How to Reward Email Signups on Shopify

amai

March 8, 2024March 28, 2024

For Shopify and other e-commerce platforms, it’s critical to embed a robust email marketing strategy. The fact that the return on investment for email marketing has increased from $48 to $55 for every dollar spent is a pointer to the effectiveness of this marketing channel. This article delves into creative strategies that can help you make the best use of Shopify email signup rewards to incentivize email engagements and elevate the overall customer experience. The goal is to ensure that the first click is the beginning of a lasting relationship.

Why is Email Marketing Important for Shopify Stores?

High Average Email Open Rate: Typically, an email open rate of between 17% and 28% is considered good enough. However, the bar is even higher for the ecommerce industry. The average email open rate in the e-commerce sector is 38.58%, which is higher than other prominent sectors like marketing and advertising or media and publishing. The high average email open rate in the e-commerce sector means that there’s a significant opportunity for e-commerce businesses to connect with their audience, drive engagement, and, ultimately, increase sales. This high engagement rate suggests that customers in the e-commerce sector are more receptive to emails, possibly because they look forward to deals, new product launches, and personalized recommendations.

Better Conversion Rates: Compared to other marketing channels, email marketing boasts better conversion rates. While email marketing offers $55 ROI per dollar spent, paid social media advertising offers an average ROI of $2.80 per dollar spent. Every business aims to maximize the ROI on their marketing spend, and email marketing promises a better ROI. In addition to this, your marketing efforts are sometimes at the mercy of ever-changing social media algorithms. While social media can help build brand/product awareness, email marketing edges it in terms of ROI.

Emails are More Personalized: With email marketing, every email sent to a subscriber feels like a direct conversation between the brand and the individual. This level of personalization is achieved through segmentation and the use of customer data, allowing businesses to tailor their messages based on the recipient’s previous interactions, preferences, and purchasing history.

Unlike social media marketing, where messages are broadcast to a wide audience, email marketing enables companies to create content that resonates on a personal level. This can include personalized product recommendations, birthday discounts, or updates relevant to the customer’s interests, making each communication feel exclusive and tailored specifically for them. By adopting personalized and segmented campaigns, marketers report a 760% increase in email revenue.

Getting prospects to subscribe to your mailing list is the first step towards building a long-term relationship with your customers on Shopify. With a solid Shopify email signup rewards system, you grow your subscriber base and enhance customer engagement and loyalty.

Here are some strategies and rewards that Shopify store owners can use to encourage email signups:

Discount Codes or Coupons: Perhaps the most popular and one of the most effective ways to encourage email signups is by offering a discount code or coupon for the subscriber’s next purchase. This immediate reward creates a tangible benefit for signing up. You can offer a fixed percentage off, a dollar amount discount, or special offers like “Buy One Get One Free.” The anticipation of saving money on a future purchase motivates customers to share their email addresses.

Free Shipping on the Next Purchase: Free shipping is another compelling incentive, especially for online shoppers who are often deterred by added shipping costs. Offering free shipping on the next purchase after signing up can significantly increase your email list subscriptions. This strategy is particularly effective because it directly addresses a common barrier to online shopping, making your store more attractive to potential customers.

Exclusive Access to Sales or Products: Providing exclusive access to sales, promotions, or products is a great way to make your subscribers feel special and valued. You can create a sense of exclusivity by offering early access to sales, special members-only promotions, or the opportunity to purchase products before they are available to the general public. This incentivizes email signups and fosters a sense of belonging and loyalty among your subscribers.

Entry into a Giveaway or Contest: Hosting a giveaway or contest can be an exciting way to encourage email signups. You can rapidly expand your mailing list by requiring an email address for entry. The prize should be attractive and relevant to your target audience, whether it’s a high-value product, a gift card, or a unique experience. This strategy boosts your subscriber numbers and creates buzz and engagement around your brand.

Each strategy leverages a different aspect of consumer behavior, from the desire to save money to the allure of exclusivity. By implementing one or more of these rewards for email signups, you can effectively grow your subscriber base and, by extension, your sales.

To set up Shopify email signup rewards, you can either use third-party Shopify apps or Shopify built-in features. Shopify’s built-in features don’t directly offer email signup rewards functionality. However, you can achieve a similar outcome using a combination of features and workarounds.

Shopify Built-in Features

Create a Discount Code:

Navigate to “Discounts” in your Shopify admin.

Click “Create discount” and select “Discount code.”

