How Email Marketing Software Can Improve Customer Retention And Acquisition

Customer Retention and Acquisition: It is one thing getting a customer for your business, but it is quite another to keep that customer.

There are so many things that could happen to stop them remaining with you and going on to be a valuable repeat customer.

In business, it is repeat customers that you really want to really encourage, the kinds of people who love what you do and are happy to spend money with you time and time again.

Here are some possible reasons why customers may decide not do carry on doing business with you:

– they are unhappy with your customer service

– you make it difficult to buy from you

– it is hard to get information on exactly what you offer for sale

– they feel that they are not important to your business

– the overall ‘customer experience’ is not good.

The good news is that when it comes to customer retention, using email marketing software such as RocketResponder could really help with all of the possible reasons shown above for customers deciding to take their business elsewhere.

Let’s take each point in turn:

Your customers are unhappy with the service you provide them.

This is easy to put right. If you have the mindset that you want to retain customers for as long as you possibly can then you will work hard on keeping customers happy.

One great way is to use email to inform your customers about your business and to let them know how they can contact you if things go wrong. Use a short email series when a new customer joins your list to show that you care about each individual customer and how you go the extra mile to ensure that your service will meet and exceed their expectations.

You make it difficult for customers to buy from you.

It is amazing how many businesses fail here. If you do business online then there must be a quick and easy way for customers to buy items from your website. The process should be clear, obvious and very easy to complete.

You can also make it easy to buy from you by sending out emails to your subscriber list which contain information on your current offers, special deals, seasonal promotions and so forth. Also be sure to include a link in the email to the sales page for the deals, services or products that you are highlighting.

Nobody will ever complain that you make it too easy to buy from you.

 Hard to find out what you offer for sale.

Once again you cannot be too obvious about this. Your website, if you are online, should clearly state what you sell so that there is no doubt in the visitor’s mind whether or not they are on the right site for what they want to buy.

Once again use emails to highlight your latest offers. The great selection of email templates and images inside RocketResponder really let you show off what you are selling to maximum advantage and, of course, you can upload your own images to send to your customers via email.

Your customers don’t feel important to you.

This is a really big mistake and one you don’t want to make. Remember that by building a list of customers or subscribers you are building a list of individuals.

When you email your list, always address the emails to the individual and write as though you are writing to just one customer. Imagine your ideal customer and write your emails for that individual. Just doing this will go a long way to ensuring that all your customers feel valued and important to your business.

Overall customer experience.

These days, increasing numbers of customers want to do more than simply buy something from you. They want the buying process to be an experience which begins with them thinking about making the process and continues right through to using the goods or service that they have purchased.

If that process is pleasurable then it is more likely that you will retain more of your customers and attract new ones.

This is one of the reasons that you will want to send out emails on a regular basis to your customers. Say you are introducing a new range of goods in two month’s time. Well it would be a great idea to explain ahead of time that you have exciting new goods coming soon. You can give more and more details as the launch approaches to build up excitement in the minds of your customers.

Then when you are ready to go live a series of emails explaining that you can now buy, and a direct link to the sales page, should really pay dividends.

Finally remember that you will be adding new subscribers to your email list all the time and this is how you can do well on the customer acquisition front.

When someone joins your list and sees that you have a well-structured series of emails to show that you care about your customers and really want to help them, then they will be more likely to want to go on and buy from you.

Using email for customer retention and acquisition is not difficult but it is a really important step in both processes. With RocketResponder we have worked hard behind the scenes to ensure that getting the right message to your customers is fun, really quick and easy to do.

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How Email Marketing Software Can Improve Customer Retention And Acquisition

RocketResponder Launches Cool New Responsive Email Editor With 360,000 Free Images

RocketResponder has launched a cool new responsive email editor, which not only ensures that your emails look highly professional, but which works flawlessly across all email clients and on all devices.

This is a huge upgrade for RocketResponder and means you will have total control over how your emails will look for that extra special personal touch that your subscribers will really appreciate.

Not only will your emails look great but the new email editor fully fits in with the RocketResponder ethos of being fun to use and easy to understand.

Now you choose exactly how you display your emails and you can either upload your own images or browse through more than 360,000 free images directly from our email editor. We have integrated RocketResponder with Pixabay to provide you with free, high quality images, vectors and art illustrations that you can use anywhere.

So let’s take a look at how it all works…

When you login to your RocketResponder control panel to send an email to your subscribers you now see a screen which looks like this.

