'Net Features : email

Email Campaigns Get Collaborative at MailChimp

Pete Prestipino — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:25:00 GMT

Email marketers understand the numerous company departments that must be involved with each and every campaign send - including business executives, sales personnel, designers and marketers.

These Web professionals collaborate on content, segmentation tests and pretty much everything else you can think of - but are they really... collaborating?

Email service provider MailChimp has launched a set of new collaboration tools to make the whole process of creating, and ultimately sending, an email a far easier, more seamless process for multi-person digital enterprises.

Email marketers can now include comments (personal messages) when sending tests to others within their organization. When those comments are replied to by test message recipients (by replying to the email itself), they appear within the new Comments tab within the MailChimp interface. MailChimp users also now have access to comment notifications (which arrive through email) as well as inline collaboration - both of which are ideal for those that need to be kept in the loop on each and every change that's occurring.

In an effort to make sure that suggested changes are successfully completed, MailChimp also included a "Completed Tasks" feature which helps to organize comments and feedback.

In the future, Mailchimp indicated they will even offer the option to send notifications via their native mobile app.

Merchants Fail to Capitalize on Purchase-Related Data

Allison Howen — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:25:00 GMT

Site and shopper data is very valuable to merchants, so why are many not taking advantage of it?

A recent Bronto Software and RSR Research report reveals that even though there’s plenty of consumer intent data produced during each stage of the buying process that could help retailers drive more sales, many fail to take advantage of these opportunities due to poor data collection processes and a lack of integration between marketing and e-commerce platforms.

The report, “Harnessing the Power: How Retailers Collect and Use Purchase-Related Data,” surveyed 85 retailers with online shopping carts in February 2013, and revealed that there is data and email disconnect across retailer segments. The survey took a look at retailer data collection and email practices during the pre-purchase, in-purchase and post-purchase stages. During the pre-purchase stage, most consumers conduct research before making a purchase by first visiting retailer, manufacturer and product review sites to compare products and prices. That said, 47 percent of retailers surveyed said they do not collect product-level site browsing data that can be associated with a specific email subscriber.

Moreover, in-purchase activities move shopping behavior from browsing to the transaction, which gives retailers opportunities to upsell, cross-sell and build repeat business. However, the survey found that 22 percent of retailers are not currently exchanging data between their email service provider and e-commerce platform, which limits their ability to drive more revenue with in-purchase and post-purchase email campaigns.

The report also examined retailer email opt-in, abandoned cart and transactional practices during the in-purchase stage, and found missed opportunities for retailers to more effectively grow subscriber lists and improve email targeting.

In fact, once the purchase is completed, retailers have the opportunity to persuade consumers to take an action, such as making their next purchase or writing a review. The survey, however, found some retailers are still failing to take advantage of this opportunity, with only 24 percent claiming to customize campaigns for active purchasers beyond typical transactional communications of order and/or shipping confirmations.

“Retailers have a lot to gain from consumer purchase data, but the RSR survey shows many still struggle to make data actionable and they’re missing out on revenue opportunities,” said Jim Davidson, Bronto’s manager of marketing research, who worked with RSR on the report. “Those retailers who close the gap by integrating marketing and e-commerce platforms are reaping the rewards through stronger customer loyalty and a greater share of revenue.”

Email Insights for Small & Mid-Sized Businesses

Allison Howen — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 18:05:00 GMT

A new report from iContact is shedding light on how small and mid-sized businesses use email as a marketing strategy.

The Small and Midsize Business Email Marketing Survey 2013 Report, which was commissioned by iContact and was conducted by Edge Research, reveals email is still among the most popular digital marketing strategies. In fact, the report found that 56 percent of businesses plan to increase their use of email marketing in 2013. On average, businesses currently spend 15 percent of their marketing budget on email.

Moreover, the report found that businesses are more likely to integrate email and social activities than any other marketing channel. Sixty-four percent of businesses, for example, coordinate their email marketing with their social marketing strategies.

