Win Back Emails
Learn how to send Winback emails automatically and retain your inactive customers.
What is a Win-Back Email?
A Win-Back email is a carefully crafted message sent to re-engage inactive customers. It is primarily a motivation for inactive customers to come back and make a purchase at your store.
An inactive customer is someone who previously engaged with your store but they've not made a repeat purchase for a long time at your store.
Why are Win-Back Emails Important?
Win-Back Emails motivate people to make repeat purchases. Sometimes, customers stop purchasing from your store, and the reasons may be manifold. They may have stopped using your products or would have moved to your competitor’s store. Comparatively, some would have had a bad experience with your products. We may never know the exact reasons. A sincere effort from your end to win those customers back is by sending ‘Win-back Email’.
What happens when you don't send these Win-Back Emails?
We will never know why we lost a customer.
We will miss the chance to bring back customers we acquired spending hundreds of dollars
Studies show that 61% of eCommerce businesses report that more than half of their revenue comes from repeat customers rather than new business. Moreover, it costs a whopping 300% higher to acquire a new customer when compared to getting a repeat sale from an existing customer.
Best Practices to be Followed in Win-Back Emails
When focusing on sending Win-back Emails, some best practices can be followed for better and expected results.
Some of them are listed below:
A Catchy Subject Line:
Ensure that it grabs the attention of the customers in their cluttered inboxes. When the subject line seems attractive, your inactive customers will definitely go through the entire content of the Email.
Some of the catchy subject lines include:
Hi Laura, We miss you at {{shop.name}}
Laura, here's a small gift for you
Many offers are waiting for you, Laura
Email Content
The content of the email should be perfectly tailored with the intent to bring back the inactive customers to the store.
Email Personalization - Personalized Emails will always enhance customer engagement, and a personal connection will be much appreciated by the customers.
Example:
Addressing them with their name (Hey Steffie….)
Engage in one-on-one connect with your customers
When personalized emails hit the inbox of the customers, then they will feel that you missed them and you want them back in your community very hard.
Short & Meaningful Conversation - It's always advisable to keep your win-back emails crisp and meaningful so that you can get high click-through rates.
Two things to be focused on in your win-back emails:
Acknowledge your inactive customers’ absence
List out what they are missing
Offering Strong Incentives - Discounts always encourage inactive customers to come back. In a recent study, it was found that nearly 82.4% stick to a brand that always renders consistent deals.
Impressive, right? To rekindle the shopping spirit in your inactive customers, you can also personalize your coupon code, and it will have a greater impact on your business.
Winning-Back by Highlighting the Benefits - If a customer has not turned out for many days to your store, it’s better to win them back by throwing light on the benefits associated with your products/services, etc.
Examples:
Buy one get 3 free offers
Free Shipping and Returns
Discount coupons for purchases above a certain limit and so on.
Call-To-Action (CTA) - Including a very vigorous CTA can also facilitate bringing back inactive customers
Examples: Get your free rewards, Welcome back, Collect your coupon, Avail 10% OFF Now!
Win-Back Email Template Examples
For a clear picture, we have come up with some examples. It will help you in drafting the mail in a refined manner.
Example 1
Takeaways from this email template:
It is simple and very straightforward.
Offers a strong incentive
Has a clear Call-To-Action (CTA)
Example 2
Takeaways from this email template:
Visually appealing design
A strong incentive
A direct CTA
Product recommendations
Example 3
Takeaways from this email template:
Small but meaningful conversation
Benefits were highlighted
Incentives were mentioned
You can replicate any of the email templates in your win-back emails and get better customer re-engagement rates.
Creating a Win-Back Email Workflow
Retainful lets you create your own Win-Back Email workflow with an easy-to-use automation workflow editor. Retainful allows you to focus on other tasks and become more productive. With Retainful’s Pre-built Template, you can create this Workflow with a few result-oriented steps.
Follow the below steps to create the Win-Back Email Workflow:
Login to your Retainful dashboard
Go to ‘Automation’ -> Create Workflow -> Choose ‘Win-Back Email
3. Give a ‘Name’ to your Win-Back workflow and click ‘Continue’ to proceed.
Now, you will be redirected to the ‘Automation Workflow Builder’ immediately.
Trigger
You can find the ‘Trigger’ on the top of the workflow. The trigger lets you determine when a customer can enter into the workflow. By default, the trigger is set to allow all your customers to enter the workflow as soon as they place a successful order.
When you click on the ‘Trigger’, you will get a chance to visualize ‘Trigger Rules’ and ‘Customer Rules’. If you would like to set up any custom trigger rule or customer rule for the workflow, you can set it up on the right side. You learn how to configure the trigger here.
Exit Rules
The ‘Exit rule’ lets you determine when a customer can exit from the Win-back email workflow.
In this win-back workflow, we set up the ‘Exit rule’ in a way where your customers can exit from the workflow automatically if they place an order within 45 days since they entered the workflow.
If they don’t place an order within 45 days, they will receive the win-back email automatically.
Wait
The ‘Wait’ block allows you to set up a time delay before the customer moves forward in the workflow.
The wait condition can be set for 45 days, so you can have the Win-Back email sent accordingly. After completing their purchase, if the customer is idle for 45 days, you can send the Win-back email once the 45 days are over. (You can customize the wait condition if you want)
For example, if a customer makes a successful purchase on the 1st of December and remains inactive for the rest of the month, you can wait for 45 days and send them the Win-Back Email by January 15th in order to bring them back to your store. This email may help in reviving your relationship with that customer who was inactive for a long.
