• by Neil Capel , November 14, 2011

Every time I make a purchase online, another retailer makes me sign up for their email service. Jeans on sale today at 9 a.m., free shipping for the next two weeks, tips for fall fashion, and more enter my inbox every morning. Three months later, I’ve opened zero emails from the retailer and the brand is a permanent fixture in my spam folder.

Brands tend to think about direct to consumer email in the simples of ways: the more email I send, the more money I make. The fail rate on an average email, though, is well above 20%, according to Return Path. So in reality, the more emails you send the more one-time customers you bring in the door and push right back out the door when you bombard them with email.

Here are our five tips for retailers looking to increase engagement with their users and get out of that SPAM folder.

Be Relevant: Consumers aspire to buy things above their price range but don’t send a $1,500 dress to someone who has only previously purchased $30 shoes from you. Additionally, think about which rewards would put individual customers over the edge to buy from you again. For customers making smaller purchases maybe its free shipping, or for bulk buyers maybe it’s buy one, get one. Relevant content makes all the difference

Be considerate: An email subscriber list is a strategic tool that brands underutilize. Retailers need to understand individual users on their lists and target them accordingly via email. Message less active users differently than consistent users, and give consumers the ability to opt down in frequency of emails received. For the loyal customers, give them especially good deals and offers as a reward for engaging. Be considerate so that consumers continue to consider your products.

Be analytical: Reevaluate the way you look at your customer list. Evaluate user interests by geo-location or look at purchase behavior by platform (PC, mobile, tablet, etc). Thinking about a single customer from multiple angles gives you multiple chances to connect with that customer. That single connection could mean the difference between a longtime and a one-time customer. Always analyze customer data in order to segment for purchase power.

Be proactive: Direct to consumer email is all about driving customers back to your site after a purchase is made -- all retailers want repeat purchase customers. More often than not, though, retailers forget that one of the most important forms of direct to consumer email is abandoned shopping cart emails. Whether it’s a reminder about goods left in a shopping cart or a simple free shipping offer after someone has abandoned a cart -- these emails are essential. Play it safe and proactively incentivize your customers to head back to that abandoned shopping cart.

For retailers, getting out of the SPAM folder will undoubtedly boost ecommerce sales. What’s more important, though, is constant engagement and conversation between retailer and consumer that will eliminate the worry about SPAM.