Why is email marketing still useful for sellers who already have their own website?

Many online sellers think that once they have their own e-commerce website, their job is done. In reality, a website only helps customers find your products and make their first purchase. Without a way to maintain contact, most customers will buy once and then forget about you. Email marketing is the tool that helps sellers nurture existing customers, remind them to repurchase, and effectively utilize the data gathered from their website. The cost of reselling to someone who already knows your brand is significantly lower than constantly searching for new customers.

This article is for sellers who already have their own website or are building sales channels outside of marketplaces but haven't yet leveraged email as a channel for nurturing existing customers. We'll explore why email remains highly beneficial, when to use it, and how to connect email with your website through a CRM to create a systematic customer care process.

Websites help sell, emails help retain customers

When sellers transition from selling on marketplaces to having their own website, most focus on optimizing product pages, improving the shopping experience, and running ads to drive traffic. These are crucial steps, but they are not enough.

The problem is: after a customer makes a purchase or leaves their information, if the seller doesn't have a way to maintain contact, the customer will easily forget the brand. They might repurchase from a competitor simply because they remember someone else when they need to buy again, or they might not remember the seller at all.

Email marketing allows sellers to proactively maintain connections with people who already know their brand. Instead of waiting for customers to remember and return on their own, sellers can send post-purchase emails, timely repurchase reminders, or introduce new products tailored to specific customer segments. This isn't spam; it's a strategic way to nurture existing customers.

When should sellers start using email marketing?

You don't always need email from the very beginning. If sellers are still testing products, don't have stable orders, or lack customer data, building an email system might not be necessary yet.

However, when sellers have a stable e-commerce website and start accumulating customer data from sources like orders, contact forms, seller landing pages, or promotional campaigns, that's when you should consider email marketing.

Here are the signs that indicate it's time for sellers to start using email:

• Have 50 or more orders, or a list of customers who have previously interacted with the brand.
• Have customers who buy once but don't return for a second purchase.
• Have customers who leave their information on the website or landing page but haven't completed a purchase.
• Want to introduce new products or promotions to the right audience instead of broad advertising.
• Want to increase the repurchase rate from existing customers instead of solely focusing on acquiring new ones.

If sellers identify with one or more of these points, email marketing will be a valuable tool.

Basic email types that sellers should have

When starting with email marketing, sellers don't need to overcomplicate things. Focus on a few basic email types that have a clear impact on nurturing existing customers and encouraging repeat purchases.

Welcome or Confirmation Email

When a customer leaves their information on the website, fills out a contact form, or signs up for updates, a welcome or confirmation email lets them know their information has been received. It's also an opportunity to briefly introduce the brand and what they can expect.

Post-Purchase Email

This is a crucial email. After a customer makes a purchase, a thank-you email with order details creates a professional impression. If possible, sellers should also send an email with product usage instructions or ask for feedback after an appropriate period.

Re-engagement Email for Existing Customers

After a period of customer inactivity, sellers can send a gentle reminder email. For example, if a customer purchased consumables like cosmetics, supplements, or office supplies, sending a repurchase reminder after 30 or 60 days is appropriate.

New Product or Relevant Promotion Introduction Email

When there are new products or promotional campaigns, instead of sending to everyone, sellers should target customer segments likely to be interested. For instance, customers who bought t-shirts might be interested in new shirt designs, while those who bought sneakers might be interested in running accessories.

Follow-up Email for Interested but Not-Yet-Purchased Customers

Some customers visit the website, browse products, and may even add items to their cart but don't complete the order. If they have provided their email, sellers can send a reminder email or ask if there are any issues needing assistance.

Valuable Content Email

Beyond sales emails, sellers can also send valuable content such as product usage tips, customer stories, or industry trends. This helps maintain engagement without being overly sales-focused.

All of the above email types share a commonality: they help sellers proactively maintain contact with customers rather than just waiting for them to return on their own.

The relationship between website, CRM, and email marketing

Many sellers believe having an email list is sufficient. In reality, without a proper system for storing and managing customer data, email marketing will struggle to reach its full potential.

This is where a CRM for sellers becomes important. A CRM helps store customer information from the website, segment customers by behavior or characteristics, and integrate with email systems to send the right content to the right people.

