How to Get More Customers to Read Your Emails, Act on Your Offer, and Flock to Your Site! Part 3...T

 

A Side Note: Is Change Good? 
  
  
  
  
 
Should you change your subject line each time or keep it the same? Generally, it's a good idea to change it. People ignore information they see over and over again, and if you keep it the same each time you will notice a sharp decline in readership. Your message is different in each mailing and your subject line should be too.
 
 
 
 
 
Of course there is an exception - regularly scheduled mailings. If your readers are already expecting your monthly newsletter you can get away with using the same subject line. They will continue to open it because it is familiar and what they were waiting for.
 
 
 
 
 
If you are unsure about using the same subject line or changing it each time, follow these guidelines:
 
 
 
 
 

Use the same subject for your regularly scheduled mailings, e.g. a monthly newsletter or a weekly update.
 
If you are sending promotional messages, change your subject line each time, as the subscriber may not be expecting your message at the time of its arrival.
 
Experiment with two or three different subject lines and see which one creates the best response.
 

Advanced Tip
 
 
 
 
 
Subscribe to all free online courses and newsletters offered by your competitors to see what they are up to and capture ideas to further improve your offering.
 
 
 
 
 
In particular, subscribe to newsletters offered by the various ecommerce experts whose ideas and products we mention in this book. Watch how they craft their subject lines and engage you with the body of their copy.
 
 
 
 
 
Tactic 3: Personalization
 
 
 
 
 
We briefly covered personalization in the subject line tactic above, but will go into more detail here.
 
 
 
 
 
Personalizing a subject line and the body of the email has proven to be the single most effective way to grab your reader's attention. Using a person's name helps build rapport and establishes a relationship between you and your customer. For example, a personalized headline such as "Cindy, Need Some Gift Ideas?" instantly grabs the reader's attention and will typically have a much higher response rate than a generic subject line.
 
 
 
 
 
There are different software and autoresponder programs available that can help you automatically create personalized subject lines for everyone on your list in no time at all. Simply enter the syntax for your subject line, e.g. "[firstname], need some gift ideas?," and let the program do the rest. It's that simple.
 
 
 
 
 
Most likely, the autoresponder system that you use to communicate with your customers will already offer you the ability to personalize your messages. Definitely take advantage of this! If your autoresponder software does not offer personalization - change software!
 
 
The autoresponder system we recommended in the previously mentioned blog â€“ the Veremail System and the Vere tracking System both allow this feature.
 
 
 
 
 
 
A study on personalization by Mailer Mailer discovered that:
 
 
 
 
 
"Emails with personalized subject lines were opened more often (32.49%, compared with 26.65%) than emails with personalized messages only or no personalization, and they also received higher click rates (8.45%, compared with 4.27%)."
 
 
 
 
 
Personalizing to the subscriber's first name is a great way to start. But don't stop there!
 
 
 
 
 
Geographical Personalization
 
 
 
 
 
When our users subscribe we only ask them for their first name and email address within the signup form. Upon completion they are subscribed immediately but on the next page we then ask them to specify their STATE and COUNTRY. If they provide this information, their subscription is updated to reflect these further pieces of data.
 
 
 
 
 
A good proportion of subscribers will go on and do this. Those that don't simply remain subscribed without their STATE or COUNTRY specified.
 
 
 
 
 
This additional piece of information gives us the opportunity to go even further in personalizing our emails. We can now send emails with subject lines such as
 
 
 
 
 
"Anita, A Special Offer for our California Readers"
 
 
 
 
 
We have found that these types of emails significantly boost open rates. Note that the offer we have does not have to be specific to California readers. All the readers may get the same offer - but by including a further piece of personalization within the email we create a greater bond with the reader.
 
 
 
 
 
Advanced Tip
 
 
 
 
 
An even better way to personalize based on geography is to invest in IP location mapping software that will automatically identify where you readers are coming from based on their IP address.
 
