It seems amazing in this world of tracking, reports and data but still most online retailers have little insight into the performance of their transactional emails.

These can include the basic deliverability characteristics to more sophisticated behavioural data once the emails have been sent. What is a transactional email? Invoices, order status, tracking or any other electronically provided email that comes from your business.

They should ALWAYS provide an opportunity to deliver more value, up-sells and information where specifically relevant. This is especially true when you consider transactional emails get astounding open rates — up to 75/80% in some cases.

Before you confirm an online order or send shipping details, consider the following:

5 Top Transactional Email Tips!

TIP 1 – Before you can make any impression you have to get the email into your customer’s inbox. Using an email marketing provider ensures more of your emails get to your customers. Sending emails from your own desktop can lead to an ISP, receiver or blacklist blocking your promotional messages.

Take care in your email marketing using professional providers that protect your domain and your online reputation which is paramount to your business.

TIP 2 – Use subject lines that immediately and accurately describe the email’s purpose. Recipients might scan only the first few words, while mobile devices might cut off the last few. So don’t bury critical terms like “Order Confirmation” or “Shipping Confirmation” at the end of a subject line: Put them in right up front.

TIP 3 – Always deliver a detailed overview of the transaction. Do not just thank a customer for an order and promise it’ll send it soon. The basic information is essential — including order numbers, product descriptions, prices paid and customer service contacts—in a prominent location. Bold these where relevant.

TIP 4 – Overwhelming customers with additional offers is going to confuse the initial purpose of the email. Of course promoting complementary products is the way to go, but place these relevant offers at the bottom of the email, or off to the side. Create a standard so that the core message of the email is not lost in the advertising noise.

As a rule no more than 20% of your messages should be devoted to promotional content.

TIP 5 – Always deliver your transactional email with great speed. Consumers are accustomed to relatively instant confirmation. If yours takes longer than usual, they might be irritated or concerned. This is what we call a “bad experience.” Never miss the opportunity to give more information than is required.

Ensure each emails content is specifically relevant, give them the means to service their own issues. Confirm with clarity. Impress your customers with transactional messages that tell them what they want to know, when they want to know it.

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