The actual process might look like this:

A customer visits the website or landing page, leaves information, or makes a purchase. This data is stored in the CRM. Based on the customer's actions, the system automatically segments them into appropriate categories, such as customers who have purchased, customers who left information but didn't buy, or customers who purchased but haven't returned after a while. Subsequently, sellers can send emails tailored to each segment, such as post-purchase emails for new buyers, re-engagement emails for existing customers, or promotional emails for those who showed interest but didn't complete a purchase.

With automated emails connected to a CRM, sellers don't need to send emails manually to each individual. The system will automatically send emails based on each contact's actions or status. For example, when a customer makes a purchase, the system automatically sends a thank-you email and a follow-up email a few days later. If a customer hasn't returned after 30 days, the system automatically sends a repurchase reminder.

Thanks to this integration, email marketing becomes more contextual and personalized. Customers don't feel spammed but rather feel cared for at the right moments.

Basic email flows for customer nurturing

A simple yet effective email flow can help sellers maintain contact with customers from their first purchase through subsequent ones.

Flow for newly purchased customers:

Immediately after a customer completes an order, send an order confirmation email with shipping details. After 3-5 days, send an email to check if they've received the order, if the product is satisfactory, and if they have any questions. After 15-20 days, send an email with product usage tips or related advice. After 30-45 days, send an email introducing complementary products or a special offer for their next purchase.

Flow for interested but not-yet-purchased customers:

When a customer leaves information on a landing page or contact form, send a welcome email with a brief introduction to the brand and featured products. After 2-3 days, send an email with more details about products they might be interested in. If they haven't purchased after 7 days, send an email asking if there are any issues needing assistance or offer a small discount to encourage their first purchase.

Flow for inactive existing customers:

30-60 days after their last purchase, send a gentle reminder email with new products or a suitable promotion. If the customer hasn't responded after 15 days, send an email inquiring about any reasons for their lack of return and how you can assist further.

These flows don't need to be complex. The key is that they help sellers maintain systematic contact rather than sending random emails or forgetting about existing customers.

Real-world example: A cosmetics shop with a website but lacking customer nurturing

An organic cosmetics shop had its own website and ran quite effective Facebook ads. They received around 100 orders per month, but most customers only bought once and never returned. The shop owner realized they were spending a lot of money on ads to find new customers, while their existing customers were being overlooked.

The shop decided to start using email marketing to nurture their existing customers. First, they exported all customer information from orders into a simple CRM system. Then, they set up an automated email sequence as follows:

Immediately after a customer makes a purchase, send a thank-you email with product usage instructions. After 10 days, send an email asking for feedback and introducing suitable complementary products. After 30 days, send a repurchase reminder with a small discount for their second purchase.

With this approach, the shop didn't need to spend extra on advertising but still maintained connections with their existing customers. Some customers started making second and third purchases. They didn't have to remember the shop; they were reminded at the right time. The cost of reselling to existing customers was clearly much lower than continuously finding new customers through ads.

This isn't a magical story. It's simply that the shop leveraged the customer data they already had and used email as a tool for customer nurturing instead of solely focusing on acquiring new customers.

Comparison: Sellers with only a website vs. Sellers with a website and email

To clearly see the difference, let's compare two scenarios.

Sellers with only a website:

Customers visit the website, browse products, make purchases, or leave information. Afterward, if the seller takes no further action, customers gradually forget the brand. When they need to repurchase, they might turn to competitors or forget about the seller. Sellers must continuously run ads to attract new customers, with ever-increasing costs but a low return customer rate.

Sellers with a website and email marketing:

Customers visit the website, make purchases, or leave information. Data is stored in the CRM. Subsequently, customers receive thank-you emails, product usage instructions, repurchase reminders, or new product introduction emails. Customers feel cared for and tend to repurchase multiple times. Sellers continue to run ads to find new customers but also effectively utilize existing customer data to increase repurchase rates without significant additional costs.

The difference lies in whether or not there is a process in place to maintain contact with customers after the initial interaction.

The role of automation in email marketing

If sellers had to send emails manually to each customer, it would be very time-consuming and difficult to maintain. This is where email automation becomes useful.

