Even though social media platforms are widely used to divert traffic and sales have emerged in the recent years, email still proves to be an important key for driving online sales. In other words, if your haven't implemented email marketing for your business or not doing it in a correct way, then you are leaving money on the table.

In this blog, we will discuss why customer segmentation is crucial for email marketing, major segmentations, and re-target strategy that you should consider for your email marketing.

What is the purpose for customer segmentation?

In today's eCommerce environment customers come in different shapes and sizes. Hence, offering identical emails to all your customers each time will be a missed opportunity. For instance, if you have to target children, you don't need to send out emails to teens or adults. Therefore, segmenting your customers will help you target a group of customers based on their characteristics and behavior.

What are the major segmentations?

The foremost thing you do is to list your segments. Because, for an email repurchase strategy it becomes important you check your customer's purchase behavior history. Below are the major segmentation you should consider:

1 - FTP (first time purchasers)

They are the ones who are your new customers who have just made a purchase from your online store. It becomes crucial that you do not overlook the importance of this segmentation, as you can make them your loyal ones with your repurchase strategy.

2 - LAP (least active purchasers)

They are the ones who have made a purchase once in a longer period of time. While determining this segmentation consider a suitable period of time to track such purchasers with similar interest.

3 - MAP (most active purchasers)

These are your frequent purchasers. Many marketing experts overlook the importance of this segmentation, just because they regularly purchase from the site. But, targeting such customers in your email marketing strategy becomes equally important to ensure that your brand's name comes first in their mind whenever they want to shop online.

4 - Unique customers

They can either be the ones who at a point of time were unsatisfied with your service and have stopped shopping from you, the ones who may have unsubscribed from your newsletter, or the ones who have cancelled their account with your store. This is important, because targeting your existing customers is less expensive. Always remember, your purchasers are your potential leads, hence it becomes easy to retain or re-target them instead of spending more to divert new ones to your store.

The above are the major segmentation that you should consider while deciding an email marketing strategy. Also, it is beneficial to track them by their purchase behavior rather than demographics to bring out effective results from your campaigns.

What repurchase strategy can I use?

- For first time purchasers, target them with emails to make your products categories visible to them. From their first purchase, recommend them with relevant products or products that you know will entice them to buy it. Your email for first time purchasers should highlight more about your offerings in order to infuse more information about your brand in their mind.

- For least active purchasers, target them with emails that will entice them to re-purchase from your site. It is a good idea to provide more information about free shipping benefits, quick delivery services or offer promotional discounts. These factors will be an addition to what the purchaser will receive apart from the product you send. Discount coupon codes are widely used to encourage one-time purchaser for making another purchase from your store.

- For most active purchasers, target them with emails highlighting your newest products or products related to their purchases which will encourage them to continue shopping from your site. These are the ones who will have maximum purchase history which makes it easy for you to target them sending effective emails.

- For unique customers, target them with emails more about your improved service, changes that you have brought in your site, or other factors that could bring a trust in their mind and encourage them to return to your store. Your email should be personalized that can bring a sense of apology for the bad experience they had earlier. Your incentives have to be strong to divert such customers back to your store.

Additional tip:

Always infuse a feedback link in your email marketing campaigns that will help you gain better insights about their needs and behaviors.

In Closing

Keeping in mind the above segmentations and implementing the re-purchasing tactics will make your email marketing campaigns effective and churn more revenue for your business. But, that is not all! You also need to measure your email marketing campaigns in order to check your customers behavior. Did your first time purchasers make a second purchase? Was promotional discount effective to entice your one time purchasers? Are your regular purchasers influenced and do they follow the same pattern to frequently purchase from your store? And, did your unique customers respond to your feedback link or return to your store?

Did you ever realize that your product's appearance has one of the major contribution in converting sales for your online store. Without offering an ability to feel products, your customers only have images that influences them to make quick purchase decisions. That's exactly why product photography becomes very important through which you can give them as close-to-real experience. Your product photography can either create a quality brand image for your product, or could completely mess up the product.

I'm sure you won't like to comprise on the quality, therefore here I present you few product photography features that you need to be careful, if ignored it will directly affect your online store's sale.

1 - Background color

Your product photography should focus more on the product covering maximum area of the photograph. However, there has to be a background for every image. So ,ensure that you select a simple and plain background color which should enhance your product and not distract shoppers from viewing the product.

For example, if you selling a product having a vibrant color like black or blue, then choosing a color like white or any other light color for the background will attract shopper's attention directly to the product allowing a clear view of it. But, if you choose a vibrant color like brown for the background, it will distract customer's vision and may trouble their eye who in turn will stop viewing the product and exit from your online store. Selecting a complementary background to the subject becomes very important to influence customer's purchase management and your store's sale.

2 - Lights

Lights is an important feature for your product photography. This source will allow your customers get a clear visibility of your product but, if not done correctly it can prove to be the opposite way around. If you select a proper background color for your product image, clicking pictures in natural lights can be the best choice. However, if you have certain products that needs to highlight certain details then manipulating light sources may be a better option. Deciding proper lights for your product photography will drastically influence customer's purchase decisions as through lights you can offer them an experience as close to real-life.

For example, if you are selling products like jewelry or products similar to that, you'll need to focus more on details. Selecting and arranging proper lights for your product photography is a must, or else without lights your collection will look dull and unnoticeable, even if they are worth is in Lakhs. Don’t compromise lighting in your product photography if you really want to make the best out of your products.

3 - Color and styles

One of the most influencing feature in your product photography is the color options and styles your offer to your customers. People who shop online easily get influenced to make a purchase on-the-go when you upfront offer them a variety of colors and styles for your products.

For example, if you sell T-shirts then offering multiple colors and styles for each products will fit many customer's choice who in -turn will make a purchase on-the-go. Also, your product photography should include product images in different angles and allow zoom in and zoom out functionality for better visibility. The more visual options you allow your customers through your product photography the better chances of making more sales for your online store.

4 - Product details matter

Attention to details should be prioritized in your product photography. Running an online store, your customers does not have an ability to feel the product, hence they are unable to get an idea about the quality. Therefore, if you don’t allow customers to get close-up view of your products, it will automatically badly affect your store's sales.

For example, if you have an online business into selling ladies bags and your product photography does not include the attention to detail feature, your customers will not shop from your site. Product details matter to emphasize your product are made properly and are of good quality.

5 - Show what you say

You may want to give a brief description about your product in order to make your product offerings clear to your customers. Now, when you do so it is also important that you show them in your product photography. Because, if you don't, your customers will not have an idea about it’s looks who may also end up creating a wrong illusion about your product in their mind. This will directly affect your online store’s sale.

For example, if you are selling cargo pants and you mention in the description that it has 10 pockets, then ensure you show them in your visuals and if possible so them in action. Doing this, you let your customer imagine the product as a part of their life and make quick purchase decisions.

In closing

Ignoring the potential and cutting cost on product photography is not at all a good idea. With not much of costs and efforts involved, the traffic and sales return you'll get on showing your quality images will be of a great value.