How can automation help your ecommerce business?

[William_A]

Do you run an ecommerce business and are trying to figure out how to take your operations to the next level? 

Constant Contact recently conducted a study that revealed some pretty eye-opening details about customer and business behavior. For example, 21% of consumers say that after they visit or buy from a small business for the first time, they never hear from the business again. 

Elaina Holm, of Simple Sips, said as much in a recent interview: “[Customers] should receive a welcome email, they should receive a follow up if they left something in their cart, we should let them know– ‘don’t forget, the sale ends today.’ I would never have the time to keep up with that, but the automations make it so easy.”

Speaking of automation…

Automation is one of the most important tools in any marketer’s arsenal, allowing one to effectively and efficiently communicate with their customers, drive conversions, and push new products and services.

If you aren’t familiar with all the automation tools Constant Contact has to offer, let’s touch on some important ways automation can work for your ecommerce business.

The Automation Path Builder

Our Automation Path Builder combines email and SMS with automation so you can get the right content to the right contacts at the right time — for both new and existing contacts. 

We remove the overwhelming nature of trying to predict every possible action a customer might take by offering a selection of pre-built templates.

You can set a specific trigger, such as an abandoned cart or joining a list, and create a flow of actions depending on how the contact behaves. For example, maybe you feel it would be better to send them an SMS message over an email to remind them about their abandoned cart when they haven’t engaged in a couple of days?

If you’re a Premium subscriber, you can customize your paths even further, adding all manner of conditional splits and timing functionality.

Make sure to check out this article on getting started with the APB, to see all the different options available.

Related: Tips for using the Automation Path Builder

Abandoned Cart Reminders

Speaking of abandoned cart reminders…  if you have a Shopify or WooCommerce account connected to your Constant Contact account, we have pre-built abandoned cart paths available for quick setup and activation.

You can set the triggers to be contact-based, such as clicking a product link in an email you sent through us, to hone in what featured products they’ve expressed interest in and target that interest with other related products, or entice them with a coupon code to secure that conversion.

The other option will be based on their shopping activity, featuring products they’ve already explicitly placed interest in, but never committed to purchasing. Whether you wish to provide a kind reminder or push for the final sale with a coupon code, automation based on their shopping activity is a powerful way to increase your sales and retain customer loyalty while focusing on the other needs of your business.

Related: How to Automate Your Marketing Like a Pro

Connecting with new and old customers

One of the best things about email marketing is that once you secure a customer, it’s easier than ever to retain their loyalty and entice future sales. Using our automation tools, you can maintain that relationship by celebrating their birthday or anniversary, requesting reviews, thanking them for their purchase with a code toward the next one, or by welcoming them to your mailing list.

By requesting a review, you give your customers the chance to re-engage with your products and services. Whether you collect valuable insight on how you can improve your products and services, or receive quotable testimonials for your ads and website, this is a valuable functionality for many e-marketers to stay on top of their customers’ minds and retain loyalty. 

Related: Quickstart Guides on Ecommerce

Automation makes email marketing easier than ever!