic words<\/a> to add a bit of urgency to the mix, here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If they opened the email, but didn\u2019t click on your CTA, you might need to send a more relevant offer \u2014 or may need to collect more info from them to refine your approach in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Don\u2019t worry for now about what to do if they click-through in full. We\u2019ll be diving deep into that in just a bit.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The point is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t think of email automation in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather, always consider what the customer\u2019s potential next steps will be after<\/em> you\u2019ve put an automated process in place \u2014 and create additional workflows to continue engaging with your audience regardless of the action they take. More than just automating the delivery<\/em> of your emails, you can also automate the creation<\/em> of your email content<\/a> as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dynamic content technology does just that, fitting relevant content into templated emails based on the customer\u2019s:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nordstrom, for example, uses their audience\u2019s location to send similar emails promoting seasonally-appropriate clothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Strava takes a fully personalized approach to dynamic email content, delivering usage stats to its engaged customers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n And Chemist Warehouse combines dynamic content with engagement- and value-based segmentation to deliver highly-relevant offers to their customers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, when actually creating<\/em> the content to be injected dynamically into your emails, you need to be as uniform as possible in terms of format, length, and similar specifications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for multiple pieces of content to fit into a single templated slot, allowing you to provide a tailored, yet consistent, experience to your entire audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of ensuring your email content is displayed properly\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n By today\u2019s standards, delivering mobile-friendly emails is non-negotiable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For one thing, 85% of consumers<\/a> now use mobile as the<\/em> primary way to check their email. What\u2019s more, over 70% of consumers<\/a> will delete a poorly-formatted email within seconds \u2014 and only 10% of recipients will actually read it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be sure, most popular email tools today offer features and functions to enable mobile responsiveness with relative ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Desktop vs. Mobile<\/em>; <\/em><\/strong>Source <\/em>1<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>2<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n But, there are still a few things you can do to further optimize your emails for mobile consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, be brief and to the point. Your main message and offer should be immediately visible \u2014 and your recipients shouldn\u2019t have to scroll much (or at all) when viewing your email on their phones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, be wary of your use of images and multimedia content. If an image or other piece of content distracts from the overall message when viewed on mobile, you might want to remove it when delivering to handheld devices altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, be sure your calls-to-action are clear, concise, and easy to interact with on mobile devices. The last thing you want is for your mobile audience to want <\/em>to engage further with your brand \u2014 but literally be unable to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, most email service providers<\/a> offer mobile optimization as a feature. But, a proven, documented workflow for creating mobile-friendly email content will add even more value to your website as you put it up for sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A huge part of email automation is automating what happens after<\/em> an email has been sent, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How this happens depends on the situation, and on your customers\u2019 actions (or inactions) leading up to this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if a new customer has recently signed up for your mailing list and provided their contact info, you might use SMS\/text messaging to confirm their registration and to point them toward their inbox for further instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a> \/ An automated email to match would ensure the customer is able to view their invoice.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Or, you might use push notifications to remind customers to engage with your product, or to purchase replenishments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If your cart abandonment or reminder emails don\u2019t work to re-engage a customer, you might then deliver retargeting ads to them on Google and social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In any case, your efforts will serve as a foundation on which to build an omnichannel marketing strategy \u2014 with automation playing a critical role throughout. In turn, you\u2019ll easily be able to attract high-paying, serious buyers once you decide to sell your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From time-to-time, you\u2019ll want to verify your email list<\/a> to ensure that the contact information you have is accurate. Doing so will ensure that your domain\u2019s sender score doesn\u2019t get reduced, which in turn, will prevent your domain from getting blacklisted or having emails end up in a user\u2019s spam box. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As with any area of a business, continual improvement should always be the goal of your overall email automation initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, improving your automated email campaigns will mean more audience engagement and conversions. This, in itself, makes your site more valuable to potential buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than that, though, your track record of consistent improvement will add another layer of attractiveness to your offer \u2014 for two reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For one, you\u2019ll be able to prove that your messaging works, and continues to work more effectively in terms of engaging your target audience. Your performance data and current email content are valuable assets that your buyer can use to guide their future efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Documenting the overarching, iterative processes you\u2019ve put in place to analyze and improve your email performance will provide similar value to your potential buyers. With a clear, effective workflow already in place, they\u2019ll simply need to take the reins and continue making improvements as planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we\u2019ve shown, there are a number of key moments throughout the customer lifecycle in which email automation is most effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here, we\u2019ll walk you through the stages of the customer lifecycle for both SaaS and e-commerce consumers to help you form a more cohesive, strategic approach to email marketing automation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Email automation comes into play from the very first moment a new prospect gives you their contact information and officially becomes a new lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At this point, you\u2019ll have two main goals to accomplish \u2014 each of which can be done via