 

Note that there are currently seven templates to choose from but new ones will be added on a regular basis.

The templates are cool, but they are not the coolest part at all…think of them as your starting point but the really cool feature is the total flexibility you now have to be creative with your email design.

Even if you have no design skills, this easy-to-use drag-and-drop system will have you producing professional-looking emails in just minutes.

So choose a template that you like and start having fun…

Here are just some of the really cool features which you will love and will have you looking at the way you send emails in a whole new light…

* There is absolutely no complicated coding to learn or implement.

* Just click on the heading and wording to change it to what you want to say.

* For any elements you don’t need, then just highlight them and delete.

* Click on the pictures to either replace them with your own or choose from the 360,000 images we have available for you.

* Easily add any section from the options in the right hand side by just dragging them over to where you want them to go.

* Make headings, text or pictures clickable with hyperlinks to take your subscribers to the content you want them to see.

* Change font types, text colors, text size and add bullets, lists and buttons with ease.

* Never worry about your emails looking good across all email clients…they just will.

* Never worry about having to optimize your emails for desktops, laptops, smartphones or tablets…we have taken care of that for you already.

* One touch email preview function. See exactly how your email will look before you send it.

Here is a quick look at the awesome image editor. Let’s say you want to replace the standard image with one of a cute kitten…so you click on the picture, press the camera icon and search for the word ‘kittens.’

Or maybe ‘chocolate cake’

Or ‘furniture’…

I think you get the idea…now choose an image you want, edit the text next to it and you are all set.

This is what you might do for example if you have written a blog post about exotic pets…

Default view…

Your version…

Make the image, the headline or part of the text clickable to your subscribers are taken directly to your blog and watch your views get a massive boost.

All you have to worry about is working out what message you want to get across to your subscribers and soon you will be sending out the most eye-catching emails you have ever produced.

Best of all there is no steep learning curve. We have taken a great deal of time to ensure that this is as intuitive and easy to use as is humanly possible.

Reading about the new RocketResponder responsive email editor on a blog post is one thing, but actually using it for yourself is a whole new experience you will not want to miss out on. Log in today and try it for yourself.

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RocketResponder Launches Cool New Responsive Email Editor With 360,000 Free Images

Top email tips: How To Do An Email Follow Up Series

When people subscribe to your autoresponder email list they expect to be contacted by you. After all they have given you their email address for the purpose of you contacting them by email.

So when you create a group of subscribers (and remember with an autoresponder like RocketResponder you can have as many different subscriber groups as you want) you will need a series of emails to send out to them.

If you think of your subscribers as guests to an event you have invited them to attend, then your email series is the content you have laid on for them to enjoy.

The beauty of an autoresponder is that nobody ever misses anything by arriving late for the event…the content for each new subscriber begins only once they show up to hear what you have to say.

Here is how it is done…

Writing An Email Followup Series

Assume that you run a website that specializes in everything to do with exotic cats and you sell related products in the exotic cat care market.

You have a form prominently displayed on your website’s homepage which asks people to “Subscribe now to get all my insider secrets about exotic cats and to be first to receive my latest offers.”

Now you want to write some emails – your follow up series – which each subscriber will receive over a time period of your choosing.

For this example you have a short series of just seven emails. These might be the subject area you want to cover in your email series.

1. Welcome to my world of exotic cats, who I am and what you can expect to get from me.

2. Tell me about your exotic cats…follow me on Twitter and post your pictures on my Facebook exotic cats page.

3. Ten top tips for caring your your long haired cats.

4. Why your rare breed of cat is at risk of these three diseases.

5. These diet plans will ensure your cat lives a long and healthy life.

6. Funny stories about cat ownership.

7. Top 20 exotic cat videos on YouTube

Let’s say you want to send out two emails a week – so, for each of the seven messages, you would set the number of days after the subscriber joins your list, that you would like it to be sent out.

You might do it like this:

Message 1 – goes out on on day one

Message 2 – goes out on day three

Message 3 – goes out on day seven

Message 4 – goes out on day ten

Message 5 – goes out on day 14

Message 6 – goes out on day 17

Message 7 – goes out on day 21.

In this example it would take three weeks to deliver your seven messages but the overall size of your email series and the time frame for which you want it delivered is totally up to you.

It might be that you have specific products or services that you have to offer and these offers can be added into the relevant emails.