Name your discount (e.g., “WELCOME10”) and set the type (percentage, fixed amount, etc.), value, and conditions.

Optionally, set a validity period to create urgency.

Promote the Discount Code:

Use your site’s theme options to add a newsletter signup form. This is often found in the theme’s footer, header, or as a pop-up.

In the form settings or a prominent place on your site, mention that new subscribers receive a discount code as a reward.

After customers sign up, send them the discount code through Shopify Email. Create a welcome email campaign that includes the discount code and instructions on how to use it.

Shopify Apps

For a more automated and feature-rich approach, consider using Shopify apps designed for this specific purpose. You can easily find apps with email signup rewards functionality in the Shopify App Store. These apps can automate the entire process, from signup through to emailing the discount code, and offer more customization and optimization options, which can be particularly beneficial as your store grows.

Introducing Urgency+ (All-In-One Shopify Sale Boosting App)

The Urgency+ app is the ultimate sales-boosting toolkit for Shopify store owners focused on leveraging urgency and scarcity. It features countdown timers, stock level indicators, exclusive email offers, customizable pop-ups, and social proof notifications. Urgency+ excels in making email signup rewards more compelling, offering automated, time-sensitive deals to new subscribers. This approach drives immediate purchases and builds long-term customer engagement. Ideal for marketing-savvy retailers, Urgency+ transforms browsing into buying, enhancing both conversion rates and subscriber satisfaction.

Limitations of Shopify’s Native System and Competitors

Limited Customization: Shopify’s built-in features for email signups are somewhat basic. While they allow for the collection of emails, customization options for signup forms and reward mechanisms are limited, making it challenging for store owners to create a more engaging user experience.

Integration Complexities: While Shopify allows for integration with third-party marketing tools, the process can be complex and sometimes requires additional development work. This can be a barrier for store owners who are not tech-savvy or do not have access to technical support.

Features and Advantages of Urgency+

Ease of Integration: The app is built to integrate smoothly with Shopify, ensuring that adding it to your existing setup is straightforward and doesn’t require extensive technical knowledge.

The integration process is designed to be intuitive, with step-by-step guidance available, ensuring that even those with minimal technical skills can implement it successfully.

Customizable Reward Systems: Urgency+ allows for a high degree of customization in how rewards are offered to customers. This includes the ability to create unique, time-sensitive discounts, special offers, or exclusive content as incentives for signing up.

Advanced Incentivization Techniques: Urgency+ goes beyond simple discount codes by incorporating advanced incentivization techniques, such as limited-time offers, gamification elements, and tiered rewards, making it more effective in capturing the interest of potential subscribers.

Efficient Promotion Management: Integrating with Shopify’s Discount section means promotions can be managed efficiently, ensuring the right offers are made to the right customers at the right time.

In-depth Analytics: Offering more sophisticated analytics compared to its competitors, Urgency+ enables store owners to track the performance of their email signup campaigns in real time, gain insights into user behavior, and adjust their strategies accordingly for optimal results.

Customer Support and Resources: Urgency+ differentiates itself by providing exceptional customer support and a wealth of educational resources. This support system can be invaluable for store owners looking to maximize the effectiveness of their email marketing strategies.

Useful Tips

To maximize the effectiveness of an email signup reward program with Urgency+, Shopify store owners can employ strategic approaches to enhance engagement, conversion rates, and compliance.

Here are some actionable tips:

Segment Email Lists

Segment your email list based on customer behavior and preferences to offer personalized rewards.

Develop campaigns specific to each segment to increase engagement and conversions.

Test and Optimize Rewards

Experiment with different rewards, messaging, and timings to see what works best. There’s no harm in trying different styles till you strike gold.

Regularly review key metrics to refine your approach and improve program effectiveness.

Ensure Legal Compliance

Comply with email marketing laws like GDPR and CAN-SPAM by obtaining explicit consent and offering a clear unsubscribe option.

Be clear about what subscribers are signing up for and protect their data with robust security measures.

Summary and Advice

Email marketing is as important as ever for Shopify stores, and giving rewards for email signups can boost your subscriber list. Urgency+ simplifies this by allowing you to customize rewards, integrate easily with Shopify, and track your success. The key is to keep offers attractive and relevant, be transparent with your customers, and adhere to regulations. With Urgency+, you can make your email rewards engaging and effective, helping you achieve your marketing goals and strengthen your relationship with your customers.