Do You Align With Your Online Customers?
That question may seem simple, but recent stats reveal some eye-opening figures about the opinions and feedback that online customers have about everything from their shopping experiences to receiving email communications from the eCommerce sites they buy from. So: Do you align with your online customers?
Figures based on feedback from online customers
Referencing “MessageGears Consumer Engagement Report 2023” in a commentary for Media Post, Ray Schultz warns brands—particularly those that are well-known—about becoming “smug” in regard to the shopping experience they provide to their customers (read: target audience). Here are percentages to take note of…
- 11 percent of online customers are completely satisfied with their shopping experience
- 4 percent like getting emails from their favorite brands—but 87 percent claim that less than half of these messages are personalized
- 66 percent claim they did not “opt in” for communications—but 61 percent still open emails that pertain to brands that interest them
When it comes to receiving digital communications, the favorites methods (in descending order) are as follows…
- Email marketing and promotions – 53 percent
- In-app notifications – 17 percent
- Short message service (SMS) – 12 percent
- Push notifications – 7 percent
Email is good, but too much of a good thing…
As the figures above prove, email still has a lot of power and sway with online shoppers. If your marketing strategy is strong where email is concerned—don’t get too strong with this. (In other words, don’t overdo the email deployments, as nearly half of eCommerce customers will unsubscribe from a brand’s list if they get bombarded with content. This is especially true for holiday-related emails. To understand why this overkill is bad, check out this blog and pay special attention to the practice of “Thoughtful Marketing Movement.”) This raises the question: How often do customers want to receive emails so that they will continue purchasing from your eCommerce site?
To email or not to email? That is the question.
The “MessageGears Consumer Engagement Report 2023” concluded that most customers preferred (or allowed) brand messaging emails delivered between a weekly and monthly basis:
- 30 percent – Weekly
- 21 percent – Monthly
- 16 percent – Several times per week
- 12 percent – Once every two months
- 11 percent – Daily
- 10 percent – Never
With varying figures like these, the importance of knowing—and respecting—how customers are segmented within specific mailing lists cannot be underestimated. (Remember: Nearly half of them might well unsubscribe if they get deluged with emails.) This understanding greatly influences online purchasing decisions, as 34 percent of customers will make a purchase between two-and-three times per month, with 25 percent doing so once a week. (Those are considerable transactions.)
The customer is always right—in-store and online
The convenience of purchasing and selling online is beneficial to both customer and merchant. The reality and drawback, however, is that unlike making transactions in a brick-and-mortar store, customers and merchants don’t meet in-person through eCommerce. This is why knowing the exact type of email communications customers wish to receive—as well as how and when—means the difference between making or breaking a sale.
Are you familiar with Raydeus Local, a full-service marketing agency which specializes in the online support of retail, franchise, and multi-unit businesses? One of these services is email marketing, and our team of specialists can develop strategies, drip campaigns/workflows, messaging and list segmentation to ensure that the right emails are delivered to the right customers in your database.
Contact Raydeus Local to find out more.