How to send transactional emails without being mistaken for spam
A common question amongst business owners is,“How can I send emails that will make it past a customer’s suspicions?” The answer is to identify the email source, state the purpose of the email, and condense communication.
Consider the source: Identify yourself
Studies show that addressing emails is a stressful experience for consumers. When greeted with a daunting list of unopened emails, they try to quickly sort through the list. They scan it, looking for the most important or anticipated emails, simultaneously noticing messages they don’t recognize and suspect are junk. As they try to prune the list down to the essentials, they use the “from” field and subject line as clues that indicate if the message is worth their time.
The problem lies in misleading names and email titles. Overzealous emails that address sales will be seen as “spam” and quickly deleted. Obvious mistakes include vague titles like “important information” or action words like “buy,” along with miXeD cAsEs or excessive punctuation, particularly exclamation points. Make subject lines relevant by stating precisely what the email contains, for example, “Invoice for your purchase: StoreName.com.” A customer will recognize the site name when paired with words that imply a transaction like, “return,” “cancellation,” “subscription,” etc. and open the message to read more.
Composing what will appear in the “from” field is more difficult as you’re usually limited to 20 characters. Obviously, a personal name should never be used as a customer likely won’t recognize it. Work a company name into the title and set up accounts that are immediately recognizable to the customer, like reservations@hotwire, info@ebay, and orderconf@macys. Seeing sources like these will trigger the memory of a transaction.
Come out and say it: State the purpose
Studies show web users prefer to scan websites for information as opposed to reading every word. It’s no different with emails. Write in plain, simple language that can be read quickly and understood easily.
Customers should be informed after purchases, shipping, returns, registration, rebates, information requests, and cancellations, to name a few. However, if you send out an email after every stage of the purchase, you’ll overdo it and your emails will find their way to the trash, or worse, the blocked list.
Don’t approach transactional emails as an opportunity for news on sales, specials and new product lines. It may lower your credibility with a customer and they may stop paying attention to your emails altogether. If a customer is interested they will sign up for newsletters or emails that discuss announcements, promotions, and specials. Incidentally, all marketing emails like this should include an opt-out link that is simple and easy to follow. More importantly, businesses must follow through and immediately honor the request.
Be short and sweet: Condense communication
Ensure your longevity by keeping your emails brief. It is a good practice to be concise and succinct when writing for the web, but writing email messages demands even stingier writing. For notifications of purchases, shipments and other basic informative messages, pretend you are being charged by the word and say only what is essential.
Once opened, customers should be able to quickly read through the message and pick up the pertinent information. They’ll appreciate the notice and how little time it took for them to be informed. In case customers do desire more information, you can always provide links to explanation or contact pages on your website.
Studies show that people read 25% slower online than on paper. If you are sending important information that should be read, like a term of service agreement, split text into small paragraphs and condense what you are saying. Place the most important news at the top of the page, giving supporting information and less important details as the article progresses. This will ensure that those who open the email will read the most important news first. If you anticipate customer questions, try providing a link to a FAQ section. A succinct, well-worded email can reduce confusion and lower incoming phone calls. Needless to say, the fewer phone calls from confused customers your company receives, the better.
More tips for better email retention
- If you know the name of the person to whom you are sending your email, be sure to use it a few times throughout the message body. Also, try to use opening and closing greetings, such as "Hello” or “Best Regards.” Personalizing emails with professional salutations will extend respect and create a positive experience with the transaction.
- Be careful not to leave the subject line blank as this can cause the recipient to discard the email as junk mail.
- Check and reply to your e-mail daily. Many customers will expect a prompt reply. If you leave an email from a customer untouched for longer than the typical business day, they will feel ignored.
- In e-commerce, an emailed conversation may become a legal document. Be sure to keep copies of important conversations and records of returns, exchanges or other disputes in a special folder.
Email communication should be targeted to the consumer, as it is for their benefit. By sending only what’s necessary and reducing the time they spend reading emails they will be happier and more apt to continue shopping your site.
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