7 tips for a tantalizing transactional email

Transactional emails are often dull and functional. But why? It’s an expected, or requested, consumer communication that should carry on the brand experience and tempt consumers back for more, so don't leave it up to the I.T. department to formulate them.

by Helen Leggatt

You’ve just made an online sale and there’s a consumer out there literally waiting for you to email them. What do they get? A boring, text-based, official-looking transactional email with all the excitement of a dental bill.

Where’s the branding? What about a call to action, a product recommendation or even a money-off voucher? Here are a few tips to help you titivate your transactional emails and get the most out of a valuable touchpoint with your customer.

1. Branding – there’s no law to say that all transaction emails must be text-based. By branding your transactional emails you carry through the message that prompted the consumer to buy in the first place.

2. Personalization – now you know a bit more about your customer’s choices you can include more personalization into the email.

3. Product recommendation – based on their transaction with you, take advantage of the communication to recommend other related products or accessories.

4. Discount vouchers – keep the customer coming back by offering delivery discounts or money-off vouchers.

5. Format - place the information pertaining to the main reason for the email at the beginning, i.e. order confirmation or delivery status.

6. Advertising - do not include third-party advertising - keep the main purpose of the email transactional as per CAN-SPAM rules.

7. Subject line - keep offers and marketing messages out of the subject line – keep it transactional so as not to fall foul of the CAN-SPAM rules.

Whatever you do, don’t overdo the marketing aspect of the message. If you include more marketing messaging than transactional material in a transactional email, it will be deemed a marketing message and need to comply with CAN-SPAM rules such as having an un-subscribe link and a physical postal address.