“Email marketing has been and remains a primary marketing lever for businesses,” said Vice President of Digital and eCommerce Marketing, Geoff Alexander. “Social media and other marketing channels have only increased the effectiveness of email marketing.”

Additional insights from the report found that 92 percent of businesses use email to share information about new products and services, while only 72 percent use email to advertise sales and promotions. Furthermore, the study offered some valuable information on subscriber numbers, revealing that most businesses (62%) have email lists of 10,000 or fewer subscribers – with the median list size being about 3,500 subscribers. That being said, 24 percent of small and mid-sized businesses have 1,000 or fewer subscribers, while 21 percent have more than 10,000 subscribers.

Triggered Messaging Triggers Positive Results

Allison Howen — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:15:00 GMT

Triggered messaging is the newest trend in email, because a new report from Epsilon reveals that this marketing technique has seen 73 percent growth year over year.

In fact, the Q4 2012 Email Trends and Benchmark report shows that triggered messages accounted for 5 percent of total email volume. The reason for the growth in triggered messaging is most likely due to its effectiveness, because Epsilon’s report found that triggered messages obtained 70.5 percent higher open rates and 101.8 percent higher click rates compared to other messages that were sent out in Q4 2012.

It is important to note that the triggered message benchmarks were compiled from more than 360 million triggered emails sent by Epsilon in Q4 2012 across multiple industries. The report tracked campaigns deployed as a result of an action or trigger such as Welcome, Abandon Shopping Cart, Thank You and Anniversary.

"Utilizing triggered messages is a proven strategy to maintain subscriber engagement,” said Judy Loschen, vice president of digital analytics at Epsilon. “More marketers are realizing the many benefits of triggered messages, as is evident by the continued increase in volume. However, more is required to predict and meet the needs of your customers and subscribers. Marketers must create a full 360-degree view of the individual consumer and a strategy that takes a personalized approach. It requires a blend of data, analytics and creativity to achieve success.”

Epsilon's quarter analysis was compiled from 7.3 billion emails sent by the company in October, November and December 2012 across multiple industries and approximately 170 participating clients. Other highlights of the report show that non-bounce rate remained strong at 96 percent, while open rates increased by 0.6 percent quarter over quarter and 10.6 percent year over year. Additionally, click rates stayed the same as Q3 2012, at 4.5 percent.

Moreover, the report’s Email Activity Segmentation Evaluation (EASE) found that for the third consecutive quarter, more than 50 percent of the average brand’s opt-in email list had no activity, while only approximately 28.3 percent of subscribers in an average email file had opened or clicked a message in the most recent three months.

"In Q4 2012, 63 percent of the average email file was unengaged with marketers' email programs," said Loschen. "This presents a huge opportunity for brands. Marketers cannot assume that their task is complete after they receive an opt-in to their email program. To continue to drive long term value from each individual subscriber, marketers must constantly work to engage them."

Preview Email Campaigns for Greater Performance with Pinpointe

Michael Garrity — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:30:00 GMT

The inability to know how all of an email’s recipients will see the content once it’s been sent has to be one of the greatest challenges for email marketers, as they have to try to devise a newsletter design that will work effectively on the myriad of browsers and devices that their subscribers will be opening them on.

In an attempt to solve this dilemma, the cloud-based email marketing company Pinpointe recently released a new Email Campaign Previewer tool and spam checker for mobile and desktop clients that helps mid-sized businesses, including e-commerce sites, get a glance at how their emails will appear to a variety of different types of users after they’re sent.

Email Campaign Previewer will render and verify an email’s design for optimal display across over 50 desktop and mobile clients, including the iPad and Android devices. This allows email marketers to identify any potential readability or HTML coding issues, both of which have a considerable impact on email response rates. According to Pinpointe, previewing your emails will not only improve response rates, but overall email marketing ROI, as well.

Marketers using Email Campaign Previewer will be able to preview an unlimited number of email designs and disable images if they present a problem; meanwhile, Pinpointe will analyze their HTML email code and provide them with detailed feedback on any incompatibilities or rendering issues it may have with certain clients, along with a corrected code that the marketer can use.

