The proof is in the pudding they say, and for Mailbeez, whilst there is no pudding involved (hmm, cake!) the real test of inherent value is in the revenue it brings in, something that can be easily quantified through Google Analytics. In this post then we will show you where to find the reference to Mailbeez in your store’s Google Analytics results, and, if conversion rates are a little low, give you some handy email tips on how to can increase both visits and revenue over time.

Finding Mailbeez

If you open up Google Analytics and navigate to the eCommerce revenue area, Mailbeez will appear as a revenue source in the listings.

Listed on the same line will be the total visits for the period selected (usually the last 30 days as a default), the number of orders, total revenue, revenue per order, a conversion rate % and the estimated worth of each visit to your store from Mailbeez.

Tips to boost both your Mailbeez email click through rates

1. A great design

The natural starting point for your campaign. Great email design come through simplicity and consistency. Simplicity in the colour choice, fonts and call to action areas (the things you want the customer to click), and consistency in the branding. For example, does the email look like it came from your site? If not, start again, making sure to bring the design closer to your online presence. If not, how will your customers know the email came from your store?

2. Perfect placement

Emails are not like websites, which are read as one page on wide full screens capable of presenting all of the detail and content. Email clients are very different, often forcing finely crafted emails into small preview areas, and once opened, only showing the email piece by piece due to restricted space.

In order to maximize the chance of a customer clicking through from the email, make sure to place the main call to action (we’ll call this CTA from now on) at the top of the email, just below the header area. Keep it clean, simple and easy to read, and pretend the user will never see the rest of the email. A really great resource that can help with this is the 5 Second Test website, which provides some pretty solid information on what is and what is not working in your layout once you submit it to them:

http://www.fivesecondtest.com/

Whilst we’re on the topic of placement, be sure to keep non revenue raising click-able area where they belong – not near the header! We are of course talking about Facebook, Twitter and blog links. Basically anything that is not essential to the core message of the email, keep it out of the way. By prioritizing content, you allow the main CTA room to breathe, and at the same time prevent the recipient from becoming frustrated with extraneous information.

3. Incentivize the campaign

Your customer’s email inbox is a busy place, with many brands vying for both attention and custom. In order to succeed in this environment, it is essential (if relevant to the campaign) to introduce key incentives. In the simplest terms, the email copy or CTA needs to state that for a completed action, there will be a reward.

Example – The Mailbeez Review Rewards Module

Let’s say that you are using the Mailbeez Review Advanced module to collect more customer product reviews. In this instance you could augment the text by telling the customer that once they have written their review they will be automatically emailed with a personalized gift voucher or perhaps free shipping towards a future order (powered by the Mailbeez Review Rewards Module). In one fell swop you have created a very powerful incentive to write a review (your CTA), with no extra work on your part to administer the post-review reward.

4. Trial different subject lines

A witty but long-winded subject line could be doing your campaign more harm than good, as most email clients restrict the subject line field to around 50 characters or less. Because this ‘newspaper headline’ is so vital (many email recipients will simply delete an email at this point if it doesn’t attract them), it is worth trialling and testing a few different wordings before settling on the highest converting line. Remember that when testing different subject lines, make sure to only change this variable – leave the rest of the email alone. That way you can accurately track the conversion rate in Google Analytics, and see just what effect your different subject lines have on open and click through rates, without the data being skewed by other changes.

Litmus.com offer a handy subject line checker tool (coming soon to the Mailbeez framework) which clearly details the presentational issues your email may face with an overly long subject line:

http://litmus.com/resources/subject-line-checker

To give your subject line the best possible start, be sure to include who the email is from, what’s in it for the subscriber, and what they have to do, if relevant to the campaign.

A real world example might read:

Take 50% of rain jackets at Showershop today only

Ok, it’s a little sterile, but you get the message, and so hopefully will your customer. For the Mailbeez Review Advanced module, the subject line could read:

Get free shipping when you review your recent purchases from Showershop

In conclusion…

Spending some time to get the email essentials right, and by creating interest forming subject lines, content and call to action areas, you too can significantly enhance your Mailbeez email campaigns today.

We very much hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post, and if so, please come back soon to read and learn more about the Mailbeez platform and email marketing in general.