1. Track Event Data

You can’t play baseball without a bat, right? And you can’t very well send browse recovery emails if you’re not tracking browse activity. Such data determines the emails you send and can help you get the best ROI.

Some retailers may feel nervous about privacy concerns, but research shows that consumers are increasingly recognizing that sharing personal information should give them better, more personalized shopping experiences. Personalized communications, such as browse recovery reminders and product recommendations, can help the customer feel like you understand what they’re looking for – and can help them find it.

2. Configure Rules and Settings

With your data in place, you need to be sure you’ve established the rules of the game before you set your plan in motion. What types of browsing activity will trigger your messages? How will you configure the program? Your decision will determine the value and success of your campaign. Don’t wait until the seventh inning stretch to give it your best shot. Determine your rules up front, and think through them from the shopper’s perspective. Be sure the user experience makes sense and includes timely communications that will make them want to come back.

3. Design Your Emails

Even if your browse recovery emails are perfectly timed, the message itself must still be a smash hit. A poorly designed email is like whiffing a good pitch: The set-up is there, but the opportunity is missed. Personalize your content so it’s relevant to the customer. Remind them what they were browsing, and offer relevant recommendations. You don’t want your message to throw them off or cause them to wonder why they were shopping with you in the first place. Use this opportunity to make them even bigger fans of your brand by showing them what they want at just the right time.

4. Observe and Optimise

It’s the bottom of the ninth, and your team is ahead. It’s time to bring this game home. Examine your metrics and assess your settings. How can you optimize your campaign based on what you know? Don’t assume everything is perfect just because it’s been going well – it can always go better. Where are your missed opportunities? Are your overall open, click and conversion rates on point? How’s your revenue? What about your loss rates? Sure, you’re winning more than before – but could you do more?

Perfect Your Playbook

Just like a good coach, your commerce marketing automation platform should have a solid list of plays you can count on, including what strategies to use and when. But building the best playbook requires that you can see how all your best players are performing and pivot when something’s not going quite right. If you can’t reliably monitor your revenue per email and other valuable metrics, it may be time to consider a new coach. We happen to know a good one.