11/15/2013

What Are Transactional Emails and How to Use Them

Transactional emails are very often associated with eCommerce companies that communicate with their clients every time a transaction is made.

However, transactional e-mails should not be limited to eCommerce and if you run a website (portal, blog) regardless of its size, you should also consider using this resource. Transactional emails are sent as a result of an action caused by the user.

They are automatically sent notifications such as: welcome e-mails, order confirmations, password reminders, etc. By using transactional emails, you will be able to establish a direct communication channel with your customers and readers by sending to them a customized e-mail.

There are different ways of interacting with clients. You can create transactional e-mails and schedule them to be sent each time someone registers on your site, subscribe to receive your newsletters, download a file or a document, make a purchase or even submit a survey or questionnaire.

Some transactional emails may prompt the recipient to take some sort of action, while others simply serve as a confirmation of some sort and require no action. These messages are simply a way of confirming something happened as a result of user action, or sometimes, even communicating additional information related to the action they took.

It's really up to you to use the way you want the transactional e-mails in order to improve your business efficiency.

We have stated before that the transactional emails are mainly related to eCommerce businesses, but they should also be used for small businesses. They can be sent as a result of an action triggered by the user and build long-lasting relationship with your customers.

Bear in mind, that your customers are more likely to open and read transactional emails longer than other forms of communication. Therefore we recommend that you spend some time to optimize the content and its design to reach the readers and encourage them to certain actions.

Upon creating transactional e-mails remember to follow these few steps to hit the target:

  • include only relevant information to your readers (news your readers "opted" to receive)
  • link to your site (make it possible for your customers to return to your site)
  • include their name in the headline (customize your e-mails) -encourage future conversions
  • encourage sharing on Social Networks

You do not have to run a big online eCommerce to use transactional e-mails. As a small player on the market, you can also benefit from using them. If you own a contact list and want to create a stronger relationship with your customers, it means that transactional e-mails are for you.

Start sending automated notifications today and you will be surprised how effective they can be for your website.