Andrea Johnson

How Seamless Email Turns Ecommerce Prospects into Buyers

October 14th, 2014

Only 2.6% of the people browsing an ecommerce site actually buy during that visit, but, according to Charles Nicholls, that doesn’t mean they’re not going to eventually make a purchase.

Charles is the Founder and Chief Strategy Officer for SeeWhy, a provider of cloud-based behavioral target marketing. He discussed what it takes to transform browsers into buyers with Daniel Burstein, Director of Editorial Content, MECLABS, at the 2014 Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition in Chicago.

Charles exhorted marketers to rethink the channel mindset and optimizing websites for a single session, and instead, think about optimizing the entire buying process. The key, he explained, is seamless use of email across desktops, tablets and smartphones.

Why? Customers may use all of these devices before finally making a purchase.

Consider this: SeeWhy has been tracking smart phone conversions, and, according to Charles, smartphones are outpacing tablets, which have become a desktop substitute. Also, 67% of smartphone conversions are done via email.

Watch the video below to learn about the importance of seamless emailing:

 

He explained that while mobile is the glue that connects the online and in-store experience, email connects the entire purchasing funnel. He advised looking to Crate and Barrel to find out how it’s done.

They carry the context of each browsing session, on whatever device the prospect is using, into follow-up emails.

“When you browse on a mobile device, fat fingers and a small screen don’t always compute,” Charles explained.

An email can bring the session back to the tablet or desktop, where the customer can easily complete the purchase.

“Customers are looking for a seamless experience,” he said. “They don’t think of channels being different; they just want their stuff.”

 

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