Running an ecommerce business comes with its fair share of challenges. From logistical challenges to figuring out when to step up and scale to finding the right people to add to your team. Then with your already limited time and resources, you also have marketing to worry about.
When it comes to email marketing and ecommerce, winning means getting the right messages and products in front of the right people, at the right times. But that means digging deeper into your data and going beyond promo blasts sent to your entire contact list. It also means striking the right balance between sending too much and sending too little.
How do busy ecommerce sellers get it done and start adding more to their bottom line?
In this free one-hour webinar, you’ll learn how Constant Contact customer, Stirling Soap Co. is overcoming challenges and winning in ecommerce. Join us to learn:
How they’ve grown their business over the last eight years
The marketing tools and strategies they use to sell more and reach more people
How they use A.I. technology to sell more with email marketing
About the session
This event call was about e-commerce and email marketing with a focus on the experience of Sterling Soap Company. The session included a discussion of the challenges and strategies of running an e-commerce business, the use of email marketing, and the use of artificial intelligence in marketing. A demonstration of Constant Contact's new email package for e-commerce was also given.
Key speakers
- Sterling Soap Company's co-owners, Rod and Mandy
- Dave Charest, Director of Content Marketing at Constant Contact
Agenda
- Introduction and overview of Sterling Soap Company
- Discussion of the challenges and strategies of running an e-commerce business
- Presentation on email marketing in e-commerce
- Demonstration of Constant Contact's new email package for e-commerce
- Q&A session
Takeaways
Takeaway: Productivity increases with strategic use of AI and diversification of roles in e-commerce businesses
Sterling Soap Company, an e-commerce business that has been in operation since 2012, shares how the use of AI-driven email marketing has greatly improved their productivity and bottom line. AI technology aids in predicting what customers want, delivering the right email content at the right time, and in driving up customer engagement.
Co-owner Rod shared, “We use...the promo blast...like a newsletter. But...we also use the stages [in eCommerce Pro]...we're hoping at some point to start producing a lot more of our own content...but it's just we've got to bring a few more people on to take some of the day-to-day tasks away from Mandy and I so that she and I can focus on that.”
Co-owner Mandy added, “during the pilot program while we were getting everything up and going, it was probably a good five to six hours a week. It still wasn't...horribly demanding...There were even some stages that we activated that I thought, there's no way we're gonna...you know...we don't want the customer to feel like we're...we're looking over their shoulder and...we're tracking their data and things like that. But because we were the ones creating the emails, we could do it in a way that made it seem like...that sales associate that comes up to you in the store...and says you know can I help you find anything...”
Takeaway: Effective marketing involves a blend of organic growth and strategic planning
Sterling Soap Company attributes its significant growth to a blend of organic growth and strategic planning. The company takes the time to listen to its customers and incorporate their feedback into its product development and marketing strategies. It also leverages social media platforms like YouTube and Reddit to reach a wider audience and enhance their visibility.
Rod explained, “We use social media and before we started the e-commerce pro...we had the built-in social media post generator. Now we take all of that information and we use...the social media business suite to generate those posts and we see the traffic pretty...kick up as soon as those posts hit.”
Mandy added, “We, we don't do the...the coupon offers and things like that...we don't track that kind of information...We've tried to present the different stages...we tried to create different...different setups for them so different...different numbers of product recommendations and different information...just to see what kind of information led to more...conversions as well as like...just the...the number of recommendations or products that you put in the...how does that...how does that affect it.”
Takeaway: Adapting to market changes is key to business survival
When COVID-19 disrupted the business landscape, Sterling Soap Company was able to adapt by reevaluating its product line and market strategy. Recognizing the demand for hand sanitizers, the company swiftly pivoted to start producing and donating hand sanitizers to first responders and later selling them to the public. This move not only helped the community but also significantly boosted the company's revenue.
According to Rod, “We put out a blast to every one of our constant contacts subscribers that hey if you're looking for hand sanitizer...we have it...and that, we got such a huge boost in revenue...that not only did we not have to lay anyone off we were able to push everyone back to 40 hours a week and we ended up making a couple more hires to keep up with orders for the hand sanitizer.”
Mandy added, “Before we started with constant contact...we just kind of...bring it and I'd spend a ridiculous amount of time...prepping it and everything but...it's always worth it...you know...right now a promo blast email for me...because of the number of products that we're launching...it usually takes me a solid day and a half...but it's always worth it.”
Insights surfaced
- The importance of listening to your customers and using their feedback to improve products and services.
- The effectiveness of organic marketing strategies, such as word-of-mouth and reviews on platforms like YouTube.
- The importance of striking a balance between sending too many and too few emails.
- The potential of artificial intelligence in predicting customer preferences and automating marketing processes.
- The value of having a diverse team with complementary skill sets.
"There's a multitude of ways to engage your audience through us using your social platforms - via ads, social post metrics, email links, and more! " - Will
