A recent study pointed out that most email list managers fail to send any welcome message to those who sign onto their list. Most fail to utilize basic email design standards that should apply FIRST AND FOREMOST to your very “First Impression” on your new list recipients. Proper utilization of transactional email messages dictates that welcome messages be immediate and designed well. In addition, the welcome message should include numerous action items just like any other transactional message. Any and every opportunity to place an offer in front of readers should be of utmost importance to any serious email marketing professional. The rule of thumb is about 25% to 33% of any transactional message should be some type of offering as an action item. Welcome messages should conform to both the transactional email messaging rules as pointed out in this blog as well as all email design guide parameters as pointed out in the Ultimate Email Design Guide in this blog also. Here’s the list of offenses with the most ludicrous being first on the list:
- NO welcome message at all.
- A Welcome message two days later.
- A poorly designed Welcome Message.
- A poorly design welcome message two days later.
- NO design for the welcome message such as a text only email.
- A nicely designed welcome message with no offers or action items.
This follows another rule we have pointed out in the past also. This isn’t a new concept, just another spin on a new delivery method. Welcome messages are a well-known opportunity as a general rule of marketing, but somehow are overlooked when signing people up to receive emails. If every marketer, business manager and owner just stuck with the same old rules for this new delivery method, then all would be well.
More Resources: Email Design Best Practices Handbook, Email Marketing Server
Relevant Tags:email marketing best practices, email welcome messages, transactional email marketing
