Online Marketing automation is on everyone’s lips and is therefore one of the positive phenomena in connection with the currently less pleasant life situations of the global pandemic. For many entrepreneurs and online marketers, digital topics are becoming more of the focus of their considerations and investments.
Existing e-commerce solutions are already benefiting significantly from the limitations of brick-and-mortar retail. Consumer behavior has already adapted to the situation. Existing online shops are reporting new sales records, especially in the B2C sector. In addition to the corresponding restrictions on local trade, freed-up consumer budgets are also responsible for this: For example, consumers are currently forgoing vacation trips, which frees up funds that can be used elsewhere. The current situation is therefore acting as a fire accelerator for e-commerce activities.
E-commerce on the back burner
Increasing sales during this time are therefore not unusual for many online shops. But are most online shops already prepared for this extraordinary onslaught? As always, when it comes to innovative markets, it pays to take a broader view. A quick look at Silicon Valley reveals the specialization in innovative ideas related to disruptive technologies. In comparison, the EU attaches greater importance to the legal protection of end consumers. Most shops will certainly have to get fit first to digest the new GDPR regulations. The competitive advantages of American shops are therefore obvious.
Nevertheless, there are enough possibilities that could also make our shops more successful. Nevertheless, many are only on the back burner. They only know the simple digital status of the shop visitor: they buy or they don’t buy (0 or 1). Between these two opposite poles, there is still plenty of untapped potentials. According to a study by Smart Insights, only 3.3 percent of website visitors who have accessed a shop’s product page actually place an order. This is exactly where you can start and expand the sales opportunities of shop systems with online marketing automation.
Funnel structure for consistent processes
Funnels are an essential part of any bullshit bingo. But let’s not just talk about it! In the e-commerce sector, these targeted measures help to multiply success. The whole thing is not rocket science. Of course, you are happy about every order in your webshop. But how do you get multiple sales with the same traffic? The appropriate sales funnels support you here for various standard processes.
The following is a list of possible additional ecommerce sales funnels:
- Advertising banners on the first visit to the website
- For web shop visitors who want to leave the website without making a purchase
- In the case of a shopping cart abandonment
- Wish List Notice
- Upscale and after-sale
- New customer benefit
- For customers who have not ordered anything for a long time
- For customers who order frequently
Another funnel, which does not generate direct sales, but can still be helpful, is the proactive evaluation workflow – see below for details.
Proactively support the buyer’s journey
With these measures, you map the corresponding phases based on the buyer’s journey and beyond. You need a webshop-compatible tracking system for this. This is integrated into the website and thus automatically adds corresponding address data to the segments in real-time. You define a corresponding address segment in detail for these respective subject areas. The corresponding address data is collected in this type of list. You use various options such as e-mail, SMS or website banners for proactive, event-oriented contact with the respective segments.
Five problems that can be solved with the use of online marketing automation
The initial situation is often the problem! And with the use of automation, we will find the right solution. Examples of problems are the following:
- We don’t have enough email addresses
- Our average basket value is too small
- The rate of shopping cart abandonment is too high
- There are too few orders
- We don’t want to spam our customers/prospects with emails
Each of these problems has a helpful solution. The advantage of these solutions is, among other things, that their implementation is not a one-off action, but contributes to the overall success in the long term. And from our own experience, we know that the problem suddenly becomes the key to success!
We don’t have enough email addresses
Who does not know this problem? Sending e-mails is still successful today – this has been shown by many studies and our experience with various customer projects. But how do you get more email addresses that you can then use for the campaigns? The reference to the newsletter is probably already stored on the website. But the success of this hint is usually manageable.
In a practical example, we were able to achieve very good success with displaying a banner the first time you visit a website. This allowed us to add 10 email addresses per day on a relatively small site. We have chosen a special form of banner for this purpose: It promises a voucher for all entered e-mail addresses. However, this offer expires after five minutes. This creates a certain pressure. As a result, many decide immediately, perhaps out of a security concern, and enter their e-mail address.
Our average basket value is too small
Shop operators are also familiar with this topic. And who wouldn’t be happy if the average shopping cart value was higher in the future? How can you increase this value? For example, by starting at the end of the buyer’s journey. The customer has already decided and bought. Basically, everything is already done. And in this moment of happiness for the new customer, you present them with another offer that is perfectly tailored to their needs. If he z. B. needs a refill set, this is the right moment to offer one. With a single click, he now buys another product.
A corresponding implementation was realized on the website of www.emovemotors.ch. Here, buyers of Uber Eats bags get a discounted electric scooter. This electric scooter is otherwise not listed in the shop range.
The rate of shopping cart abandonment is too high
Although the joy of new orders is great, this only lasts if the customer pays at the end and the purchase process is not canceled beforehand. If the rate of shopping cart abandonment is too high, then the pressure to act increases accordingly. What measures can you take to positively influence this topic? This is quite possible by resuscitating the shopping cart abandoners and corresponding e-mail reminders.