Get a Better Newsletter By Curating Content

Michael Garrity — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 23:00:00 GMT

Coming up with good content for your email newsletters can be a real pain for busy business owners, and even some marketers, but it’s such an integral part of many online marketing campaigns that it certainly can’t be abandoned altogether.

Luckily, for those Web professionals with a stockpile of email addresses and no idea what to send to them, the content curation publishing platform Scoop.it has integrated with the email marketing platform MailChimp to make it significantly easier to devise and send out “highly relevant and engaging newsletter campaigns.”

So now, both Scoop.it and MailChimp users, alike, can take advantage of this new integrated solution, which allows them to utilize the curated content from Scoop.it’s topic Web pages to quickly create brand new email newsletters that they can send to customers, prospective customers or key influencer contacts in their MailChimp mailing lists.

This means that Scoop.it customers will be able to select email as a distribution channel for their curated content, while MailChimp users can find and choose new “value-adding existing content” to put in their newsletters; plus, they also have access to the search and social discovery features that are already built into the Scoop.it platform.

“We know that creating successful email campaigns is all about delivering quality content,” said MailChimp COO Neil Bainton. “But that can be difficult for many small businesses who are pressed for time, as it is. We are excited that Scoop.it’s integration with MailChimp offers our users an easy way to pull together interesting and valuable content for their email campaigns.”

And just to make sure that everyone can take advantage of this new workflow integration, it’s been included in the free version of Scoop.it and can be combined with the “forever free” MailChimp plan, thus creating a totally cost-free all-in-one content curation and email newsletter solution. It’s been included in Scoop.it’s premium plans, as well.

Consumers Will Buy From Email

Pete Prestipino — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:30:00 GMT

Mobile email is playing an important role in the success of e-commerce retailers’ marketing initiatives and new research from email marketing service Blue Hornet, a division of Digital River, shows just how much.

The 2013 Consumer Views of Email Marketing report from Blue Hornet reveals that 63 percent of consumers say they “may” buy from an email read on a mobile device. It’s not all good news however. The number who may unsubscribe due to poor mobile display exceeds 30 percent (see graph below) and it’s only increasing.

Mobile email design is obviously taking center stage, but what is really driving e-commerce activity? According to the survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers, nearly 84 percent of consumers report discounts as the most important reasons for signing up to receive emails. Mobile devices are clearly becoming an integral part of the consumer e-commerce experience as 74.2 percent will redeem discounts by showing their mobile device to a cashier according to the research.

Mobile Tipping Point for Email

Pete Prestipino — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:30:00 GMT

How do your email list recipients consume your content? On a desktop computer or through their mobile devices (e.g. smartphones)? A new report from Knotice revelas that emails opened on mobile evices are actually on pace to surpass PC opens by the end of 2013.

The “Knotice Mobile Email Opens Report: 2nd Half 2012” reveals that most brands will likely see at least half of their commercial emails opened via mobile devices by the end of this year (2013). Currently, 41 percent of commercial emails are opened on mobile devices, up from a 27 percent mobile email open rate a year earlier.

Key findings from the Knotice report include:

- The number of emails opened on a mobile device (smartphone and/or tablet) during the second half of 2012 rose to 41 percent. This is a 51 percent increase over the former mobile email open rate of 36 percent from the second half of 2012.

- Nearly half of all emails opened in the consumer services industry were opened on mobile devices during the second half of 2012.

- Only 0.07 percent of emails were opened again on multiple devices, down from 0.09 percent during the first half of 2012. This means that even if a compelling subject line was created and the right offer was delivered, if it the email renders poorly on a mobile device or if there isn’t a seamless optimization of the post-click experience, there is a missed opportunity with the mobile opener.

- The Hospitality and Consumer Services industries have seen the highest mobile email open rates with 44 percent and 49 percent respectively.

