A bottle of champagne at a gourmet restaurant AND attracting new customers.
What’s common between them?
Both are pretty heavy on the pocket. Yes, that's right!
Studies have shown that it can cost 5-25 times more to get new customers than retain existing ones.
If you’re a startup, imagine using all your resources to attract new customers.
You don’t want that. So, what's the solution?
Put your maximum efforts into retaining your customers!
There are many ways you can go about it. And email marketing is one of them.
This post aims to provide you with a quick overview of two things:
- Why is email marketing the best customer retention strategy?
- The best email marketing apps for ecommerce that you can use to keep more customers.
Because there is so much to discuss, let’s jump right into it...
Why is Email Marketing the Best Customer Retention Strategy?
Did you know poor communication can cost your business up to 67% of customers?
That’s an insane figure. Sadly, it is true.
With email marketing, you can stay in touch with your customers. It is personal and trackable.
I am sure you have already tried what I am about to discuss here.
But if not...
Here are a few ways you can use ecommerce email marketing strategies to retain more customers.
Cart Abandonment Emails
Did you know 70 out of 100 customers abandon their carts?
Imagine 70% of your prospects leave the website without buying anything! You can’t let them go...not until they place their orders in your store.
That's where emails come in. You can drop a sequence of cart abandonment emails to win back those lost customers.
Follow Up Emails
A customer-business relationship isn’t a one-day affair. With follow-up emails, you can keep your existing customers in the know.
Not sure what to include in your follow-up emails?
Here's what you need to know...
There are three types of follow-up emails you can send to your customers.
1. Manual follow-up emails
Yes, sometimes a little effort can make all the difference.
Manual follow-up emails are personalized and can have a massive impact on your conversion rate.
Whether a prospect is in doubt or needs more info about your products and services, you can craft hand-written emails to answer their specific queries.
2. Trigger-based follow-up emails
Trigger-based emails, as their name hints, are sent when a user performs any specific action.
For example, if they have abandoned their carts or clicked any particular link.
3. Time-based follow-up emails
We all know following up once isn't always enough. That's where scheduled time-based emails come in.
Regardless of the type of follow-up email you choose, make sure it doesn't sound robotic.
Follow-up emails should sound sincere.
This email by 'Really good emails' can be a good example...
It is short, engaging, and shows how much a brand cares for the recipient's consent.
Newsletters
Sometimes only staying in touch can do wonders for the brand. Drop your run-of-the-mill newsletter every month. Your customers will keep coming back for more.
This is the newsletter sent by the American Test Kitchen. If you read the opening lines, you'd come to know how creatively they have announced their upcoming sale.
The rest of the newsletter also contains eye-catching cookware images and products.
The idea here is to create newsletters that instantly capture your visitor's interest.
Here’s another example.
This is the newsletter sent by FandangoNOW, which is a popular streaming service.
Can you guess what they're trying to convey in this email?
They're giving you movie recommendations for the weekend.
Isn't this newsletter cute?
Emails With Special Offers
Deals, discounts, and special offers are a surefire way to retain customers. With an email automation app, running such campaigns will be easier than you think.
There are trillions of other ways you can use email marketing to your advantage.
I have discussed them many times and keep doing the same. But for today's post, let's keep our focus on the best email marketing app for 2024.
Choosing The Right Email Automation App For Your Business
Sending emails to a few customers is easy.
But as your business grows and your customer base expands, you'll need to speed things up.
With an email automation app, you can send a single email to multiple customers, that too with a single click.
But choosing the best email automation app from 450+ tools is no joke.
Here's a little checklist I created for you to review:
✅ Check out the template collection. (With minor changes, you can personalize them to fit your needs.)
✅ Customer segmentation feature for better targeting
✅ Smart automation feature
✅ Embeddable opt-in forms
✅ Email analytics for performance monitoring
✅ Excellent deliverability rates
✅ App’s capacity to handle your targeted volume
✅ And of course, price ?
Not sure where to start? Don't worry!
I have rounded up 11 top email automation apps you can try to recover your retention rate.
11 Email Marketing Apps For Customer Retention
1. Active Campaign
There's a reason 145k businesses trust ActiveCampaign for their email campaigns.
It's a tool perfect for both startups and established brands. Why? Because it is user-friendly. Plus, it includes all the advanced features a business might need to run its email campaigns.
What Active Campaign has in store for its users?
- A library of 500+ pre-built templates
- 800+ integrations
- Send broadcast emails to talk to all your customers at once
- Triggered emails based on customer’s actions
- Set up email automation to turn your prospects into paying customers
Do you like what you're seeing? Why not sign up for their 14-day free trial? You can start right away once you sign up.
Another useful email marketing tool you can try is...
2. Shopify Email
Shopify Email is a beginner-level free-to-use tool. It's native to Shopify and great for ecommerce brands.
With Shopify Email, you can connect with subscribers and build relationships.
If you're tight on budget and too lazy like me, then Shopify Email can be your safest bid.
Here's what you can do with Shopify Email:
- Send branded emails from Shopify admin
- Choose from a range of pre-built templates to save time and effort
- Personalizable
- Import lists into Shopify
- Audience segmentation
- Real-time performance tracking
At number 3, we have...
3. Klaviyo
Klaviyo is an ecommerce-focused email automation app. It offers a range of amazing features for online sellers.
More than 50k Shopify stores also use Klaviyo to stay in touch with their customers.
There are 100+ pre-built integrations. That means you can use Klaviyo with tools like Facebook and Smile.
Other than that, there are templates and forms to get your campaign running in no time.