After all, 70 percent of website visitors cancel the purchase with a full shopping cart. It is therefore necessary to continuously improve the potential through the recovery rate. Depending on the reason for the termination, you should store emails that are suitable for the situation in the funnel.
The structure of the online marketing automation funnel can take various aspects into account:
• Reminder regarding existing items in the shopping cart
• Inquiry regarding preferred payment methods
• Would you like to be contacted by telephone?
• Offer of a voucher code
Usually, the termination occurs because the website visitor has a problem. With these measures, you will help him to solve the problem. And in addition, the recovery rate is improved with every single mail in the abandoned cart funnel. In practice, it is quite possible to achieve high recovery rates in the range of 15 to 35 percent. When it comes to the content of the e-mails, however, it must always be remembered that the service concept is more important than advertising. Otherwise, the effect wears off relatively quickly.
There are too few orders
Of course the absolute classic! And the online marketing channel that often has the highest conversion rates is often used as a supporting measure: email or newsletter.
For many companies, however, this channel is usually relatively ineffective. The internal employees may be overwhelmed with their efforts or rather focused on not receiving negative feedback. A single newsletter, which is finally sent out again at the last minute, often has little effect. According to my practical experience, we are often the same as when we started.
The solution is to define a sequence of e-mails that are sent event-oriented. Depending on whether the e-mail has been viewed or not or whether an event has taken place, another e-mail is generated as a result. Here, too, the simple formula applies that each additional node in the funnel also supports the overall success positively. A single email might achieve a 3 percent conversion rate. Theoretically, you can achieve x*3% conversions with an email conversion funnel. Accordingly, more orders are not generated with a forced newsletter that finally goes out, but instead with continuous emails from a funnel. And so the goal of getting more orders is already within reach.
You could also set up the formula here quite provocatively: more orders mean more e-mails in the funnel.
Online Marketing automation spam
But don’t the e-mails and newsletters mean that I’m spamming my customers and prospects too much? This fear is relatively large and understandable. Newsletters, which are an essential part of marketing automation, are always sent with all the information to all the addresses on the mailing list, which can quickly annoy customers and interested parties.
Here it is essential to pull the target group out of the online marketing hat once again: Targeted conversion funnels prevent widespread distribution to all distribution addresses. In this way, you support the professional perception and thus prevent the sender from being annoyed. Especially at the beginning, good results can be achieved with large mailing lists. However, these successes then often wear off continuously. Targeted addressing of customers is required, e.g. B. order a lot of products, or to which ones that should be won back because they have not been ordered for a long time. Another funnel is aimed at prospects who should convert into customers
It should be mentioned that, according to studies, the probability of sales with existing customers is nine times higher than with new customers. Accordingly, this funnel is particularly interesting. With every new customer, the chances increase proportionately. Of particular interest is the consideration of the customer experience and the associated touchpoints.
But it is important to take one step at a time. The further exploration of additional opportunities by considering the customer experience and the associated touchpoints is only an issue in terms of prioritization when you have developed a taste for the other measures and can demonstrate the corresponding successes.
Our overall ratings are bad
When it comes to ratings, the behavior of many decision-makers reminds me of a situation in which one is faced with deadly danger. The rattlesnake hisses and has opened its mouth wide. The decision-makers stare at it and remain paralyzed. Others take the chance and run away. According to the motto: reviews are all bought anyway, that doesn’t interest us. This situation should be fundamentally changed.
The bad news is: don’t wait for bad reviews, they will come by themselves. The solution? A proactive assessment workflow in your online marketing automation. You know when the customers are happy! You should use this and other moments. In these moments, ask whether customer enthusiasm can also be communicated through a digital evaluation. Use as many rating portals as possible and bundle them in one piece of software, ideally integrated into your website.
The following applies: Google My Business reviews are the most valuable. Use a rating funnel with e-mails, which is predefined and only gives you work once. Then you can add new associated addresses to the funnel. Then, if there is a 20 percent conversion rate, you know that out of ten addresses added to the funnel, two reviews will result. As soon as such a proactive workflow is rolled out in the company, you will come up with additional ways of getting even more reviews.
At the latest when you then overtake your competitors in terms of ratings, you will have broad support from management. And there, after the paralysis, relaxation sets in again. Now, a negative rating will also no longer prompt a crisis meeting. It should also be noted here that negative reviews are to be taken very seriously even during online marketing automation.
Conclusion on online marketing automation
Just like a cake is made up of multiple pieces, your successful ecommerce solution should have multiple automated sales funnels. This multiplies the overall result because every sales funnel contributes to success. You should show this transparently and proactively for each sales funnel.
The solutions we use here do not cause a large one-off effort on marketing automation. Sometimes these funnels are implemented within a very short time. Once implemented, they continuously increase success without major additional effort. The investments are usually amortized very quickly.
I wish you every success in implementing the sales funnels and thus a relaxed marketing meeting in which you will convince the new success figures. You are welcome to contact me personally if you have any questions.