Note of intent for a committed emailing strategy for an ecommerce brand

As part of a pre-sale ofemailing strategy audit for an ecommerce brandWe've committed ourselves to writing a statement of intent. What kind of recommendations would we make if we were to support an ecommerce brand?

For several years now, Badsender has been working to transform practices in the email marketing sector. Our ambition is not for these commitments to remain only in our marketing agency manifesto. We want these values to permeate all our missions.

The explosion of ecommerce over the last 10 years has unfortunately given rise to a number of less-than-virtuous practices: soaring sales pressure, a strategy based solely on promotion and a lack of database hygiene.

Our aim, on our scale, is to bring responsibility to emailing and CRM practices.

This is where we want to take our ecommerce customers:

Tracking and analyzing the performance of your ecommerce emailings

While selling is essential to the long-term success of your ecommerce business, we can't be satisfied with the conversion rate and revenue generated by your campaigns alone.

One of the keys to a successful ecommerce strategy is to build loyalty among your audience. make people appreciate your campaigns. To achieve this goal, we are convinced that irritants must be kept to a minimum.

Here are a few elements of performance analysis to help us achieve this goal:

Keep your campaign dissatisfaction rate below 10 %

Email campaign dissatisfaction rate is a valuable indicator to calculate. It measures your readers' satisfaction content.

The calculation is simple: divide the number of unsubscribers by the number of clickers in the campaign and multiply by 100.

For example, a dissatisfaction rate of 50 % means that one out of every two clickers unsubscribes from your newsletters - that's huge. The ideal is to stay below 10 %, which means that one out of every ten clickers unsubscribes, a much more acceptable ratio.

This indicator is brilliant. It can be used to identify segments of contacts who are more or less satisfied with your communications, and to adjust your strategy by reducing the frequency of mailings or modifying your editorial approach (see below).

Maintain complaint rate below 0.1 %

This data is generally available directly from your routing tool, but is not very reliable. A much more reliable source isanalyze Gmail complaint ratesyou can check the complaint rate by setting theGoogle Postmaster Tools. This tool also enables you to check the reputation of your IPs and sending domains. Setting it up is free, quick and easy. No reason not to do it.

Give priority to analyzing click-through rates rather than open rates.

The way to Counting emailing open rates is biased. The calculation is based on image loading, which may be automatic depending on the messaging service. We also know thatApple Mail generates a significant overestimation of open rates.

In email marketing, the open rate doesn't mean much. A click-through rate is a reliable indicator of your recipients' real commitment to your content. It's this rate that needs to be improved.

Monitor your performance by messaging domain

Significant differences in performance between domains (Google, Microsoft, Orange...) may indicate problems with deliverability and delivery to spam box.

For example, if your average open rate is 25% but drops to 5% on Microsoft domains, this suggests a possible spamming of your emails.

We therefore feel it is essential to track your performance indicators by domain name to measure your deliverability.

Measuring the carbon footprint of your ecommerce emailing strategies

Calculate the carbon impact of an emailing activity allows become aware of the environmental impact of the millions of emails you send and understand your areas for improvement in terms of messaging, targeting and eco-design.

For the calculation we need the following criteria:

1. Number of emails delivered
2. Sending server location
3. Cumulative opening rate
4. The weight of the emails sent
5. Time to read emails
6. Distribution of reading terminals: desktop, smartphone, tablet
7. Distribution of consultation modes: 5G, 4G, WIFI
8. Geographical location of readers and breakdown by country

If you don't have all the criteria, that's okay, we'll take an average.

To take things a step further, we can also calculate the environmental impact of your e-mails. This is known as the climate shadow. In effect, your e-mails generate purchases. So we need to measure the consequences of this activity. What is the environmental impact of the products we buy? For this analysis, we need other data such as the number of orders per product and, ideally, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of each product. But again, if you don't have the latter indicator, we'll take an average.

Targeting and segmentation recommendations

While emailing is essential for generating revenue, we can't be content with an indiscriminate mass-mailing approach.

One of the keys to a successful ecommerce email strategy rests on three pillars: maintaining a clean database, pushing your inactive email contacts away from your mailings and adapting the pressure of your mailings to your targets.

Here are the elements that will enable us to achieve this goal:

Auditing and cleaning the database

If your database has been in existence for several years, it's often necessary to clean up dubious or inactive e-mail addresses. This will optimize your performance while respecting the principles of ethics, deliverability and digital sobriety.