E-Commerce Email: Converting the Customer

Allison Howen — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 20:25:00 GMT

Cart abandonment is among the most frustrating problems that e-commerce merchants face, and unfortunately, it happens way too often.

In fact, 80 percent of online shoppers have placed an item in a shopping cart and left the site without making a purchase, according to comScore’s Online Shopping Customer Experience Study. These abandoned items represent lost opportunities and leave merchants wondering why a purchase was not completed.

That being said, perhaps the best way for merchants to fight against cart abandonment is with a strong email retargeting strategy. By retargeting customers through email, merchants have the ability to reach the specific visitors who abandon their carts. Not only can a retargeting message remind someone about the products they left behind, but merchants can also offer some type of incentive in order to close the sale, such as free shipping or a discount code.

In the first installment of “E-Commerce Email: Welcoming the Customer,” Website Magazine looked at the welcome messages of 10 online shoe retailers. However, Part 2 is looking at the retargeting strategies of the same retailers. The examples below can be used to provide e-commerce merchants, regardless of industry, with insights into how some companies are guiding consumers through the purchase cycle via email.

DSW

This retargeting message offers a friendly reminder about the items I left in my cart during my last visit to DSW.com. While the content of the message is pretty generic and doesn’t display the specific products left in my cart, it does relay a sense of urgency by stating that items sell out fast. Additionally, the email tries to encourage me to make a purchase with the mention of free shipping at the very top of the message.

Zappos

Not only does Zappos send a reminder about the products I left in my shopping cart, but the company also displays the exact items I abandoned within this retargeting message. Furthermore, Zappos uses a mixture of quirky editorial text and bright call-to-action buttons to persuade me to complete the purchase. It is also important to note that Zappos creates a sense of urgency by letting me know that there is limited availability for one of the items in my cart.

Macy’s

Macy’s was among the first brands to send a welcome email to me after I became a member on the site. However, after abandoning a couple of shoes in my cart on Macys.com last week, I still have not received a retargeting message or any other type of email from the company.

Skechers

I never received a retargeting message from Skechers in regards to the items I abandoned in my shopping cart last week; however, I did receive a different message from the company, which was promoting one of their products.

TOMS

TOMS does a good job at disguising its retargeting message. This is because the company features a pair of shoes that I had abandoned in my cart, while also providing a large call-to-action button that encourages me to shop for new arrivals. Moreover, the email’s message tells customers that it is okay to be “picky” when it comes to making a purchase, and even further reassures customers by outlining the TOMS return policy and mentioning free shipping within the email’s subject line.

ShoeDazzle

ShoeDazzle implements an aggressive retargeting strategy, because I received not only one message encouraging me to come back to my cart, but two. The first message, which was sent out the same day that I abandoned my ShoeDazzle cart, captures attention with its catchy heading – “Your Cart Has Abandonment Issues.” Additionally, the subject line and content of this email is customized to remind me about the exact type of shoe I left behind. Conversely, the second message (sent the day after I abandoned the cart), relays a sense of urgency with the use of phrases like “don’t miss out.” It is also important to note that both messages try to entice consumers to make a purchase by offering free shipping and free return shipping.

JCPenney

After abandoning some shoes in my JCPenney shopping cart a week ago, I still have not received a retargeting email from the company. In fact, the only message I received from JCPenney (aside from the initial welcome email) was one asking me to sign up for text alerts.

Steve Madden

This friendly reminder from Steve Madden not only displays the exact products that I abandoned in my cart last week, but also offers a limited time incentive for free shipping. While this incentive is pointless for my order (since the site already offers free shipping on orders over $75), it would definitely be a good incentive for consumers who don't qualify for free shipping. Furthermore, Steve Madden asks consumers to provide feedback if they decide not to complete their order. This provides the company with insights that can help improve the customer experience.

