In the age of digital commerce, it has become increasingly difficult to maintain customer loyalty. With each passing day, more and more people turn to different e-commerce platforms for their goods and services. They have options. For you, that means a little more effort into retaining them.
What is a Win-back Email Campaign Anyway?
If you have customers who have not made a purchase from your store in the last six months, it is time to reach out and see if they are still interested in your products. An effective win-back email campaign is one way to get them back into the store.
A win-back email automation campaign is one where personalized and targeted emails are sent to inactive customers. These campaigns aim to get people who have been inactive on your app or website for some time back into it by sending them an individualized message with incentives they can’t resist!
Why Should You Care About Win-backs?
There are many rationales and reasons for deploying a win-back email campaign. Firstly, it can cost you 5x more to acquire a new customer than just retain existing ones.
Moreover, your existing customers are four times more likely to refer you to other customers, seven times more likely to try a new product, and five times more likely to repeat purchases from your e-tail brand.
Moreover, if you send them an e-commerce win-back email after they have not visited your site in, say, six months, conversion rates on these emails can shoot over 10%.
That is big revenue (cha-ching!)
In this blog, we’ve curated strategies to create impactful win-back email campaigns that convert well for e-commerce.
Let us get going!
1. A ‘Hello’ Email to Remind
Why not start by just putting yourself on the dormant customers’ radar and break the ice with a warm ‘hello’?
‘Hello’ or simple ‘Reminder’ emails work well for win-back emails. Their casual approach instills trust and value for otherwise inactive customers and may compel them to engage with your brand again.
With a ‘Hello’ Win-back email campaign, you must;
- Remind your inactive customers why they became your customers initially
- List product benefits or new products, if any
- Appreciate or thank the customers for giving you a chance to serve them
- Portrait your brand value in the customer’s context. E.g., we exist because of you.
Below is an example of a ‘Reminder/Hello’ win-back email to inspire you!
2. An Incentive to Win them Back
An incentive, bonus or an exclusive ‘win-back deal is a great way to your dormant customers’ hearts. If your ‘hello’ does not yield too much open rate and clicks, that is because your inactive customers are probably expecting a discount or an incentive in some form. Frankly, that is why they exchanged their email with you in the first place, didn’t they?
With an incentive-based win-back email campaign, you are not just limited to discounts. You can also offer coupons, extra reward points, free upgrades, prizes/goodies, a surprise gift, or access to better shopping privileges with you.
Also, don’t forget to infuse a tinge of urgency in your win-back email. After all, the re-boarding of inactive customers is a limited and valuable proposition. Leverage it wisely.
Take a look at the incentive-based win-back emailer below.
3. Last Chance Emails
Last-chance emails seem to work pretty well to re-engage dormant customers. This is partly because they offer incentives but with a deeper sense of time urgency. Last-chance emails compel your inactive customers to think that they are losing something beneficial from not engaging with you.
The majority of last-chance emails include a discount or deal that the customer can take advantage of to receive an additional perk for completing their purchase. These deals vary from store to store but typically range from 10% off your next purchase, free shipping (both ways), or even free products! This win-back promotion has proven to be highly successful in driving sales online and should be utilized by any business looking for more conversions and revenue generation.
You can even use the last-chance win-back email format to nudge your customers for cart recovery!
Check out this real-world example below.
4. Hail Mary on ‘Unsubscribe’ and Goodbye Emails
Really, this is the last arrow in your email marketing quiver to win back inactive customers. These email campaigns are typically short and sweet because you are just conveying to the customer that they are being removed from your subscription list. After all, they’ve opted for it.
They can hop on back if they wish to. This is the point to emphasize in this email to make your customers realize that they are missing great value (and to give them the benefit of the doubt that they still want to engage with your brand despite the ‘unsubscribe’ action).
Goodbye emails and unsubscribe emails should be as light as possible to highlight the real brand-customer relationship and its inherent value.
See the example listed below to craft your own win-back strategy with the Goodbye/unsubscribe approach.
Thinking of resurrecting your long inactive customers already? Marketing automation can be of immense value to you when acquiring, converting, and retaining your best customers.
Check out Wigzo, an AI-based marketing automation platform that will help you achieve these e-commerce growth goals and then some.
Try Wigzo for FREE now!
Happy selling 😉
Also Read: 40 Best Email Subject Lines To Increase Opening Rate and CTR