 
 
 
 
You can then use this information to update your subscription database automatically. The software will allow you to automatically know their STATE and often even the CITY the subscriber comes from. If you can personalize your emails by CITY you can see far higher open rates.
 
 
 
 
 
IP location software will run you around $250 a year per server.
 
 
 
 
 
Tactic 4: Make Your Emails Easy to Read
 
 
 
 
 
Different email systems will often display emails in different ways. Follow these guidelines to make sure your emails are easy to read across all common email systems.
 
 
 
 
 
Length
 
 
 
 
 
When sending email promotions you will need to be mindful of character length for both the subject line and the body of the email.
 
 
 
 
 
For the subject line an ideal character limit - including spaces - would be between 35 and 40 characters (about 4 or 5 words). Try not to exceed 50-55 characters or you will run the risk of words being cut off. If you are using personalized subject lines, keep some allowance for customer names (about 6-8 characters).
 
 
 
 
 
It's also helpful to look at the subject lines currently in your inbox. See which ones stand out and look at how long or short the subject line is.
 
 
 
 
 
Formatting
 
 
 
 
 
For HTML emails, make sure your message fits in a table that is 420 pixels wide. This is optimal for readability.
 
 
 
 
 
For text emails you will need to strive for 65 characters per line (including spaces). Again this is for optimal readability.
 
 
 
 
 
Have you ever received a text email that looked like this?
 
 
 
 
 
> Why would a marketer go through all the trouble
> to send out
> an email and have his lines broken up
> into fragments like
> this
 
 
 
 
 
You avoid this by limiting your lines to 65 characters in length and using a good text editor to write your email. Notepad that comes with Windows is just fine - just make sure you press the enter key every 65 characters.
 
 
 
 
 
Now for subject lines. If your subject line does not have a professional-looking format your readers, or their spam filters, may mistake your email for spam and delete it. To avoid this from happening, follow these formatting tips:
 
 
 
 
 
DO NOT USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. It is difficult to read, unappealing to the eye, and seems as if you are shouting at the reader. Standard capitalization typically outperforms capitalizing every word in a sentence, but you should test this for yourself and see what works.
 
 
 
 
 
Don't go overboard with question marks (?) and exclamation points (!). It's annoying and is a sure way not to get your email opened.
 
 
 
 
 
Be careful when using dollar ($) and percent (%) signs. If you must use them, use one or the other but not both in the same subject line.
 
 
 
 
 
Also be sure to use short paragraphs to make reading easier. If your paragraphs span more than 6 lines, cut them into two.
 
 
 
 
 
Fonts
 
 
 
 
 
Several studies have shown that while serif fonts help improve readability on paper, sans serif fonts tend to do better for readability on the web.
 
 
 
 
 
Dr. Ralph Wilson of WilsonWeb.com conducted two separate studies with serif typefaces. First he compared Times New Roman 12 pt, the default for many web browsers, with Arial 12 pt.
 
 
 
 
 
He found that people considered the sans serif font, Arial, twice as readable as Times New Roman.
 
 
 
 
 
He then tested san serif fonts Arial and Verdana for text size and concluded that best results were obtained when using 12 pt Arial for body text, and Verdana in 10 pt and 9 pt for smaller text.
 
 
 
 
 
Tactic 5: Timing is Everything
 
 
 
 
 
When do you send your message to your subscribers? Studies show that your best bet is to deliver your message on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM.
 
 
 
 
 
People are more likely to open your message mid-week when they have a manageable work load and time to spend reading emails. The morning to mid-afternoon time ensures that your message goes out when most people are in the office and have access to email.
 
 
 
 
 
The weekend is viewed as unfavorable since many people often don't check their email when they are not at work, and if they do, they are interested primarily in personal messages from friends and family.
 
 
 
 
 
Friday is close to the weekend and therefore less effective. People are busy finishing work and getting ready for the weekend.
 
 
 
 
 
Monday is considered by many to be the WORST day for sending out a message to your subscribers. People are too busy sifting through their overflowing inboxes with more important, work-related messages. Your message therefore has a higher chance of being deleted.
 