So a link to your latest deals on cat grooming products would fit naturally into the email about caring for long-haired cats, while your specialist cat good products could be linked to the email on cat diet plans.

You can add to the email series at any time, edit individual emails or change your offers.

One really important point is that not every email needs to contain an offer…in fact it is far better to limit your offers or people will think that you are only interested in their money.

It is good, however, to have a link to be clicked in every email as this gets your subscribers into the habit of clicking on your links. Sometimes the link could be to an offer and at other times to a page on your blog or one of your social media channels for example.

RocketResponder allows you to handle multiple lists of subscribers from one account and managing your email series is simple and straightforward.

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Top email tips: How To Do An Email Follow Up Series

Why Do I Need An Autoresponder?

One of the things we are always finding at RocketResponder, is that the most diverse groups of people and organizations can benefit from using an autoresponder.

Two of the most common questions we get asked are “What is an autoresponder?” and “Why do I need an autoresponder?”

The first question was addressed in this blog post – What is an autoresponder and how does it work? - and the second one is the subject of this current post.

It might be easier to first set out why you might not need to use an autoresponder. Basically if you are only sending emails to friends or family then you will not need an autoresponder…a regular email service will more than adequately meet your needs.

When using regular email, you manually write out and send an email to, typically, one person at a time and every time you want to send an email message then you have physically write it out and send it.

Why Do I Need An Autoresponder?

If you find that you are regularly having to send the same emails to different people then you most certainly could benefit from using an autoresponder which will allow you to send the same email, or series of emails to multiple people, automatically as they sign up to receive emails from you.

If you don’t regularly send the same emails to different people – but could see how doing so would be of benefit to you – then you could also benefit from using an autoresponder.

Here are just some categories where using an autoresponder could bring big benefits and save you a lot of time in physically sending emails.

small businesses – contact your customers and keep them updated with special offers and promotions

large businesses – keep customers updated with special offers and promotions while also managing your internal email communications

special interest groups – send out information about your niche to those who share the same passion as you.

bloggers – let your readers know as soon as your blog has new content

affiliate marketers – promote launches and affiliate offers to your list at exactly the time you want to. Never miss a launch date again.

restaurants – let your customers know about special menus, themed events, food and beverage deals and offers.

website owners – maximize targeted traffic by building up a subscriber list of fans.

political groups – contact potential voters, organize support and publicize campaigns.

churches – contact your congregation about upcoming services, spread God’s word and reach out to the wider community.

non profits – highlight the work you do, explain why it is so important and raise your profile.

internet marketers – having an efficient, reliable autoresponder is the life-blood of your business.

These are just a small selection of people who would benefit from using an autoresponder, but the list is virtually endless.

In all cases there has to be a desire to communicate information to a specific group of people on the one hand and a desire for a group of people to receive that information on the other.

An autoresponder is the tool that brings those two groups together and ensures that your message gets out quickly and efficiently.

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Why Do I Need An Autoresponder?

What Is An Email List?

When it comes to communicating with groups of people via email, then you will constantly hear people talking about their email lists.

But what is an email list, where does it come from and why do you want one?

So let’s break this down and look at each question in turn.

What is an email list?

According to Wikipedia: “A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. The term is often extended to include the people subscribed to such a list, so the group of subscribers is referred to as “the mailing list”, or simply “the list”.

That is factually correct but it misses one very vital element which you will need to understand if you are going to get the best out of the interactions you have with your list.

Never overlook the fact that your list is made up by individual people and it is the individuals on the list with whom you are communicating when you send out emails.

This may seem like an obvious point but it is something you should have at the forefront of your mind every time you communicate with your list, so that your messages are always personal and relevant.

So while you will be sending emails to multiple recipients, the trick is to make each recipient feel as though the email was written just for them. Achieve that and you will have a really wonderful relationship with your list.

Where does my email list come from?

When you use automated email software like RocketResponder for the first time, you don’t have a list at all to begin with.

What happens is people subscribe, or sign up, to be added to your list. If you have a website or blog you can invite people to sign up to your list in order to receive relevant information from you about their particular area of interest.

It can be quite common to give subscribers an incentive to join your list, such as a free report, a discount on their first order from you or some other offer which may encourage them to trust you with their email address.

It should go without saying that you will get the best response from your list of people if you actually deliver what you said you would when people granted you permission to email them.