Overstock

Although Overstock did things a little backward by sending a retargeting message before sending me a welcome message last week, it is safe to say that this company has a robust email strategy. While I eventually received a welcome message from the company (along with a variety of other promotional messages), I also received two retargeting emails within the last week. The first message arrived promptly after I abandoned my cart and displayed Overstock’s checkout page with the exact products I left behind, complete with the purchase total and multiple call-to-action buttons encouraging me to finish the transaction. The second message was sent two days after I abandoned my cart. It featured the products I left behind next to bright call-to-action buttons, as well as contained a section of additional recommended products at the bottom of the message.

JustFab

While I didn’t initially receive a welcome email from JustFab at the time of last week’s Part 1 writing, it is important to note that I eventually received a welcome message from the company along with a variety of other promotional emails. Among those messages, was a retargeting email encouraging me to complete my purchase. While the message isn’t very personalized, it does include bright call-to-action buttons and prominently displays other information persuading consumers to complete their purchase, such as the "free shipping" and "easy exchange" text at the top.

E-Commerce Email: Welcoming the Customer

Allison Howen — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:35:00 GMT

The World Wide Web of 2013 provides online retailers with a variety of options for reaching customers – from social networks to digital advertisements. Yet one tool tends to outperform the rest – email.

In fact, a recent study from marketing automation platform provider Eloqua found that email still drives more traffic than social media, which is likely because email provides a direct line of communication between businesses and consumers. Moreover, the most successful email campaigns are personalized and targeted so that messages not only grab attention, but are also relevant to each recipient.

That being said, you can learn a lot about a company from their email campaign. For example, an initial “welcome” email means that a company takes customer acquisition very seriously and is trying to foster a relationship with consumers, while a retargeting message that features items from an abandoned cart shows that the company is taking every step necessary to avoid a lost sale.

Luckily, merchants can learn from the email campaigns of other online retailers without filling up their inbox, because Website Magazine conducted an in-house experiment to analyze the email strategies of 10 retailers on the ’Net. The first installment of E-Commerce Emails will take a look at the tactics merchants use to welcome their customers, while Part 2 will analyze how merchants guide consumers through the purchasing cycle via email.

EDITORS NOTE: Website Magazine decided to analyze the email campaigns of online shoe retailers for this experiment. However, regardless of the type of items your e-commerce store sells, there are still many takeaways that can be gleaned from these merchants’ email strategies.

Only 80 percent of the targeted retailers for this experiment actually sent out welcome emails. Here is the list of the targeted retailers: DSW, Zappos, Macy's, Toms, Skechers, ShoeDazzle, JCPenney, Steve Madden, Overstock and JustFab.

DSW

DSW not only personalizes the subject line and message by using my first name, but also adds social elements by offering an incentive for me to “like” the company on Facebook.

Zappos

While Zappos didn’t personalize this message, the company does welcome me as part of the “family” and highlights its outstanding return and shipping policy at the top of the message. Additionally, Zappos uses a smart strategy by asking recipients to add the company to their address book at the top of the message, because this will ensure that future messages aren’t marked as spam.

Macy’s

Macy’s also didn’t personalize their subject line or message, but the company does offer a 15 percent off promotion and free shipping.

Skechers

Skechers attracts attention from recipients by personalizing their message, offering a promotional code and featuring a large and bright call-to-action button.

TOMS

The design of Toms’ email leaves a lot to be desired, however, the company does personalize both the subject line and message of their welcome email. Moreover, the company outlines the benefits of creating an online user account, as well as offers contact information for customer service needs.

ShoeDazzle

ShoeDazzle doesn’t mess around with promotions. Not only does this retailer offer the largest welcome discount at 25 percent off, but the company also tells consumers that the discount is only good for a limited amount of time. This gives customers a sense of urgency, especially if they are already considering making a purchase from ShoeDazzle.

JCPenney

JCPenney’s welcome message takes a similar approach to the aforementioned TOMS. It features a very simple layout, thanks consumers for registering with the company and outlines the benefits of having an account on jcp.com.

Steve Madden

Steve Madden doesn’t personalize their welcome message, however, the company does thank new subscribers and offers a 10 percent discount for the consumer’s next online purchase. Furthermore, the company tells new subscribers what type of future messages they can expect from Steve Madden.

