As an e-commerce merchant, you would certainly want to know more about your customers. How often do they want to receive information from you? Which sort of products and services are they really interested in? There are many ways to do it–some complicated, some simple. But according to Get Elastic’s Linda Bustos, the simplest way to do this is by asking them. How, you ask? Bustos suggests three ways you can do so by collecting e-mail subscriber information.
1. Simple box. This is very common on e-commerce websites and according to the writer, it is as simple as an empty field with a call to action to “Subscribe” or “Sign Up.” A simple box can easily take a backseat to more recognizable Facebook or Twitter calls to action. Plus, as an e-retailer, all the information you get is lumped together and you do not get the chance for segmentation, which can help you come up with more personalized e-mails.
2. Box Plus Segmentation. Depending on how you want to categorize your e-mail subscribers, you can do segmentation without making it too complicated for you and your customer. Bustos uses the example of ASOS which categorizes customers according to gender. You can also categorize between “personal” and “business” e-mails. Just remember that anything more than two can be confusing.
3. Preferences Center. You can choose to set up a separate preferences center (aside from the simple box) so that your customers are more inclined to give you their information upfront. One example she uses is LL Bean. Aside from asking for the e-mail address (required), it also asks for product preferences and events that customers might like to attend. Bustos cautions e-commerce merchants to ensure that the form is not too complex and that the call to action button (in this case, “submit”) is big enough that customers can easily spot it.
A few more tips: always make sure that whatever format you choose is consistent with your e-mail marketing strategy and that you contact your existing subscribers so they can update their information using your segmentation forms or preference center.
2. Box Plus Segmentation. Depending on how you want to categorize your e-mail subscribers, you can do segmentation without making it too complicated for you and your customer. Bustos uses the example of ASOS which categorizes customers according to gender. You can also categorize between “personal” and “business” e-mails. Just remember that anything more than two can be confusing.
3. Preferences Center. You can choose to set up a separate preferences center (aside from the simple box) so that your customers are more inclined to give you their information upfront. One example she uses is LL Bean. Aside from asking for the e-mail address (required), it also asks for product preferences and events that customers might like to attend. Bustos cautions e-commerce merchants to ensure that the form is not too complex and that the call to action button (in this case, “submit”) is big enough that customers can easily spot it.
A few more tips: always make sure that whatever format you choose is consistent with your e-mail marketing strategy and that you contact your existing subscribers so they can update their information using your segmentation forms or preference center.
