If you’re an e-commerce store owner or email marketer, you’ve probably heard it a million times: “The money is in the list.”
But how do you build an email list that grows and brings revenue to your business?
This guide will walk you through the ins and outs of email list building, from the basics to advanced strategies, helping you grow your business faster. Let’s dive right in!
Why Building an Email List is Crucial for E-Commerce Success
Let’s face it: as an e-commerce store owner, you’re juggling a lot. But if there’s one thing you should never overlook, it’s your email list.
A solid, engaged email list is one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal. Email marketing offers a return on investment (ROI) of 36:1, meaning for every dollar you spend, you can expect to earn $36 back (according to the Litmus Report).
You’ve seen this stat a thousand times, yet your email marketing ROI is likely not reflecting it.
But it is not sufficient if you randomly build an email list—you must have a quality list of engaged customers who are receptive to your emails and offers. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to build that list and see results fast.
Understanding the Basics of an Email List
Before you start collecting emails like crazy, it’s important to understand what you’re building. An email list isn’t just a bunch of random addresses—it’s a group of people who have expressed interest in your business and want to hear from you.
Cold Email Lists: These are email addresses you’ve purchased or scraped from various sources.
People in your cold email list are less likely to be aware of your brand. And they might not have the need or the desire for what you offer. They’re often unqualified and come with low engagement.
Warm Email Lists: These are people who have interacted with your brand in some way—maybe they signed up for a newsletter or downloaded a free resource. They’re more likely to open your emails and engage with your content.
Hot Email Lists: These people are your best prospects. Those who have purchased from you have a high level of trust in your brand.
To build a list, you want to focus on growing your warm and hot email lists, as they offer better engagement and conversion potential.
The Benefits of Building a High-Quality Email List
Sure, you could go for quantity and collect as many emails as possible, but here’s the catch: quality moves the revenue needle.
Building a high-quality email list means you’re attracting the right people—those who are genuinely interested in what you’re offering.
Better Engagement: High-quality subscribers are more likely to open your emails, click through, and convert.
Better Deliverability: When your emails are engaging and relevant, they’re more likely to make it to the inbox instead of the spam folder.
Stronger Relationships: A permission-based email list (where people opt-in) makes your subscribers trust you more. Subscribers are more likely to engage with your brand over time and become repeat customers.
A high-quality list also leads to a higher return on investment (ROI) for your email marketing efforts. So, take the time to nurture your email list with care, and you’ll see better results in the long run.
Strategies to Build an Email List from Scratch
Now that you understand the basics, let’s dive into the strategies that will help you build your list from the ground up. The key is to make the process easy, appealing, and valuable to your audience.
Offer Incentives: People love free stuff! Whether it’s a discount, a free e-book, or early access to a new product, offering something in exchange for an email address is a great way to grow your list. A 10% discount or free shipping for new subscribers is a classic—and highly effective—strategy.
Utilize Opt-in Forms: Make it easy for visitors to your eCommerce store to subscribe. Place opt-in forms in strategic locations like the header, footer, or at checkout. If you’re using a platform like TargetBay, you can set up beautifully designed forms that are optimized for conversions.
Get On Social Media: Use your social media channels to promote your email list. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are all great places to run campaigns that encourage sign-ups. Create engaging content that encourages followers to subscribe for exclusive offers or insider info.
Host Contests and Giveaways: People love free stuff, especially when it comes to giveaways. You can use contests to build an email list by requiring participants to provide their email addresses to enter. Make sure the prize aligns with your product offering so you attract relevant leads.
Using Pop-Ups To Build An Email List
Pop-ups can sometimes get a bad rap, but when done right, pop-ups are an incredible tool for building your email list. Use time-delayed pop-ups that appear after a user has been on your page for a few seconds. Exit-intent pop-ups are also super effective, appearing when a user is about to leave the page.
Landing pages, on the other hand, are designed specifically to drive conversions—like email sign-ups. Keep your landing pages simple, with a clear call to action, and make sure they’re optimized for mobile users.
Optimize Your Website for Email List Building
Your website is your best sales tool—and it can also be your best email list-building tool. Don’t make visitors work hard to find your opt-in forms. Place them strategically across your site—on the homepage, product pages, checkout pages, and blog posts.
Segmenting Your List for Better Results
Once you’ve built your list, the real magic happens when you segment your email list. By grouping subscribers based on their behaviors, preferences, or demographics, you can send highly targeted emails that resonate with each group.
Demographic Segmentation: Group subscribers based on factors like age, location, or gender.
Behavioral Segmentation: Segmenting your subscribers based on their purchase history, website activity, or engagement with past emails is called behavioral segmentation.
Engagement Segmentation: Separate highly engaged subscribers from those who rarely open emails, so you can tailor your messaging accordingly.
TargetBay helps you segment and refine your list and send hyper-targeted emails with segmentation to increase engagement and conversions.
Creating a Welcome Email Series
Your welcome email is your first impression—it’s your chance to set the tone for your relationship with a new subscriber.
A great welcome email should not only thank the subscriber for joining but also offer something valuable, like a discount code or a helpful resource.
To keep things engaging, consider creating a multi-part welcome series that nurtures new subscribers and introduces them to your brand. Make it personal, and don’t forget to include a strong call to action.
Keep Subscribers Engaged with Regular, Valuable Content
Once your list is built, the next step is keeping your subscribers engaged. Regularly send valuable content, whether it’s product updates, educational resources, or exclusive offers.
The key is to offer something that benefits your subscribers and keeps them excited about your brand.
If you’re unsure where to start, TargetBay offers email marketing automation that helps you stay connected with your subscribers without the extra effort.
Avoid Common Pitfalls in Email List Building
While building your email list, there are a few common mistakes you should avoid:
Buying Email Lists: It may seem tempting to purchase a ready-made list, but it’s not worth the risk. These lists are often full of unengaged or irrelevant contacts.
Neglecting Mobile Optimization: Most people check their emails on mobile devices. If your emails are not optimized for mobile, you risk losing a large portion of your audience.
Sending Irrelevant Emails: Sending irrelevant or spammy emails will only lead to unsubscribes and complaints.
Analyzing and Measuring Email List Quality
To ensure your list-building efforts are paying off, you’ll need to track the right metrics.
Campaign Open Rate: The percentage of people who open your emails.
Campaign Click Rate: The percentage of people who click on links in your email.
Conversion Rates: The percentage of people who take the desired action (like making a purchase).
Using a tool like TargetBay can help you analyze these metrics and adjust your strategy to achieve better results.
Conclusion: Start Building Your List Today
Building an email list is one of the most powerful ways to start connecting with your customers.
From retaining your existing customers to making your subscribers complete their purchases, and increasing your average order value to boost revenue, a well-segmented email list sets the stage for you.
Now that you know the strategies, get into action. Start building your email list quickly and easily with TargetBay.