You can even A/B test your campaigns to improve lead conversions.
What sets Klaviyo apart is it also supports paid social campaigns?
Don’t forget to get your hands on insider tips by joining the Klaviyo Community forum.
It is free for you if you have a contact list of 250 or fewer subscribers. Then, the price is $20 per month. A little on the pricier side. But worth the money...
Up next is...
4. Omnisend
Omnisend promises to create personalized emails within minutes.
It is a leading email automation app used by more than 50k Shopify sellers.
Omnisend allows you to create attractive welcome email series and cart abandonment emails.
You don’t really have to do much using Omnisend. Everything comes pre-built. Insert, tweak and send.
The tool lands with a drag-and-drop builder. Also, there is an automatic product picker and customizable pop-ups.
If you’re one of those who always struggle to choose the right images for your emails, Omnisend can be your best buddy.
Plus, you can rely on its suggestions as they make sense.
Besides that, you can use push notifications and SMS. Their analytics feature is pretty strong too.
It is an all-in-one package you don’t want to miss out on if you want to keep your customers forever.
Hubspot is next on my list. Let's find out what it has in store for the users.
5. Hubspot
Hubspot is a top-rated marketing platform. We all have used their CRM tools and landing pages at some point.
Did you know they offer world-class email automation apps too?
With the Hubspot email marketing tool, you can:
- Personalize and optimize your email campaigns
- A/B test your campaigns
- Use analytics to measure progress
I know they don't offer a long list of features. But what they offer is reliable and easy to use. And for some of us, that matters the most.
So, consider Hubspot if you're looking for a decent beginner-level email automation tool.
Up next, is Privy which is perfect if you want to generate more leads.
6. Privy
Privy is one of my favorite email automation tools. It is available in Shopify App Store.
There are more than 400k Privy users worldwide.
Why do so many sellers trust Privy for their email automation needs?
That's because its suite of products goes beyond traditional email tools. Besides a vast email collection, you can also use intent-driven pop-ups.
The best part?
Privy is free for up to 100 contacts. Their paid plans start at $15 per month.
Campaign Monitor ranks number 7 on my list of the best email marketing app.
7. Campaign Monitor
I like Campaign Monitor for three reasons.
- It is easy to use
- It has many features, including a drag-and-drop email builder, smart segmentation, link review, triggered emails, and more
- It offers a good value for money
There is an easy HTML email builder that even a kid can use without difficulty.
I am also a fan of their beautiful templates.
Sure, there are templates. But you can also design custom emails using a wide range of features it has in store for the users.
This is a perfect tool for designing transactional emails. It allows you to organize your campaigns for easy tracking.
You can install Campaign Monitor for Free. But their paid plans start at $9 per month.
ConvertKit is another persuasive email automation app used by hundreds of marketers.
Why do so many professionals trust ConvertKit? Let’s find out…
8. ConvertKit
ConvertKit is a relatively simple email automation tool. Many bloggers and online instructors use this app to build their brands.
While this tool has no bells and whistles, it can still help you serve your audience with regular content.
Many entry-level sellers start with ConvertKit before they move to an expensive option.
If you're looking for a simple and affordable email app, there's no better tool.
Looking for a low-cost feature-heavy email automation tool? The next one is for you...
9. Sendinblue
Sendinblue is another email marketing app designed for small and mid-scale businesses.
It comes with many advanced-level features to streamline redundant tasks.
There is a loaded template library. You can create welcome emails, newsletters, and many other types of emails with a single click.
You can also use their audience segmentation feature to create targeted campaigns.
You're going to love Sendinblue if you want to achieve more than the resources you have.
Stay tuned, as there are still two amazing email automation tools left on my list...
10. Drip
Drip is one of my favorite tools.
There’s a reason it ranks at number 10 on my list.
It is expensive, especially when you compare it with the features it offers.
Drip comes with smart segmentation tools. Also, you can A/B test your campaigns with ease. Drip’s powerful reporting will help you track your progress in real-time.
What else?
There’s a template library, an easy-to-use email builder, and auto-responders.
You can start with a 14-day free trial. Then, the paid plans start at $19 per month. You may have to pay even more based on the number of subscribers you have.
And just like that, we're down to the last app you can try:
11. Mailerlite
Mailerlite is a user-friendly email tool. It is easy to use and affordable.
Its world-class automation and integrations are perfect to match your growing business needs.
Their customer service is super friendly and supportive. They know what they’re doing...
I am in love with their CRM - it is powerful.
Besides that, it also enables you to segment the subscriber’s list.
The tracking and analytics feature is also quite impressive.
The best part? It's FREE to use.
Consider Mailerlite if:
- You haven’t tried email marketing yet; OR
- Your budget is low.
The Winner?
There you have it - 11 powerful email automation tools to support your customer retention strategies.
The best thing you can do to keep your customers happy is to be there when they need you.
The tools I have discussed in this post will help you do just that.
The winner?
There will be a different winner for everyone.
Some go with affordability, while others give preference to features and integrations.
Go through the pros and cons of each option. Also, compare benefits. I am sure you'd be able to find the tool that perfectly fits your unique needs. Good Luck!
Email automation is essential. It will encourage people to visit your website and make a purchase.
But is your website ready to receive tons of traffic? Have you optimized it well to give your users the best experience?
If not, it's time to download Debutify. It will help you create a user-friendly Shopify store that your customers will fall in love with when they click a link from their inboxes.
Still, having trouble capturing your visitor's email?
Why not...
Combine Debutify's Newsletter Popup Feature With Your Email Automation App Now!
Start Your 14-Day Free Trial Today!
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