Overstock

Although I did not receive a welcome message from Overstock.com, I did already receive a retargeting message from the company when I abandoned by shopping cart. However, most consumers will want to be welcomed before they are pushed into the sales cycle. Stay tuned to learn more about Overstock’s retargeting message in next week’s Part 2.

JustFab

After double checking my spam folder, it is safe to say that JustFab has made no attempt to reach out to their new subscriber via email yet.

Reviews Come to Listrak Emails

Allison Howen — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Online retailers know how important product reviews are to digital shoppers, which is why Listrak has brought ratings and reviews to email.

The company’s new Ratings and Reviews solution automatically incorporates a merchant’s best reviews into email messages. The solution integrates with Bazaarvoice, recently acquired PowerReviews and Magento’s ratings and reviews module to help improve the performance of email campaigns. This is because user-generated content, like ratings and reviews, can influence a customer’s purchasing decisions, which can lead to increased engagement and conversion rates.

The Ratings and Reviews solution delivers user-generated content into highly targeted emails, incorporates the retailer’s unique branding and messaging as well as delivers messages at the right time in the sales cycle. Moreover, Listrak’s solution filters the ratings and reviews, so only the most impactful are used. By incorporating reviews into campaigns, merchants have the ability to influence purchasing decisions and shorten the sales cycle because consumers won’t need to search for product reviews online.

“In addition to influencing immediate purchase decisions, ratings and reviews result in consumers being more engaged with the brand, prolonging the customer lifecycle and increasing customer lifetime value, which is what all of Listrak’s email marketing solutions promise to deliver,” said Listrak CEO Ross Kramer.

Deliver Responsive Emails with Zurb

Allison Howen — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Mobile has changed everything.

In fact, in 2012 most Web workers were focused on projects like building applications and launching mobile-optimized websites. But going into 2013, Web workers need to focus on other mobile initiatives, such as building email campaigns that display properly on all screen sizes.

This is because the increase of smartphone usage has led many consumers to check their emails while on the go, and messages that are not optimized for smaller screens are turning readers away. Luckily, there are solutions available that allow email marketers to assemble responsive emails campaigns, including Zurb’s responsive email templates.

Responsive emails automatically conform to the user’s screen, regardless of size, and Zurb has made five different templates available to the public. Each template comes with a separate CSS stylesheet and HTML file. Zurb notes that all CSS needs to be inline for HTML emails and that marketers will want to use a CSS inliner tool to send their messages, however, many email platforms will do this automatically. Learn more about how to get started with these templates here.

Eye-Opening Email Marketing Stats

Michael Garrity — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 19:30:00 GMT

Email remains one of the most important avenues for marketers trying to reach relevant customers on the Internet.

However, the Web is (always) evolving, and the best practices of yesterday don’t necessarily hold up as well as we approach 2013. Add to that many of the common misconceptions or misunderstandings about email marketing, and some marketers may find that their campaign operations are largely ineffective.

This is why it’s always nice to pay attention to new data coming from experts in the field, such as marketing automation platform provider Eloqua, which recently released “5 Charts That Could Change Your Email Marketing,” a recently released analysis which gives email marketers a fresh perspective on what an effective campaign looks like today.

Let’s take a look at those charts:

“How Frequently Should I Email My Database?”
Email frequency can have a direct impact on conversions, especially if a marketer is sending too few or too many emails, with the latter being particularly detrimental. In fact, Eloqua warns that “more emails don’t mean more click-throughs” and says that while increasing the number of emails you send out will probably mean that they are read more often, but it doesn’t really have any effect on click-throughs/conversions, ultimately making the whole effort fruitless. In other words, less is more.

“Weekends are the Best Time to Send Email”
It would seem that because most people have more free time on the weekends to spend using the Internet for personal endeavors, they are more likely to pay attention to and convert on emails sent to them during the weekend, which comes from an analysis of 1.5 billions emails. Eloqua actually found that the highest click-through rates (CTRs) were registered on Saturdays, probably while users were sitting around marathon viewing TV shows on Netflix and checking their emails (note: this is totally author speculation). Interestingly, the study also found that most marketers don’t actually take use the weekends to send out emails.

