How to give your customer's the warm welcome they deserve

Like at the beginning of any relationship you want to make sure you get off to a great start, remember first impressions really do count! Once your customer has opted in and you welcome them with a welcome message don’t simply confirm their subscription, give them something more - they deserve it! In this Ask the Experts article Volker Wiewer, eCircle's CEO takes a look at how to reward, remind and reassure your customers with a welcome message and the numerous opportunities a warm welcome can really can provide your business.

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More often than not, welcome emails are controlled by web or customer service teams and it’s unusual for marketing teams to get involved.  These are missed opportunities! If you think about it, a welcome email, which should be sent within minutes of people signing up, is the time when a recipient will be very receptive. Thus, the welcome email must include certain details to enhance the likelihood of a long term, beneficial relationship.

1) Say thank you: Firstly, you need to thank your recipient for signing up. This could be communicated in the subject line as well as the main body of the message. With this one simple gesture, you are far more likely to get repeat business and retain customer loyalty. This initial positive response will also help to set the tone for the rest of your customer relationship.

2) Reward your customer: A welcome email gives you the perfect chance to reward your customer. Perhaps you could include a voucher offering them 10% off their next purchase or free shipping on their first order, not only will this make them feel good it’ll also encourage them to spend with you!

3) Reassure, remind and reflect: Reassure, by confirming their account with you reassures the customer that their registration was successful. Remind your customer why it was a good decision to do business with you. The easiest way to do this is include a bulleted list of benefits. You’ll earn their confidence, reflect your value and encourage them to open future mailings. You can also remind customers that they can sign up to other email communications or special offers. Reflect, every contact you have with your customer should reflect your brand and reinforce the benefits.

4) Make yourself known: Ensure the recipient knows that the welcome email is from your company. Include the company name in the sender field, the subject line or indeed both! If they’re waiting for an email from you then you want them to easily spot it in amongst their other emails.

5) Other things to consider: Ensure you include a link back to your site, if they need log in details include these, provide customer service contact details and as I’ve already mentioned be timely. Send your welcome email within at least two hours of them signing up.

In conclusion, the welcome email sets the tone of your program and the recipient’s expectations. As the old saying goes you ‘never get a second chance to make a first impression’, so make it a good one and in turn you’ll really see the long term benefits.

This article is a summary of eCircle’s newsletter "Inside Digital Marketing". If wish to receive further news from the email marketing sector yourself you can subscribe here.