You may have asked yourself, “is email marketing still worth it for ecommerce in 2024?” And our answer is… absolutely! When done right, email marketing delivers an excellent ROI while building meaningful relationships with your customers. This article will explore why email marketing is still a top performer in 2024 and provide our tips to keep your email marketing up-to-date with the times.

Why Email Marketing?

Email open and click-through rates have been declining in recent years. But here are some compelling reasons it will continue to be effective for ecommerce:

– Massive reach: Almost 4 billion people worldwide use email, with 306.4 billion emails sent and received daily. There’s simply no better way to reach customers directly in their inbox.

– High ROI: Email marketing has an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent, the highest of any marketing channel. Better list segmentation, personalization, automation, and analytics make it even more cost-effective.

– Drives sales: 72% of consumers prefer to receive promotional content through email over social media. And email drives 19% of all online retail sales. 

– Builds loyalty: Brands that get email marketing right see higher customer retention and lifetime value.

– Flexibility: Email works well with other channels like social media and paid ads. It can promote products, share content, retarget site visitors, recover abandoned carts, and so much more.

Clearly, email marketing will continue to deliver results. Now let’s look at some key trends shaping the future of ecommerce email.

Upcoming Email Marketing Trends

Email marketing tactics will need to get smarter to stand out and speak to your customers. Expect to see things like:

– More personalization: Segmentation and personalized content based on interests, behaviors, and purchase history will become the norm. AI will help scale 1:1 messages.

– Video: Short videos in emails can demonstrate products, share testimonials, provide how-tos, and make connections.  

– Customer journeys: Emails will focus on guiding subscribers through pre-defined journeys specific to each persona and objective.

– Automation: Workflows triggered by behaviors will send timely, relevant information and offers without brands having to do all the work.

– Privacy focus: Features like improved unsubscribe flows and selective data sharing will build consumer trust.

Wrapping Up

As new technologies like AI enable more 1:1 personalization, interactive content, and customer journey focus, email will become an even more powerful ecommerce marketing tool.

The key is to continually test and optimize your strategy. Pay close attention to open and engagement metrics as well as the customer experience. Build trust by providing value, not just sales pitches. With a thoughtful, customer-centric approach, email marketing can drive measurable results for your ecommerce biz well into the future.

---

Want a free, no-obligation audit of your email marketing campaigns to increase your revenue in 2024? Schedule your audit with us today!

Turning one-time shoppers into repeat customers – that’s the golden ticket in ecommerce today. After all, repeat customers spend 67% more than new customers. So what’s considered a good repeat customer rate in ecommerce? And how can you benchmark your performance to know if you’re on the right track?

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know. By the end, you’ll have actionable insights to stack the odds in your favor for turning new shoppers into lifelong customers. 

What is a Repeat Customer Rate?

“Repeat customer rate” is the percentage of customers who have purchased from your store more than once. It’s a metric that indicates how well you convert first-time buyers into repeat buyers. 

The formula is simple: 

Repeat Customer Rate = Total Number of Repeat Customers / Total Number of Customers

But why does repeat rate matter so much? Well, loyal customers are hugely profitable for several reasons:

– They convert at higher rates – Repeat customers convert 50% more often because they trust your brand.

– They spend more money – As mentioned, repeat customers spend 67% more per transaction. 

– They cost less to convert – It’s estimated to be 5x cheaper to retain a customer than acquire a new one.

– They refer friends – Referrals are your best customers, spending 2x more than average. 

– They forgive mistakes – Loyal customers will cut you more slack if problems arise.

So in short, a high repeat rate provides a foundation for long-term success. Let’s look at what good benchmarks are.

Benchmarks for Excellent, Good, and Average Repeat Rates

What constitutes an excellent, good or average repeat customer rate in ecommerce? While there are no definitive standards, we can look at benchmarks from leading retailers:

Excellent Repeat Rates:

– Amazon – Over 85%

– Walmart – Over 80% 

– Chewy – Over 80%

– Wayfair – Over 60%

Good Repeat Rates: 

– Over 50% is generally considered strong

– Home Depot – 45-50% range 

– Best Buy – 45-50% range

Average Repeat Rates in Ecommerce:

– 15-30% is typical for most ecommerce stores

– Under 20% indicates opportunity to improve

As you can see, anything over 50% is admirable. Of course, benchmarks also depend on the type of product you sell. For example, subscription services and grocery delivery tend to enjoy higher repeat rates.

The key is to track your own repeat rate over time and aim for continuous improvement. Let’s talk about how to calculate that magic number.

Calculating Your Repeat Customer Rate

Figuring out your repeat customer percentage takes just a few simple steps:

1. Identify your total number of customers 

Pull a customer list from your CRM and tally the total number of individual customers, including both first-time and returning. 

2. Identify total number of repeat customers

Filter your list to count how many of those customers have ordered more than once. Alternatively, you can pull a report of their order history to specify “customers with 2+ orders” or more.

3. Plug the numbers into the formula

Repeat Customer Rate = Total Repeat Customers / Total Customers

For example, if you have:

10,000 total customers 

4,000 repeat customers

Your repeat rate would be 4,000 / 10,000 = 40%

That’s it! Track this monthly to measure progress. Now let’s get into proven ways to improve it.