Email Settings
Now, we are at the 1st ‘Email’ block of the workflow. You can click on the ‘Email’ block to customize the email subject line, preview text, and email content.
You can provide the ‘Subject Line’ as per your choice, and when you click ‘Save,’ it will be updated automatically. ‘Editing’ the Email Content is very easy with Retainful’s drag and drop email editor.
Subject Line: You can change the subject line as per your wish.
Preview Text: You can set up a fascinating preview text to motivate the customers to open the email.
Edit Email Content: Click on the ‘Edit Email Content’ button to edit the email’s content. This will bring up the visual drag and drop email editor.
If you would like to change the email template, you can click on the ‘Change template’ button on the left top and select a template of your choice.
Change the Logo: Click on the placeholder logo. On the right side of the panel, you will see the option to change the logo.
Editing the Email Content: Just "double-click" on any content section to edit the default text on the email. You can use the following shortcodes to personalize the email,
{{billing_address.first_name}} - The First name of the customer
{{billing_address.last_name}} - The last name of the customer.
{{customer_name}} - The full name of the customer (the first and the last name)
Configuring Coupon Block: You can click on the coupon block {{retainful_coupon}} to configure the coupon.
Choose a coupon rule or create a new coupon rule by clicking on the 'Create a new coupon rule' button.
Email Components in Editor
Retainful provides a few special components / blocks in the Email Editor for your Next Order Coupon emails. Here is the list of components.
Coupon Block: When the coupon block is included in the email, it will display the coupon you have configured for the block.
You can use the coupon block {{retainful_coupon}} - Unique coupon codes will be dynamically generated when the coupon block is used in your email template.
Call-to-Action Button: Retainful generates a redirect URL for each win-back email. When the email is sent, customers can click on the "Shop Now” button to come back to the store and make another purchase at your store.
The Call-to-Action button in the default email templates are linked to your shop using the shortcode: {{retainful_shop_url_with_coupon_code}} This shortcode also lets the coupon code auto-applied in the checkout page when a customer clicks on the CTA button and is redirected to the shop.
Testing Email
Once you have completed editing the email template, you can test the email.
With an email customized, return to the top of the email editor and click the ‘Send Test Email’ button to make sure all of the content is displayed as expected in your inbox.
Click the "Save" button once you have added the desired content and changed the logo in the email template.
Now, click on the ‘Close’ to go back to the previous page.
Your Win-back email workflow will be ready now.
If you wish to have more sequences of emails, then you can click on the ‘+’ icon and select the desired option.
If you are going to send a series of emails, then you can follow the below sequence.
Email 1: Expressing your Feeling
The purpose of your first email should just express their feeling of missing them for long. Just let the customer know that their presence matters a lot for you. This email can be sent when you don’t find customers in your shopping arena for more than 45 days.
Email 2: A motivation to make inactive customers come back
This email should be sent 24 to 48 hours after the customer has received their first mail
Make sure to include a simple motivation. A 5 to 10% coupon code or a free shipping offer that encourages their return.
You can also consider including a few best-selling or featured products in your store in this email
Email 3: Reminder of the motivation + Brand Value with a social proof
This email should be sent 2 or 3 days after sending the 3rd email.
It should remind them about the offer in Email #2 but should ask the customer to take quick action to complete the purchase. Example: "Your coupon will expire soon."
Include customer reviews or testimonials in this email as this will help build a trust
Going Live
If you are ready to Set Live the Win-Back Email Workflow, you can click on the ‘Start Workflow’ button on the right top to set live the Workflow.
Your Win-Back Email Workflow is set ‘Live’ now.
When your customers place an order, they will enter into the Win-back email workflow immediately and wait for 45 days, if they don’t place an order during the 45 days wait period, they will receive the Win-back email automatically.
How to Test Your Win-Back Email Workflow
You can follow the below instructions to test your win-back email workflow.
Requirements
Make sure you have set live the Win-Back Email Workflow at your Retainful dashboard -> Automation (The status of the workflow should be ‘Live’)
Testing Steps
You can test your Win-Back Email workflow is by placing a successful order in your store. You can consider choosing a low-value product in your store for placing this order
Open your storefront (your online storefront) in a Private / Incognito window (so that you can test like a customer)
Place a successful order
You should receive the Win-Back email after 45 days. Make sure you don't place any orders within that 45 days with the same email address.
However, if you would like to test the workflow with a short time span and see if the email comes through correctly, you can try this alternative approach.
Alternative approach
Step 1: Go to your Retainful dashboard -> Automation -> Edit your 'Win-Back email workflow'
Step 2: Click on the 'Wait' block, set the time delay for 10 minutes and Save.
Step 3: Click on 'Start Workflow' to set it live or 'Save & Publish' the changes.
Step 4: Visit your store in an incognito / private window and place an order.
You should receive the win-back email after 10 minutes.
For example: If you have placed the order at 10:00 AM, you should receive the win-back email at 10:10 AM. (Make sure you don't place any orders with the same email address within the 10 minutes time interval.)
NOTE: Make sure to reset the 'Wait' block time delay to 45 days after testing the workflow. So, you can assure that the win-back email will be sent out automatically after 45 days since a customer placed an order.
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