| As a small business owner, a big part of your success | | | | which can be up to four times more profitable than the |
| relies on maximising your sales while minimising your | | | | initial purchase.A good email marketing campaign will |
| expenses. Email marketing can be a great vehicle to | | | | increase the frequency of repeat purchases from |
| do both.A good email marketing campaign can help | | | | your existing customers.3. Up-sell and Cross-sell |
| you:- Increase your sales conversion | | | | Products & Services"Would you like fries with |
| - Generate repeat sales | | | | that?"McDonalds makes billions of dollars every year |
| - Up-sell and cross-sell products and services | | | | from this basic up-sell.When appropriate, email provides |
| - Gain valuable feedback from your visitors | | | | a great opportunity for you to up-sell and cross-sell |
| - Drive web users to make offline purchases1. | | | | your products and services.For example, if you run a |
| Increase Your Sales ConversionRegardless of how | | | | website that sells tennis gear, someone purchasing a |
| good your product or service is, in reality most visitors | | | | new tennis racket might also be interested in tennis |
| to your site won't convert into sales on their first visit.In | | | | balls and other accessories.By using simple email |
| fact, research indicates that it takes the average | | | | marketing software, it's easy to create a series of |
| shopper up to nine visits before they'll make a buying | | | | email messages (called 'Auto-Responders') that will |
| decision. In other words, every effective sales process | | | | automatically follow-up with offers on tennis balls, |
| requires an element of repetition.Think about the times | | | | tennis shoes, tennis clothes and so on.If you're selling a |
| when you've picked up a new product at the | | | | service, like dry cleaning, once a customer has made |
| supermarket after seeing it advertised on TV a dozen | | | | an initial purchase you can use email to follow up with |
| times. Or a time where you've visited a new local | | | | related services, like ironing business shirts and stain |
| restaurant after driving past it every day on your way | | | | removal.This basic technique by itself can easily add |
| to work.That's repetition in action, but unlike a | | | | an extra 30% to your average order value and is |
| 'bricks-and-mortar' retail store, there is no 'drive-by' | | | | used by almost all major companies uses up-selling |
| traffic on the Internet. In many cases when someone | | | | and cross-selling extensively on their site. |
| clicks on the little 'exit' button in the top right hand | | | | If you buy a book about 'home renovations', they'll |
| corner of the screen... they're gone forever.On top of | | | | follow up with a list of other books on the same |
| that, there are numerous ways someone can get | | | | topic.Dell Computers offers printers and other |
| distracted while visiting your website. For example, let's | | | | accessories as up-sells to people purchasing computer |
| say you run a website selling baby prams.A mother is | | | | systems.4. Gain Valuable Feedback from Your |
| surfing through your site and finds a product she likes - | | | | VisitorsCustomer feedback is an invaluable tool for |
| but before she gets a chance to add the item to her | | | | any business. This feedback allows you to determine:- |
| shopping basket ....- The phone rings | | | | What products and services to provide |
| - The baby starts crying | | | | - Who to target |
| - She accidentally closes off the web browser | | | | - What the market is willing to payEmail in particular |
| - She receives an email that requires attention | | | | provides your customers with a unique opportunity to |
| - A delivery man rings the door bellRegardless of the | | | | give honest feedback. Unlike face-to-face interaction |
| reason - if she leaves the site there's a 90% chance | | | | where people can be shy about voicing their true |
| you've lost the sale... unless you've managed to | | | | feelings, email allows them to get right to the point.By |
| capture her email address.If you've got her email | | | | using email as a feedback tool you can adapt to what |
| address, you get a second chance. | | | | the market wants and improve your business.5. Drive |
| You can email her with:- Your monthly newsletter | | | | Web Users to Make Offline PurchasesSurprisingly, |
| - Your free report on 'How to Choose the Perfect | | | | email marketing is often a catalyst for web users to |
| Pram' | | | | go and make a purchase offline. When surveyed, 59% |
| - Information about new modelsThe bottom line is, | | | | of email users said that they have made a purchase |
| capturing an email address gives you a 'Plan B' and | | | | offline after receiving an email promotion.Why? |
| allows you to follow-up with someone after they've | | | | Sometimes a user will find something they want online |
| left your website.2. Generate Repeat SalesGetting | | | | but they need it straight away and can't afford to wait |
| new customers is hard work - it's also really | | | | for delivery. Other times, the product might need to be |
| expensive.In fact, it can be up to eight to ten times | | | | demonstrated (like a treadmill) and they want to see, |
| more expensive to acquire a new customer than to | | | | touch and feel the item.If you run a conventional offline |
| sell to an existing one. To acquire new customers, you | | | | business you can use email marketing to drive foot |
| have to factor in the cost of advertising, educating and | | | | traffic through your door.Final ThoughtsBecause email |
| selling to them.Therefore, a big chunk of the initial sale | | | | marketing has such low overheads, every sale |
| is simply recouping the costs you've outlaid to get the | | | | generated from your campaign is pure |
| customer in the first place.And while new sales are | | | | profit.Regardless of the product or service you sell, if |
| great, we can't emphasize strongly enough the value | | | | you're not taking advantage of email marketing, you're |
| of repeat sales. Too often, businesses focus only on | | | | losing money.So what are you waiting for? |
| the initial sale and forget about the lifetime value of a | | | | Start building that list now!Adrian Mullan is the author |
| customer.Keeping in touch with customers on a regular | | | | of 'The Internet Demystified' and founder of - a popular |
| basis via email allows you to generate repeat sales | | | | Internet marketing resource for small business owners. |