automated email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, you\u2019ll want to welcome them to your brand and your brand\u2019s community<\/a> with an automated welcome email. This will involve sending a series of emails over the course of the next few days, starting almost immediately once an individual signs up for your mailing list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This \u201cWelcome\u201d email drip campaign will serve to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on engagement, you might also need to send follow-ups<\/a> to ensure your new leads have received all of this introductory info as planned \u2014 and that you\u2019ve collected the info that you<\/em> need from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In some cases \u2014 typically in the SaaS realm \u2014 you\u2019ll want to deliver some quick need-to-know info to help them navigate their account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Your Welcome drip campaign will then lead to a laser-focused offer based on what you\u2019ve learned about the individual and how they\u2019ve engaged with your emails thus far. Through automation, dynamic content, and some hands-on effort, you\u2019ll be able to deliver the exact<\/em> offer needed to convert a new prospect into a paying customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Note that all<\/em> of these emails stem from the individual signing up for your mailing list. With effective automation workflows in place, it becomes easier than ever to put your new leads on the path to conversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once an individual converts, you have a number of things to take care of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, you\u2019ll want to send a transactional email to confirm their purchase, and thank them for their business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n You should also provide updates regarding delivery, stock issues, project completion, or any other need-to-know transactional info. With proper automation workflows, you can trigger these emails to be sent directly<\/em> after a purchase or made or the instant an update is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once the new customer has access to your product or service, you want to ensure they can use it to its highest potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For eCommerce brands, this means using email to deliver product guides, demo videos<\/a>, and other instructional content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n You might also create follow-up emails including additional information and \u201cextras\u201d to supercharge their overall experience<\/a>. Again, the content of these emails should, in some way, be tailored to the customers\u2019 needs and engagement history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n For SaaS companies, you\u2019ll take a similar \u2014 yet often more sequential \u2014 approach here, delivering an Onboarding<\/em> drip campaign to your new users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout this automated email campaign, you\u2019ll:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might decide to send your automated onboarding emails<\/a> at a specific time over the following days, or trigger them to be sent once a new user accomplishes a certain task. Either way, the idea is to reach them right<\/em> when they need some help taking their next few steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both eCommerce and SaaS teams will want to reach out to their new customers in due time to ensure they\u2019ve begun to realize the value of their purchase. Email, of course, is an effective way to deliver customer surveys and solicit feedback<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n SaaS providers will typically want to set up these email workflows to be triggered once a new customer reaches their first major milestone, or accomplishes a specific task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since eCommerce is usually a bit more hands-off once a purchase is made, these feedback emails should be sent out a predetermined amount of time after the customer has received their order. This will give them ample time to begin using your product and to start seeing results as expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Email automation allows you to keep your new customers engaged, minimizes friction throughout their initial experiences with your brand, and keeps them on the fast track toward their goals. In the interest of being ultra-responsive to your newest customers, it\u2019s a must by today\u2019s standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once a new customer has been fully onboarded (or is otherwise no longer considered \u201cnew\u201d), you can then use email automation to accomplish two goals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For starters, you\u2019ll want to set up reminder emails to be sent when conditions for re-engaging the customer are optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For eCommerce companies, sending automated replenishment reminders x<\/em> days after a purchase can minimize any hiccups in your customers\u2019 purchasing routines \u2014 and ideally get them to increase<\/em> their purchase frequency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n SaaS providers may want to check in a bit more frequently with their customers, depending on their average engagement rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In some cases, daily reminders to use your app may be appropriate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In others, you might only need to check in on a weekly basis to avoid being too heavy-handed with your reminders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we touched on earlier, SaaS companies have the advantage of being able to monitor user progress a bit more closely. That said, it\u2019s important to continue delivering targeted emails based on your users\u2019 in-app behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think of it as an extension to your Onboarding email drips: <\/p>\n\n\n\n As before, you\u2019ll be delivering tips and advice as for how to get more value from your service \u2014 and pointing them to other features and functions they may get use out of, as well. This will eventually involve upselling them to a new tier of service, or cross-selling them any add-ons you might offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBest Practices for Ecommerce & SaaS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Focus on High-Value Moments in the Customer Journey<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Get Granular With Audience Segmentation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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(Note<\/em>: To make this process easier, make sure you\u2019re integrating your email marketing platform<\/a> with where the customer behaviour data is collected to help with sending the right trigger emails.)<\/p>\n\n\n\nLeverage Dynamic Content<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nEnsure Mobile-Friendliness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nReinforce Your Messaging on Other Channels<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPractice Email Verification<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Track and Improve the Performance of Your Automated Email Campaigns<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Use Email Marketing Automation at Each Stage of the Customer Lifecycle<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Getting New Customers Interested, Engaged, and Ready to Convert<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPreparing New Customers for Success<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRamping Things Up With Your Current Customers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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