Email Clinic

Yukka

Yukka.co.uk is a boutique online retailer specialising in urban clothing labels. Their monthly email newsletters promote new, limited edition and exclusive labels, aiming to increase traffic to their site and generate sales.

How it could be improved?

1. It's important to include 'trust earning text' at the top of all your email newsletters so your readers know why they're receiving your mail. Accompanying this with a request to add your sending address to their address book reduces the likelihood of later emails being marked as spam.
2. A send to friend link is another important addition to every campaign. Email newsletters have the potential to spread well beyond your intended readership and grow your database as a result, if you include a prominent call to action at the top of the message.
3. Use design elements that are consistent with your website and other marketing collateral. Besides the issue of brand consistency and a professional image, readers will already be familiar with the layout of your email newsletters and feel comfortable using them.
4. If you're going to use your campaign email to target both male and female audiences, you need to ensure there's an offering relevant to both. Even if the main promotion is tailored to the male audience, the left hand navigation now makes it clear that there is also something for the female audience.
5. In every one of your email newsletters, make the key message as clear as possible, displaying it underneath the main header. This makes it much clearer what brand is being offered here and why it's being promoted in the email.
6. If you're going to include a secondary promotion or message in your email newsletters, make sure it is secondary. Have a smaller, 'Also new in' section which promotes the other key labels but doesn't distract from the campaign's email main message.
7. Images are important for drawing attention but don't over do it. Include just one of the best images to represent the product. This means the reader can see more of the content of the campaign email, without scrolling.
8. To stand the best chance of generating sales through your email newsletters, all images should have the smooth and professional look that represents your brand and the products. Also, make the information that's important to your audience, brand and price, immediately visible.
9. Again, if you're to improve sales and conversions through this campaign, email marketing best practice dictates that the desired action, i.e. preorder now, is clearly displayed next to each product.
10. The free shipping offer is not the main motivation to buy, but it may be the clincher. Moved lower down the email, it doesn't compete with the key message.
11. Maximising clicks-through on your campaign email requires making the hyperlinks clear, ensuring customers know straightaway where to click. Make the essential unsubscribe link into linked text across all email newsletters, so you're complying with legislation, but not encouraging readers to leave your database.