How to Use Autoresponder Emails to Increase Your Ecommerce Sales

Did you know there’s a simple way to boost sales on your ecommerce website—automatically? Using autoresponder emails to interact with customers is a valuable method that too many ecommerce entrepreneurs fail to take advantage of.

You’re probably familiar with autoresponders—they’re what send you the message when you email someone who’s out of the office and get an “Out of Office” reply, or when you sign up for an email newsletter and get an automatically generated Welcome email. But when it comes to your ecommerce website, autoresponder emails can be used for much more than that.

You can use autoresponder capabilities to send one email message or a series of messages. For instance, suppose someone makes a purchase from your website. You could set up an autoresponder campaign that is triggered when they place the order and, a week later, sends them a coupon code for another purchase. Two weeks later, they get a second email with a coupon for free shipping.

By reaching out automatically, you can drive customer traffic back to your website to order again and again. And, since you’re building on the satisfaction of that initial purchase, your ecommerce site is fresh in the recipient’s mind, meaning he or she is more motivated to come back and browse.

Here are some other ideas for how your business can use autoresponder emails to make more sales:

• Set an autoresponder to trigger when someone leaves merchandise in their shopping cart. Ask them if they forgot to check out the cart or if they want to place an order. Sweeten the deal with a coupon for free shipping or a dollar amount off.
• Set an autoresponder to alert customers when items that are out of stock come back in stock.
• Set an autoresponder to trigger when a former customer hasn’t ordered for six months. Send a “We miss you!” message with a coupon, discount or free gift with purchase.
• Set an autoresponder to upsell customers on products. For example, if you sell a customer a necklace, you could use an autoresponder to suggest a matching ring or bracelet.
• Set an autoresponder to sell related services. For instance, if you sell appliances, you could use autoresponders to sell extended warranties or provide information on your repair services.