To identify dubious email addresses and find out whether or not it is still responsible to send them your campaigns, you can use an e-mail address verification tool.

However, database maintenance must be accompanied by a sound strategy:

• Avoid using low-quality collection methods (contests, co-registration, partnerships, database rentals, etc.).
• Secure your forms with anti-spam devices.
• Ideally, implement double opt-in.
• Remove inactive contacts from your mailings.
• Pamper new incoming addresses by creating a welcome scenario

Remove inactive e-mail contacts

Define your inactive emails according to clicks rather than opens (or a combination of the two), as the open indicator is no longer reliable. And exclude your inactive segment from your regular mailings.

You don't have to reactivate your inactive contacts. After all, who really appreciates those re-engagement emails? If you still opt for a email re-engagement programhere are two essential tips:

• Focus on transparency and your values rather than promotions. Contacts reactivated by promotional offers are often opportunistic and quickly become inactive again.
• Count as reactivated only those contacts who clicked on your reactivation campaign, not those who simply opened it.

And here's a third tip: rather than a reactivation campaign, alert your contacts with a reactivation banner that they'll soon be receiving no more emails from you. See a sample banner, see our article on reactivating dormant contacts.

Segment by contact status

Distinguish between your different target audiences to understand their different behaviors when faced with emails. Some targets are much more committed than others as shown in this picture:

Analyzing the performance of your campaigns by target will enable you toadapt the rhythm of your communications in the right way.

Here are the key segments to consider:

• Opt-in leads
• Customers AND opt-in
• Customers and opt-out: out of respect and ethics, exclude them from your commercial emails and newsletters, as they have not given their consent.
• Ex-customers and opt-in: in e-commerce, define a precise criterion to identify an ex-customer, for example an absence of purchases for 12, 24 or 36 months.

Each target can be refined into relevant sub-targets, such as country or, in textiles, the male/female distinction. RFM segments (Recency, Frequency, Amount) are also essential. An in-depth study of e-mail churn in e-commerce confirms that it is crucial to adapt sales pressure to these RFM segments.

Tailor mailing frequency by contact segment

If you have segmented your contact base and send your campaigns to these different segments, you can analyze performance by segment: click-through rate, dissatisfaction rate and conversion rate.

This analysis will enable you toidentify which contact segments tire fastestand conversely, which remain committed.

For segments showing signs of fatigue (higher unsubscribe rates, higher dissatisfaction rates and lower click-through rates), reduce the frequency of mailings. For example, go from 2 e-mails per week to 1 e-mail per week.

For other segments that show no signs of fatigue, you can maintain your current pace.

You can then either prioritize certain email campaigns by setting up a "smart pause" - i.e. suspending mailings to tired segments and sending only priority campaigns - or create a summary newsletter. This respectful approach preserves the quality of your database.

You'll need to prioritize your campaigns to determine which ones to pause.

Avoid systematic reminders to non-buyers

Relaunching the non-roofers campaign is a common practice but not very effective.

Performance is generally poor, and this approach degrades your reputation as a sender with couriers.

For best results, give preference to follow-ups with openers and clickers who have not yet made a purchase.

Marketing Automation

Although automated emails generate better conversion rates and more revenue than traditional commercial emails, their purpose should not be limited solely to upselling and cross-selling.

Take advantage of these high open and click-through rates to pamper your customer relations and get essential messages across.

Greet each newcomer with a welcome scenario

How do you welcome someone you're meeting for the first time?

With a warm welcome, a sincere thank you, a presentation of what makes you unique, and a curiosity to find out who he is. And why not, a little welcome gift to mark the beginning of this relationship.

• Adapt your welcome program messages according to the source of collection (newsletter registration, first purchase in store, first purchase on e-commerce site).
• Present your brand, your approach, your distinctive features and your commitments.
• If necessary, find out who your contact is and what their expectations are (qualification form).

Taking care of the customer after the purchase with a post-purchase scenario

Customers are bound to have questions when they make a purchase.

Is it the right size? Will I know how to use the product? Can I return the product easily? Will I get my money back quickly? Is customer service easy to reach? Do they have a phone number where I can speak to someone directly?

Focus on customer support rather than just upselling.