 
 
 
 
Tuesday and Wednesday still allow people time to process your message, refer back to it if necessary, and act by the weekend if not sooner. Thursday can be slightly less effective as it might also be a bit close to the weekend.
 
 
 
 
 
More tips on timing;
 
 
 
 
 

Avoid sending your message near major holidays such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. People are largely unresponsive because they are preoccupied with vacation plans and messages from friends and family.
 
If teenagers are your target audience, then sending your message in the late afternoon when they return home from school might be more effective.
 
Homemakers may be more responsive during the middle of the day.
 
Keep in mind many people work in professions where they have limited or no email access, e.g. restaurant workers, doctors, and teachers, and therefore you will have to test to see what is the optimal time. 
 
Differences in sex could also be a factor in determining the best time to send your emails. While the gap is quickly closing, currently a higher percentage of males are more likely to be online during prime time evening hours (between 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM) compared to their female counterparts. Again, testing is necessary.
 

The key is to understand the demographic and behavioral traits of your subscribers and then, through testing, identify the best time(s) when they are most likely to open your emails and act on them.
 
 
 
 
 
Depending on your business and your target audience, the weekend or Mondays might even turn out to be the better times. Only by trial and error will you have a better idea of what works best for you.
 
 
 
 
 
Determining The Best Time to Send Email
 
 
 
 
 
Here's a shortcut to determining the best time to send your emails. Check your site's visitor statistics. Most web servers will allow you to view the peak times and days of the week that your site gets traffic. You may find that Wednesdays tend to be your best days for visitors and that the hours between 3pm and 5pm are peak visitor times. This means you should probably time your emails to go out on Wednesdays between 3pm and 5pm.
 
 
 
 
 
Tactic 6: Use Visuals
 
 
 
 
 
Visuals are an important component of your email and can be used to grab attention or build loyalty and recognition.
 
 
 
 
 
If your email is promoting a product or service, try including a product shot and test the results. Such images grab attention and may boost clickthrough rates.
 
 
 
 
 
For regularly sent email you could try using a header graphic. A header graphic is a image that appears directly above the body of the email and contains a logo, title or company name. It helps loyal users recognize your email.
 
 
 
 
 
Tactic 7: Text or HTML?
 
 
 
 
 
The text versus HTML debate has been going on for some time. As of 2004, 95% of people using email software were capable of receiving HTML messages, however many online marketers claim that text email provides better results.
 
 
 
 
 
In our observation, newsletters by leading ecommerce experts almost all use text email. One expert on email marketing even warns that HTML email is a big no-no and should be avoided at all costs.
 
 
 
 
 
Yet in our study, we found that emails using HTML had a 12% greater response rate than text email.
 
 
 
 
 
In general, marketers that use layout heavy emails or emails that require images or logos need to use HTML. You can implement additional devices such as header graphics, product images, and colored fonts to grab attention.
 
 
 
 
 
But text emails have their advantages too. Text is viewed as more personal as readers are used to receiving text emails from friends and relatives. It creates a more personal one-to-one touch. This is why many marketers insist on using text only email.
 
 
 
 
 
Our verdict: make HTML your first choice. If possible, send out a text and HTML version and compare the results. Testing will ultimately tell you which format is best for your audience.
 
 
 
 
 
Summary
 
 
 
 
 
Use the guidelines we've offered in this chapter to boost the performance of your email marketing campaigns by increasing the amount of people that actually read your emails and take the action you are aiming for.
 
 
 
 
 
But remember - for truly stellar results you must test, test and keep testing. Constant incremental improvements add up over time and provide valuable insight for what works and what doesn't work for your customer base. A little tweaking here and there can make all the difference.
 
If you would like more ensightful marketing tips we encourage you to visit our other Mentors In Motion Discussion Groups under Global Village International Consortium.
Here you will find many advanced discussions on the art and craft of Internet Marketing. Whether you're are just starting out in a home based business or you are a professional Internet Entrepreneur, we encourage you to investigate our 
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