“Personalized Subject Lines Key to Email Open Rates”
A little personal touch can go a long way in resonating with your target audience, and by adding a recipient’s name and an additional bit of personal information (such as their location) into an email’s subject line, you will see a significant increase in open rates.

“Personal Signatures Increase Email Open Rates by 500%”
Yes, you read that right; it does say 500 percent. Simply personalizing the signatures in your emails can increase open rates five times as much as emails without them, and will also improve CTRs by 350 percent. That’s a pretty impressive impact and definitely makes it seem worth it to attach a personalized signature as you sign off your email.

“Email Still Drives More Traffic than Social”
Finally, just to reiterate what we’ve been hearing for years now, email still leads social media in referral traffic, despite social’s dramatic increase of 331 percent from the same quarter year-over-year. Eloqua analysis showed that over several quarters, email consistently drove more traffic than social. So, it looks like marketers are going to have to divide their time between the two channels for the foreseeable future.

Monitor Email Video Metrics

Allison Howen — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Email marketers can start monitoring how their subscribers interact with videos thanks to the Email + Video widget from StreamSend.

The email marketing provider’s widget helps marketers identify their video subscribers and monitor how their videos are being shared. Additionally, the widget can be leveraged to add list building and a call-to-action button to any video, which is a less expensive method than building this capability directly into the video production.

“Video channels need to know who their subscribers are, and where their videos travel online, so that they can better target and add value to their customer communications,” said Dan Forootan, president of StreamSend Email Marketing. “Earlier methods have been expensive and inflexible. With our widget capability, they can get to know their audience, and messages can be tailored to changing customer preferences, while costing way less.”

Businesses can drag and drop the widget for any existing video, including YouTube videos, and then configure it for sending. By sending a video through email, it has an increased chance of being shared by subscribers on social networks. Furthermore, businesses can add a form to videos in order to encourage subscribers to respond.

It is also important to note that since StreamSend allows subscribers to watch videos within the email, all of their behavior will be available and trackable, which helps marketers optimize future messages according to subscriber likes and dislikes, while also building response rates and increasing the value of their messages to customers and prospects.

Holiday Checklist for Web Success

Administrator — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:25:00 GMT

Santa called, and he wanted to make sure you were ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year. He decided to leave an early present for Web professionals, business owners and retailers everywhere.

As you may know, Santa’s a big fan of lists. In order to help out Website Magazine readers as they prepare for the rapidly approaching holiday shopping season, he left an informative checklist that you can all use to ensure your website and marketing campaigns are ready to go when consumers come knocking on your virtual doors. And, it just so happens his checklist follows Website Magazine's content channels.

Prepare for Customer Inquiries
The biggest difference for customers who decide to shop on the Web rather than in-store, is the lack of customer service. For example, a customer who is searching for a specific blue sweater in a brick-and-mortar store can easily ask a sales associate for assistance, however, this is not the case on the Web. Merchants can combat this problem by adding customer service solutions, such as live chat or virtual assistants, to their websites. These solutions not only provide consumers with a better shopping experience, but can also improve conversion and engagement rates. Learn more about bringing your company’s sales team to the ’Net here.

Advertise Everywhere
Nowadays, there are many avenues where brands can spend their advertising dollars on the ’Net, including within search, social and mobile channels. This is why marketers should analyze online advertising campaigns from holidays past to determine which campaigns generated the best return on investment. By doing this, marketers can also review which keywords from the 2011 holiday season sent the most and highest converting traffic. Once the best-performing keywords have been discovered, marketers should also add a few more for the 2012 season and then select which words will be added to their holiday-specific paid search campaigns. However, marketers should also consider spending their advertising dollars on social and mobile marketing as well. This is because a recent study from Marin Software reveals that many consumers turn to Facebook during their hunt for deals around Thanksgiving time. Furthermore, a separate study from the Interactive Advertising Bureau reveals that consumers are very likely to take an action, such as investigate a product or local business, once they have engaged with a mobile ad.