• Be clear about return and refund conditions.
• Give all the ways to contact you: telephone, email, form. Specify the opening hours and days of your customer service department, and recommend the least busy hours for better responsiveness.
• Highlight your FAQ with the 3 most frequently asked questions. It'll save everyone time!
• Give advice on use and care to keep your products looking their best for as long as possible.
• Tell people about your repair services or, if you don't already have one, offer advice on alterations or information on local dressmakers.
• Advice on what to do with damaged products: donation, upcycling.

Responding to doubts about cart abandonment

Customers may abandon their shopping baskets for a number of reasons: persistent doubts, a need for reassurance, an overpriced delivery rate, a delivery date not mentioned, or simply a lack of immediate need.

Take a consultative approach rather than purely promotional:

• As in the post-purchase scenario, highlight your returns, refunds and customer service conditions.
• Share authentic customer reviews to reassure customers.
• Highlight sustainable product features.
• Offer responsible alternatives (second-hand, rental).

Celebrate your customers' birthdays

If you've collected a customer's date of birth during their visit, you can send them an email on their birthday, or even a few days before if you want to plan several communications.

Traditionally, brands offer a discount code on a customer's birthday and follow up if they haven't used it. But are these marketing practices still relevant to a committed emailing strategy? Is it necessary to offer a discount? What would really please your customers? A visit to your premises? A meeting with a stylist? A collaboration between your customer and your brand to highlight on your blog and your networks? It's up to you to be imaginative!

Should you reactivate your former customers?

Experience shows that reactivating old customers, just like reactivating inactive emails, rarely produces the expected results and send the wrong signals to messengers.

It makes more sense to invest energy in an effective welcome or post-purchase scenario, as well as in constantly improving the editorial quality of emails and creating relevant editorial content (see below).

Deliverability: Security and compliance of shipments

Sending emails is easy, but making sure they reach your recipients' inboxes isn't always easy. To do this, you have to prove to the messaging service that you're a sender worthy of being delivered to the right place!

To do this, you need to comply with the marketing best practices listed above, as well as secure your mailings and bring them into line. We strongly recommend that you get ahead of the game and apply the following now future deliverability rules.

Here are the most important ones:

Configuring SPF and DKIM and DMARC to a "reject" policy

Recent rules from Gmail and Yahoorequire senders to configure three essential authentication techniques (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, with BIMI as a complement) to prove the legitimacy of their mailings. We won't go into further detail here, as we've already published several comprehensive articles on theemail authentication. Although Gmail and Yahoo currently accept a "quarantine" or "neutral" DMARC policy, we advise you to adopt a "reject" policy now to stay one step ahead - deliverability rules are changing fast!

Implementing BIMI with Digicert certification

Even if it is not mandatory for the time being, we strongly advise you toimplement BIMI for several reasons: adding an additional security protocol to the DNS, and legitimizing the brand by displaying the logo and checkmarks to recipients.

Please note: since the beginning of the year, it has been preferable tobuy Digicert certificates rather than Entrust certificatesbecause Apple no longer trusts the latter.

These technical measures are essential to protect your customers against identity theft attempts and reinforce trust in your communications.

Configure Apple Branded Emails for optimum visibility on Apple

Apple Branded Email, a recent feature of Apple Business Connect, lets you associate a logo with your sender identity in Apple Mail. Free but proprietary, this system offers brands enhanced visibility in the world's most widely used email client. Unlike BIMI, it requires specific configuration for the Apple ecosystem. Configuration takes just 10 minutes and is free of charge. No reason to miss out!

Responsible content and communication

Aligning marketing with CSR commitments

For a committed ecommerce brand, authenticity and consistency are essential in email communication.

If your website says we are committed to sustainable fashion "Your marketing message must reflect this commitment.

Your commitments must be reflected in every messageThese are backed up by concrete evidence to avoid any risk of greenwashing.

This is a complex exercise, particularly for a brand based on a traditional business model that needs to preserve its profitability and jobs.

Start by taking a step aside. It's not about reinventing everything: it's all about building on existing evidence. Here are a few ideas that can be adapted to suit your needs.

The key is to be clear-headed: understand the challenges of the fashion industry, master the orders of magnitude and define a clear direction. Plan your progress and communicate transparently about your situation and areas for improvement.

This approach requires a precise editorial strategy: short, punchy emails that direct readers to landing pages detailing your commitments.