Automation allows sellers to set up automatic email scenarios based on customer actions or status. For example, when a customer makes a purchase, the system automatically sends a thank-you email. After 10 days, it automatically sends a feedback request. After 30 days, it automatically sends a repurchase reminder.

The important thing is that automation doesn't mean sending emails mechanically. Sellers still need to design appropriate email content, choose the right sending times, and monitor performance to make adjustments. Automation simply makes the email sending process more automatic and systematic.

Here are some basic automation scenarios that sellers can implement:

• Send a welcome email when a customer signs up for updates.
• Send post-purchase emails and a series of new customer nurturing emails.
• Send re-engagement emails to existing customers after a certain period.
• Send birthday emails or for special occasions if this information is available.
• Send new product introduction or promotion emails to relevant customer segments.

All of these can be set up once and run automatically, saving sellers time while maintaining customer connections.

Connecting websites with email using GTG CRM

To implement the above, sellers need a tool that can connect websites, store customer data, and send emails systematically. GTG CRM is a suitable solution for online sellers who want to build a structured customer nurturing process.

GTG CRM features a drag-and-drop email builder that allows sellers to create emails with text, images, buttons, and basic blocks without needing to code. Sellers can personalize emails by inserting variables such as customer name, email, or company name for each contact. When sending emails, sellers can choose to send to all contacts, by filter, segment, or Smart Segment to ensure the content is appropriate for each customer group.

GTG CRM also supports sending emails immediately or scheduling them, with preview and test send options before publishing. After sending, sellers can track basic metrics like delivered, opened, clicked, bounced, and unsubscribed to evaluate effectiveness and adjust strategies.

The strength of GTG CRM lies in its integration of email with CRM. Customer data from websites, landing pages, or contact forms is stored in the CRM system. Based on this data, sellers can segment customers and set up email automation tailored to each customer's journey.

Furthermore, GTG CRM offers AI assistance for creating email campaigns from natural language descriptions. Sellers simply need to describe the email's purpose, and the system will suggest suitable content, saving time and making it easier for those new to email marketing.

With GTG CRM, sellers don't need multiple separate tools. Everything is integrated into one system, from storing customer data, segmentation, email creation, to sending and performance tracking.

Conclusion

Email marketing is not an outdated tool. For sellers with their own websites, email is the best way to nurture existing customers, encourage repeat purchases, and leverage existing customer data. Instead of solely focusing on acquiring new customers, sellers should build a process to maintain connections with those who already know their brand.

By effectively combining e-commerce websites, CRMs for sellers, and email marketing, sellers can not only make one-time sales but also create opportunities for repeat purchases at a lower cost. The key is for sellers to start with simple steps, set up basic email types, and gradually build a systematic customer nurturing process.

If you're looking for a solution to connect your website with email and manage customers effectively, GTG CRM might be the right choice. Start building your customer nurturing process today.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is email marketing still effective when sellers already have their own website?

Email marketing remains highly effective because it helps sellers maintain connections with customers who already know their brand. Websites help with the first purchase, while email helps nurture existing customers and encourage repeat purchases at a much lower cost than acquiring new ones.

2. When should sellers start using email marketing?

Sellers should start when they have customer data from their website, contact forms, or orders. If they have 50 or more orders, or have customers who buy once but don't return, it's time to consider email marketing.

3. What types of emails should sellers have?

Sellers should have welcome emails, post-purchase emails, re-engagement emails for existing customers, new product or promotion introduction emails, and follow-up emails for interested but not-yet-purchased customers. These are basic but effective email types.

4. What is the role of CRM in email marketing?

CRM helps store customer data from the website, segment customers by behavior, and integrate with email systems to send the right content to the right people. This makes email marketing more contextual and personalized.

5. Is email automation necessary?

Automation allows sellers to send emails automatically based on customer actions or status, saving time and ensuring consistency. Sellers don't need to send emails manually to each person but can still maintain a customer nurturing process.

6. Is GTG CRM suitable for online sellers?

GTG CRM is suitable for sellers who want to integrate their website, CRM, and email marketing into one system. The tool features a simple email builder, supports automation, customer segmentation, and basic performance tracking, meeting the needs of online sellers.