6 Strategies to Increase Repeat Customers

Provide 5-Star Service

Service can make or break the post-purchase experience. Train support staff to deliver friendly, empathetic assistance. Empower them to go above and beyond, like following up after issues are resolved. 

Nail the Returns Process

Returns are inevitable – but they present an opportunity. Studies show 75% of customers would shop with a retailer again after a seamless returns experience. Make it easy to initiate and track returns.

Offer a Loyalty Program

Loyalty programs increase repeat rate by 30-50%. Offer points, tiered benefits, or discounts for repeat purchases. Send reminder emails when points are expiring.

Master Your Email Marketing

Email generates $42 for every $1 spent. Promote new arrivals, share curated content, and offer exclusive discounts to subscribed customers. Just avoid over-promoting.

Double Down on Quality

Never compromise on product quality – defects result in high returns and destroy trust. Likewise, ship orders professionally and quickly. This shows you value customers’ time.

Wrapping Up

Lifelong customers are the rock of a profitable ecommerce biz. While acquiring new shoppers is tough, getting them to return and spend more demonstrates the success of top ecommerce brands.

Now you’re equipped with actionable tips to turn first-time buyers into your best repeat customers. So get out there, start analyzing your repeat rate, and build experiences your customers won’t forget.

---

Want to get started with analyzing and optimizing your repeat customer rates? Schedule your audit with us today!

SMS marketing can be a powerful tool for ecommerce businesses. According to recent surveys, 98% of text messages are opened and read within minutes, compared to the 20-30% open rate for emails. With such high engagement, it’s no wonder SMS marketing is growing rapidly. However, with great power comes great responsibility—you need to be strategic with your SMS marketing to see success.

One of the most crucial components of an effective SMS strategy is your sending schedule. Finding the optimal cadence and send times can significantly impact your open and click-through rates. In this article, we’ll explore how often you should send SMS campaigns, the best times to send messages, and tips for creating the ideal SMS schedule for your business. Let’s dive in!

How Often Should You Send SMS Marketing Campaigns?

When launching SMS marketing, one of the biggest questions is: how often should you send messages? You want to send frequently enough to stay top of mind with subscribers but not so often that you annoy them. Here are some best practices for SMS cadence:

• Limit promotional sends to 1-2 times per week: Sending more frequently risks opt-outs and irritation.
• Send cart abandonment reminders within 1 hour of abandonment: Timeliness is key for recovering lost sales.
• Use SMS sparingly for announcements and shipping confirmations: These are timely notifications, not ongoing campaigns.
• Avoid sends on major holidays: Prevent messages from getting lost in the shuffle.
• Always honor opt-out requests immediately: Never spam subscribers who have asked to disengage.

The ideal cadence will depend on your industry, subscriber base, and business goals. Test different frequencies to see what resonates best with your customers and monitor opt-out rates to avoid overdoing it.

What Are the Best Times to Send SMS Campaigns?

Timing is just as important as frequency in SMS marketing. Ensure your messages are received when subscribers are most likely to engage. Consider these key points on timing:

• Avoid early mornings and late evenings: People are unlikely to be shopping at these times.
• Lunchtime (11am – 1pm): Especially effective for restaurant/food brands.
• Evening (6pm – 9pm): Great for reaching people making dinner plans or relaxing after work.
• Sunday afternoons: Ideal for meal kit and grocery delivery messages.
• Mondays and Tuesdays: Tend to perform better than late weekdays.
• Fridays: Statistically the worst day for open rates, but good for weekend-specific offers if sent on Thursday or Friday.
• Sync messages with peak ordering times: Align messages with your business’s buying rhythms.

Always track open and click rates by send time to determine when your subscribers are most engaged, and refine your schedule based on the data.

Top Scheduling Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these common mistakes to ensure your SMS schedule is optimized for open rates and conversions:

• Sending too early/late: Avoid off-peak times when customers won’t see your message right away. Track opens to determine ideal hours.
• Irregular sends: Random, inconsistent timing trains customers to ignore your messages.
• Message overload: Limit frequency to 1-2 SMS campaigns per week max, unless transactional. More can irritate subscribers.
• Short notice discounts: While urgency works, give customers reasonable time to take action.
• Spamming opt-outs: Remove opt-outs from your list immediately to avoid damaging your reputation.
• No call to action: Every SMS campaign should include a strong CTA, not just a statement.
• Not tracking data: Pay attention to open rates, clicks, opt-outs, conversions, etc. Data shows what’s working.
• Copying email schedule: SMS is different from email—shorter, more urgent. Don’t just repurpose email content and timing.

Wrapping Up

Follow the strategies outlined in this article, and you’ll be on your way to SMS marketing success. Remember to always honor opt-out requests, provide value with your messages, and speak to your subscribers like real people. Do that, and SMS can become one of your most powerful marketing channels for driving conversions and sales.

---

Want to launch your first SMS campaign, or optimize your current one? Schedule a call with us to see how we can support your business growth!