Be Mobile Ready
Mobile shopping has reached $20 billion in 2012, with that number set to grow with tablet shopping, according to Javelin Strategy & Research. The company's Strategy & Research EVP and Research Director, Mary Monahan, counts tablets as the ideal channel to transform PC-based online shoppers into mobile shoppers because of the large-screen real estate and mobile capabilities.

"Increasingly mobile devices like tablets are being used as shopping tools but the mobile buying experience is not keeping pace with consumer activity," said Monahan. "Apps engage consumers to make purchases. With the upcoming holidays, retailers must prepare for the mobile shopping trend or lose out on the opportunity to convert browsers into buyers.”

Companies like Usablenet, which are behind the mobile experiences of some of the world's top brands (Hilton, FedEx, Mercedes-Benz USA – to name a few) can help retailers create a mobile experience, quickly and at a low cost. The Usablenet platform requires no client IT resources, no systems integration and no Web development.

Create a Savvy Social Campaign
Retailers not leveraging social media’s prowess this holiday season – and in general – stand to lose out on revenue that is often unexpected. For brands looking to sell on Facebook, Website Magazine has compiled a how-to list of sorts, found here. However, Pinterest is the real standout network of the season. Its potential and popularity is in its simplicity. It takes very little to get started. Any retailer, of any size, can create a Holiday Gift Board. In turn, users will like and re-pin these products. And, the real beauty of Pinterest is that a retailer’s products aren’t only limited to who is following that brand and who, among their followers, is friends with. For the most part, Pinterest users view boards and pins outside of their network. Capitalizing on this free channel is a slam dunk this season. Additionally, retailers can integrate Pinterest with email, to see how, click here.

Engage with Email
One of the best ways to encourage audience engagement with your brand during the holiday season is with email. In fact, a recent study from Listrak and Harris Interactive reveals that 41 percent of Americans who receive emails from retailers have made a purchase in the past six months as a direct result of receiving the retailer’s email. This channel definitely shouldn’t be overlooked; instead, it should be in the forefront of your holiday marketing strategies. Holiday email campaigns should include frequent sending at optimal times and days of the week, as well as contain promotional offers and gift idea suggestions. Additionally, email can be a valuable tool for creating repeat customers during the holiday season. For example, after a consumer makes an online purchase, marketers can automatically send a follow-up email that thanks the consumer for their purchase and offers a coupon to bring the consumer back – either in stores, online or after the holidays.

Be Search Friendly
Consumers do a lot of searching during the holidays on their quest to find the perfect gift for someone special. In the online world, much of that searching is done through Google, whose search engine just happens to feature product listing ads, as well as a wholly re-imagined product search service called Google Shopping that essentially works as a separate retail-focused search engine. Prepare yourself by creating a product feed and linking it to AdWords. Your product rankings are based on four factors: data quality, bid management, quality score and enrollment in the Trusted Stores Program. So jam-pack product listings with as many extra attributes as you can, carefully organize your ad groups and set (accurate and appropriate) ad group level bids. Then, just write a promotional messaging, make sure your product listings have images and you’re off to the races. It’s far more effective than dressing up mannequins in a window.

Pick Up the Speed, Developmentally Speaking
The holiday season will inevitably bring about holiday traffic, and if your site isn’t adequately prepared, it could be costly. After all, most e-commerce sites are notorious for having slow site speeds to begin with, so you don’t want to be chasing away more customers (and losing more revenue) than you have to. In fact, optimizing your site and providing faster load times than your competitors will probably make you a more desirable destination for shoppers looking to research or purchase products online. You can use Google’s Page Speed Online website to quickly test the speed and performance of your website. But hurry, because there’s not a lot of time left; early bird holiday shoppers will be visiting your website before you know it, if they’re not already.