The 3 BIGGEST Email Marketing Opt-in Mistakes Ecommerce Businesses Make When Building Their List

The key to getting more email subscribers for your eCommerce newsletter is to avoid making the 3 common mistakes I see online stores constantly make when it comes to list building.Before I share those mistakes, let’s get something straight. If you’re struggling with convincing website visitors to signup to your list, it doesn’t mean that email is dead.  Email is far from being dead.Here’s why..

• 90%+ of adults in the United States use email.
• Even though social media is very popular, according to Adestra, 74% of teenagers use email.
• Email is 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter. – McKinsey
• 86% of consumers would like to receive promotional emails from companies they do business with at least monthly, and 15% would like to get them daily. (Statista, 2015) Source

Why Are People Not Signing Up to Your List?

Now it’s hard for me to give you the true reason as to why they’re not opting in.You see, every online store is different and from my eCommerce and digital marketing experience, there’s a huge list of possible reasons as to why you’re experiencing low subscriber rates.Some of those reasons might include:

• You're targeting the wrong audience.
• Your online store is not mobile friendly.
• Your webpages take too long to load.
• The design and usability of your store create a lot of friction.
• Your product offering is not meeting expectations.and so much more.

Nonetheless, you shouldn’t get discouraged.Now before you go out there and hire an expensive professional to help you figure out why aren't shoppers opting in, make sure you’re not making the 3 mistakes I’m about to share with you.Keep in mind that while the size of your list is important, its quality matters even more. The last thing you want is acquire new subscribers who will simply not engage with your email campaigns.Let’s get started!

Opt-in Mistake #1 - You’re Not Doing a Great Job Telling People Why They Should Opt-in

Why should I give you my email address?What’s in it for me?In other words, what benefit do I get from joining your list?Those are some of the questions that shoppers might ask themselves when they land on your website and you interrupt them for their email address.You will be surprised to see how many retailers make this simple mistake. Put yourself in the chair of your website visitors. Every day, they’re bombarded with signup requests. eCommerce businesses are all fighting for that inbox real estate.What benefits can you offer in exchange for their email?

• An exclusive coupon
• A downloadable digital buying guide
• A chance to win a giveaway
• Get exclusive email deals (not available through social media or your website) - that’s my favourite!

Whatever you decide, offer something with a perceived value.

Opt-in Mistake #2 - You’re Not Using Opt-in Popups (Because You Hate Them!)

First of all, why do people hate popups? Here’s a couple of reasons from an Unbounce article.

1. Popups are annoying.
2. Email subscribers from popups have lower engagement.
3. Popups can damage your brand if not done well.

Those are all valid reasons, but they shouldn’t stop you from using popups for your email opt-in initiatives.The key is to do popups the right way:

• Do not display a popup immediately when a shopper arrives to your online store.
• Write great copy for your headline and call-to-action.
• Make popups user friendly
• Display popups on specific pages only
• Display them based on user behaviour (for example when they’re about to exit the cart page)

The biggest mistake is to launch a popup without testing it.

• Test when to trigger them
• Test where to display them on a page
• Test on different pages across your website
• Test a range of offers (ex: coupon, PDF download...)
• Test different devices (mobile, desktop, tablets)
• Test copy variations
• Test different designs

Popups do work if done right. Now, what if you’re still not convinced?Here are some alternative options to popups:

• Use a browser bar in your header or footer
• Use a welcome mat
• Use a side-in window

Opt-in Mistake #3 - You’re Too Shy To Ask for Their Email

There’s nothing wrong with asking website visitors for their email as long as you give them something valuable in exchange and respect their privacy. It’s all about asking the right user at the right time with the right offer.I would also add that you should set expectations with regards to the type of email content you will be sending them as well as the set frequency of your email messages. This will help reduce unsubscribes.For example: "Signup to receive our weekly emails for exclusive deals and promotions.”Don’t be shy.  Even though people say they hate receiving emails, they wouldn’t mind hearing from you especially if they love your brand and product.  Simple respect them.

Final Words

Once again, here are the 3 Opt-in mistakes you should be avoiding:

1. You’re Not Doing a Great Job Telling People Why They Should Opt-in
2. You’re Not Using Opt-in Popups (Because You Hate Them!)
3. You’re Too Shy To Ask for Their Email

Spend some time evaluating your opt-in tactics. I highly recommend you hire a copywriter to help you write better copy for your popups. I would also hire a great content writer to produce some buying guides.

Your Turn

Which retailers do you like receiving emails from? Comment below!