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The Hunt
OK, I admit it; I'm a sucker for an online survey. I'm not sure if it is the diversion, the "you could win' proposition or simply being able to give my two cents...I love'em. While sorting through my inbox during my morning coffee I was excited to spot a survey from one of my FAVORITE magazines, Bon Appétit - I sure that it needed my immediate attention. Note: The publisher should be happy to know that flipping through every new magazine is a little bit of heaven and I'm usually on their website looking at recipes at least three or four three times a week.
The Skunk
The email was legit and contained all the introductory pleasantries that one would expect in the set-up; "since you are a valued reader," "we value your option” etc. We were off to a great start! The thing about online surveys is that even though it is a fun diversion, not informing me of how long it will take before I click on the survey link doesn’t help me determine if I should start now or save for a time that I'll be able to really focus. I started anyway.The questions start off as usual and there was even a note on the first survey page that mentions that you don't need to complete the survey to enter the contest? Advancing page after page, I couldn't help think that some sort of progress tracking icon would have helped me determine just how many pages I had left to go. At a certain point, the thought of abandoning the survey or checking any random box was becoming more of an option but I didn't want to offend the survey gods that might perhaps be tracking my progress and retaliate in a next life. About 50 "Nexts" later, I was finished.
The Resolution
I don"t profess to be an expert on how to execute and administer surveys but as an email marketer, I do like to give recipients as much information as possible when I"m requesting some sort of interaction with them. Yes, I completed the full survey but as I got deeper into the questions, it became more of personal test to see if I could make it to the end. Who knows, maybe that was part o the strategy? Be careful with really long surveys, you may compromise the data you are collecting if recipients don't take the time to accurately complete. Here's what I would have done:- Clearly noted in the initial email about how long that it would take to complete once I start
- Stated if it was possible to leave the survey and pick back up where I left off
- Placed some sort of completion status bar on each page to let me know how far along I was in the process
Incorporating some or all of the points above should be pretty easy to accomplish based on additional copy and making sure you are using the right survey tool for larger surveys. The same set of rules that we apply to setting expectations in email need to be applied those call to actions that we include within in the content; clear, relevant, informative and effective. My best advice with surveys is to take a step back and consider the surveyee. Make sure they know what they are getting themselves into.
The Hunt
This past Thursday I received an interesting email from the popular web-based photo sharing site Snapfish. It said to keep an eye on my email for a very special offer for President’s Day. I thought wow, what an interesting way to build some momentum for a future “exclusive” campaign. It was unobtrusive and teased with just enough information to make me want to check my email on Saturday – the day to look for the special offer. The teaser message stated “As one of our best customers, we wanted to let you know that you'll be getting an amazing President's Day Weekend deal on all of our gifts!”
The Skunk
So I got the email on Saturday but I didn’t think that the promise lived up to the hype of the previous teaser message. Free shipping on Photo Gifts? That’s it? The “special offer” is viewable when I login to the website as well. The teaser message and the offer message are below. I was anticipating some sort of great exclusive offer that would have really peaked my interest and incented me do a little online shopping.
The Resolution
When pushing an exclusive offer with a teaser message you really need to follow through with your promise of an offer that packs a lot of punch since so many online retailers are currently providing deep discounts to incent customers. Free shipping is nice and all but if customers new and old can get this offer by simply logging on to the website, how exclusive is it? The offer needs to be perceived as a great value and it can’t be confusing. Too many terms and conditions can also create a roadblock to purchase as well. When sending out a teaser for an upcoming email offer, keep that promise of value and exclusivity. If the offer is not unlike previous offers, the teaser message can be more of a turn-off than attention grabbing and interest building.
The Hunt
We've all been there, standing in front of the sales person and completing your purchase when you get the question - what's your email address. I get that "deer in headlights" look and think, what am I getting my email inbox into?
The Skunk
Last weekend while doing a little retail therapy, I happened into my local Bath & Body Works. I wasn't looking to purchase anything in particular but started to sniff around anyway. A $30 impulse buy later, I'm giving the sales person my email address right after I forked over my credit card. Let me first start by saying that I'm impressed that my email made it to their distribution list in less than 5 days. With such a big retail footprint however, it would have been a really good idea to make "introductions" first. I’m sure that I am just one of thousands that made their way to their database and starting off on the right foot can be the difference between engaged and indifferent customers when it comes to engaging in their email program.
The Resolution
As retailer go, they get credit for striking while the iron is hot however, they missed an opportunity to welcome me to their email program and give me the lowdown on what and when to expect their marketing messages. In general, collecting email addresses at the point-of-purchase a sure-fire way to grow your database, you just need take a step back from the process and ensure that the customer experience is on track as well. Ask a quick question while checking out, "do you want to receive special offers from us via email?" Yes, I know, the fact that they asked me for my email address makes it kind of obvious that I might be getting a message from them soon but perhaps a better approach is to start off with a thank-you-for-your-purchase communication. Tell me what I’ll be getting from you and how often I can expect to receive messages as well as giving me an opportunity to actually opt-in to the communication.
Nowadays, rapidly growing your database with customers that haven't confirmed an expressed interest to receive messages from you can ultimately have a negative effect on your deliverability. What happens when the auto-enrolled recipient becomes indifferent to your messages? You run the risk of your messages being perceived as SPAM, increasing chance recipients are going to complain, sending your email reputation right down the toilet. Your big list is not so big if no one is actually receiving your messages.
The Hunt
For those of us that live in climates with four seasons, the first time we have to fire up the furnace is about the time we start surveying our outerwear to ensure that we are prepared for the long and chilly road ahead. Retailers often start trying to move the merchandise even sooner. Cold weather gear starts hitting the shelves often times before I've stashed my flip-flops in the back of the closet. For email marketers, it’s all about timeliness, relevance and your approach.
The Skunk
So as the greater Chicago-land area is pushing nearly 50 inches of the white stuff so far this year, the message below with the subject line "Now's the time for Cold Weather Boots!" seems to have come a few months too late since I can already approximate the current month we are in by the size of the man-made snow piles in the mall parking lot.
Another missed opportunity in this message is the lack of actual images of boots. This retailer carries quite a few brands and boots are not something that I frequently purchase. Simply naming the brands within the message doesn't give me enough information to want to do any further digging. I don't particularly know all the brands but I can identify what styles I would prefer by looking at a selection of supporting product images.
The Resolution
Take note of the seasonality of your message. The subject line needs to be relevant to the consumer - at the time they are receiving it. A better approach would be to have acknowledged that those recipients living in colder climates are still "knee deep" in winter rather than "now’s the time to buy" those boots. You would also want to verify that the message is reaching the right customers as well - Milwaukee vs. Miami - there is bound to be a difference in what they would find of interest.
Don't forget the product! Use product images to entice your recipients. If you are featuring boots, make sure that your call-to-action and message content reflects it.
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