What is a Transactional Email?
A transactional email is a message that is sent in response to an action that a user has taken. For example, if someone signs up for an application or newsletter, they might receive a transactional email welcoming them to the service. The goal of these emails is to give the customer what they want while informing them of other products or offers that may interest them. To learn more about this, read the article, "What are transactional emails and what are they used for?" If you're writing transactional emails but wondering how to get better results, this article will share best practices for increasing open rates and conversions from your transactional emails!
Understanding the Purpose of Transactional Emails
The first step to writing transactional emails that get opened, clicked, and result in conversions is understanding the purpose of transactional emails. The purpose of emails as mentioned above is to confirm the transaction and provide the customer with information about what they have purchased or signed up for. To write transactional emails that are effective, you need to understand what your customers want and need to know after they take the desired action. What information will be most beneficial to them? How can you make sure that your email stands out in their inbox? Once you have a good understanding of the purpose of transactional emails, you can start planning your email content. Make sure your email is relevant to the recipient. Transactional emails should be triggered by an action the user has taken, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service.
What Makes an Effective Email?
There are a few key things that make an email effective.
- The subject line: The subject line is the first thing recipients see when they receive an email, besides the sender, and it can determine whether the email is opened or not, so it's important to make it count. The subject should be short and to the point, and it should give recipients a reason to open the email. For example, "Get 20% off your next purchase!" is a great subject line for a transactional email.
- The body: The body of the email should be concise and easy to read. It should get straight to the point and not include any unnecessary information. The content should be relevant to the recipient. For example, if you're sending a transactional email after someone makes a purchase, the email should include information about how to use the product or service. If you're sending a transactional email after someone signs up for your newsletter, the email should include information about what they can expect from your newsletter.
- The call to action: The CTA should be clear and easy to follow. It should tell the reader what you want them to do, and it should be easy for them to do it. The CTA could be something like "Shop Now," "Learn More," or "Sign Up." including a CTA in your transactional emails helps to increase conversions and encourage recipients to take action. Keep your email focused on a single call to action. Don't try to include too much information or too many links in your transactional email - keep it concise and easy to digest.
- Responsive Design: Make sure your transactional emails are mobile-friendly. More and more people are reading emails on their smartphones, so it's important to ensure your emails look good on small screens. For this, use the responsive content blocks that Semplates provides to ensure your transactional emails look great on any device.
- Visual message: Use strong visuals to grab attention and convey information quickly. Include images, and infographics in your transactional emails to make them more engaging.
Why Transactional Emails Fail
- Lack of personalization: Most transactional emails are sent without personalization. They look like they’ve been written by a robot, and as a result, people are less likely to open them.
- Boring subject lines: Transactional emails often have boring subject lines that don’t entice people to open them. For example, a subject line like “Your order has shipped” is not going to grab someone’s attention.
- Generic content: Many transactional emails contain generic content that doesn’t provide any value to the recipient. For example, an email from an online store might just say “Your order has shipped” without providing any additional information about the order or the products that were purchased.
- Lack of visuals: Transactional emails often lack visuals, which can make them seem dull and uninteresting. Including some images or even just a simple logo can help make your transactional emails more visually appealing and thus more likely to be opened and clicked.
Conclusion
By following the best practices in this article, you can increase the chances that your transactional emails will be opened and clicked. Ultimately, this can lead to more conversions. Remember: Keep your messages short and to the point. Include only the information that your customers need to know. Use strong subject lines and clear call-to-actions to encourage customers to open and click through your email. A transactional email is part of the service that a company provides. So, when writing it, make sure that the service character comes first.