For example if you promised to give people your ‘insider secrets’ to getting upgraded by the major airlines as an incentive to join your list then this should be the first thing they receive.

Be upfront and honest with your subscribers and you can have people on your email list for many years.

Why do I want an email list?

No matter what industry or niche you find yourself in, you will want an email list is there is a group of people with whom you would like to communicate via email.

You might want to promote your latest offers to potential customers, inform people about your specialist area of expertise, get a message out to supporters, inform, entertain or raise awareness for a cause.

If you have something to say and there is an audience which wants to hear your message then the email list is a way of bringing you and your audience together and a service like RocketResponder is the tool which manages every aspect of this communication.

 

What Is An Email List?

Why Building A List Is Like Tending A Lawn

It might not appear that building a list has anything to do with keeping your lawn looking good…but it has.

One of the mistakes that listbuilders tend to make is concentrating on the numbers on their lists to the exclusion of everything else.

This would be similar to just laying a new lawn and doing nothing but ensure that the grass grows. While this will work well for a while, soon the grass will become unmanageable and you will not have the results you wanted.

However if you spend time regularly ensuring that the new lawn has the right nutrients it needs, is regularly watered and trimmed then it will look good all year round.

It is exactly the same when it comes to building a list – it needs regular maintenance and while the work needed is not too hard or even too time consuming, but it does still need to be done.

Here are three top tips to help ensure that you get the very best out of your email list:

1. Remember that you are building a list of people. The names and email addresses on your list all belong to individual people so be sure to treat them as both people and individuals. Be personal, write for the individuals on your list and not to the overall list as a whole. That way people will feel that they matter to you and that you want to help them. Using an autoresponder like RocketResponder can really help build the personal touch between you and your subscribers if you take care to treat your list as a group of individuals.

2. Be helpful, informative and respectful. Never forget that you do not have people on your list as a right…they are there because they want something from you. Generally the ‘something’ that people want is information relevant to their needs. Take care to draft a series of emails that will meet those needs so that your subscribers get the information they want in a timely manner. Make sure that every new subscriber gets a welcome email and that you let them know how they can contact you when they need additional information or when things go wrong.

3. Be flexible and react to fast-moving events. A good autoresponder is not just there for sending out a pre-written email series – it is much more flexible than that. Sometimes you will want to send out emails to your subscribers which do not fit into the pre-programmed series of emails that you had planned in advance. This is useful when you are reacting to breaking news or to new events in your niche or when you have some exciting news to impart or a new offer or promotion coming up.

It does not take too much time to keep on top of your email list, even when it grows to a large size. Just take the time and effort to tend to your list just as you might tend to a well-cared-for lawn and you will be sure to get the very best results from your list-building activities.

Why Building A List Is Like Tending A Lawn

What Is Email Marketing And Why Should I Use It?

What Is Email Marketing?

When you send a commercial email to a potential client, a customer, a subscriber or to any distinct group of people, then that is email marketing.

You are using email to market your products, goods or services or may be alerting your target group to your latest offers or promotions or simply be raising awareness or helping for form opinions with your email message.

According to Wikipedia, email marketing “…involves using email to send ads, request business, or solicit sales or donations, and is meant to build loyalty, trust, or brand awareness…

“Broadly, the term is usually used to refer to sending email messages with the purpose of enhancing the relationship of a merchant with its current or previous customers, to encourage customer loyalty and repeat business, acquiring new customers or convincing current customers to purchase something immediately…”

Whether you are a traditional offline business, an online business, a charity, non-profit organization, a specialist interest group, website owner or blogger, you can all use email marketing to add value to what you do.

In fact if you could benefit from sending a message to any group of people, to either help market your products, raise awareness about the causes you support, or drive traffic to your blogs, then an email marketing software tool like RocketResponder is ideal for you.

For whatever purpose you may decide to use email marketing to get your message across, there is one golden rule which cannot be over emphasized. You must have the permission of the people you are sending your emails to, before you communicate with them.

Fail to do this and your emails are simply spam, so getting permission is vital. RocketResponder is designed to ensure that only those people who have expressly agreed to hear from you will ever get your emails.

Furthermore, the moment they decide that they no longer wish to receive your marketing messages they are automatically removed from your mailing list with just a single click of the mouse button.

Using an automated solution to handle your email marketing is very powerful, cost effective and can really help you get your message across to the very people you want to target and, more importantly, to the very people who want to hear from you.

What Is Email Marketing And Why Should I Use It?