Slow" approach

• Ban pressure-to-purchase techniques like countdown timers, flashing red dots, "don't miss" or "unmissable" or "last hours".
• This doesn't mean you shouldn't have sales or discounts, but you should explain that why you do it and how.
• Explain the construction of fair prices.
• Promote responsible alternatives to buying new, such as renting or buying second-hand if you do.
• Explain how to maintain and repair your products.
• Why do you launch small, limited series rather than large-scale productions that might leave you with too much stock?

Highlighting the use and durability of clothing

In your emails, focus on the practical use and longevity of your products:

• Emphasize durability: highlight the resistance of materials, the quality of finishes and the wear tests carried out.
• Detail functionalities: explain practical benefits (thermoregulation, breathability, water repellency) and situations of use.
• Emphasize timelessness: show how design allows pieces to be worn over several seasons, facilitating a minimalist, long-lasting wardrobe.
• Share maintenance tips to extend product life, explaining the usefulness and impact of this extension.
• Highlight repair and retouching services in every newsletter

Production transparency

• Explain the raw material choices that enable us to produce high-quality, sustainable products rather than disposable ones, and their advantages.
• Provide details on product origin and manufacturing processes. Present your labels if you have any.

Talk about it in every newsletter

For your values and commitments to have an impact on your customers, you need to talk about it regularly, not just once or twice a year when you publish your impact report or carbon footprint.

• Include a "Our commitments" section in each newsletter
• Promote responsible services and advice (maintenance, repair, second-hand) in every newsletter

Dedicated communications

This doesn't mean, however, that you shouldn't communicate when you publish an impact report or carbon footprint. You need to relay this information in a precise, quantified and detailed manner.

• Communicate objectives and roadmap
• Sharing successes and areas for improvement
• Sharing obstacles
• Evidence and measurements: quantified indicators with trends over several years, verifiable sources and accessible documentation

Emails readable and understood in less than 3 seconds

The difficulty with the email channel is to capture readers' attention.

Mailboxes are overloaded. Loyal readers are those who really appreciate the brand and what it has to say. To maximize attention and readership, it's important to think about the angle of attack of your emails beforehand :

• List the key messages to be communicated
• Respecting local laws: contextualizing
• Place the essential message in the subject line
• Prioritize your messages and place them in visual landmarks: main title, Call to Action (CTA), secondary titles, subtitles, highlighted blocks, etc.
• Play with font sizes, bolding, borders and colored backgrounds to highlight important information.

Before validating your proof, read your email aloud by putting yourself in the shoes of one of your readers and check that you've respected a checklist of best practices for emailing copywriting.

Before and after example of responsible emailing

See the editorial and design overhaul of a Decathlon product email

Email accessibility

Email accessibility is an obvious choice for a committed emailing strategy.

Here are the main best practices for guarantee the accessibility of your emails and ensure optimal reading for all:

• Avoid text in images and use HTML text instead for better readability.
• Structure content with a clear hierarchy (headings, paragraphs)
• Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background (minimum ratio of 4.5:1) using tools such as Contrast Checker.
• Add relevant alternative text to images information carriers.
• Do not add alternative text to decorative images.
• Write explicit, descriptive links (e.g. "Discover our responsible collection" rather than "Click here" or "Unsubscribe" rather than "If you wish to unsubscribe, click here").

Email eco-design

With a view to digital sobriety, reduce the weight of your emails to reduce their environmental impact:

• Favour simple, effective designs rather than complex visual effects that may have a wow factor, but weigh heavily in the weight of the email to be seen by very few opening environments.
• Avoid heavy elements such as carousels or complex animations.
• Systematically optimize images (compression, dimensions and formats adapted to email use).
• Limiting the use of Animated GIFs and optimize their weight.
• Use the system fonts (web safe fonts) rather than custom fonts.

Conclusion

To successfully make the transition to more responsible and committed email communication, it's essential to adopt a global approach. At Badsender, we have developed the "emailing sobriety chain which is based on four fundamental pillars, listed in order of priority:

1. Transforming messages to promote more sustainable consumption patterns
2. Refine targeting to respect readers and reduce marketing pressure
3. Ensuring email accessibility for inclusive reading
4. Applying eco-design principles for sober formats

Companies are generally willing to work on points 3 and 4, but unfortunately these have the least impact. The key lies in the first two points, particularly the first, which often represents the greatest challenge for companies. As mentioned in the article, you need to move forward gradually, starting by taking one step at a time. The other steps will follow naturally. And we're here to support you!