When it comes to digital marketing, good strategies can help you win over the competition and convince customers to choose your store instead of another. But what if sometimes it doesn’t work out the way you expect? Your most popular productsa are likely to run out of stock, whether it’s because of a increase in demand or problems with suppliers.
In such a situation, you are at risk. In addition to wasting your marketing budget by capturing and converting a potential customer who was just about to purchase, you will also lose the customer to your competitors. In other words, you did all that marketing for your competitors. And they will never thank you for that!
Who wants that?
But don’t worry because you can stop this from happening by a simple strategy: back in stock emails.
Using back in stock emails you can lower the chance of losing your customers to your competitors, bring your customers back to your store and save many lost sales.
In this article, you will learn what back in stock emails are, how back in stock email templates work and how you can work with them to get the best results.
How do back-in-stock emails work?
The back in stock email notifies potential customers that the product they were interested in is back in stock again. Typically, this is related to physical products that become unavailable when they are sold out or because of technical or logistical reasons. However, the same logic holds true for any product that becomes unavailable.
People who missed out on signing up for courses with limited seats, for instance, can be notified when the next session opens. As there is no stock in this email, it isn’t a literal “back in stock” notification, but the logic is the same – whenever something becomes available after it was out of stock/locked/reserved, you send a back in stock notification.
So back in stock emails are intended to accomplish the following:
- Bring customers back to buy popular products.
- Engage your customers at multiple touchpoints so that they are compelled to buy from you and come back.
- Connect deeply with them and make their experience delightful.
Why do you need to send back in stock emails?
Just like any other marketing strategy, it is the quality of the campaign and the product itself that determines the effectiveness of back in stock emails.
Sending such emails you will gain a second chance to win back your potential shoppers. Rather than immediately leaving your store for your competitor’s, some customers will fill out your back in stock form. They will leave you their contact info so you can let them know when the product is restocked later.
In addition to letting new customers know that one of your best-selling products has returned, back in stock emails can also serve as a reminder to existing loyal customers. People usually fear missing out when something previously sold out is back. If it sold out once, it’ll probably sell out again, so they are more likely to act quickly!
Buyers are also reassured by back in stock emails. Keep the customer engaged so that they don’t forget about the out-of-stock product. This strategy creates a sense of trust with the brand by grabbing the attention of the customer and encouraging them to purchase their favorite product.
The back in stock reminders are also useful, since people sometimes forget. They might return to the checkout page after receiving an email with a convenient back in stock notification.
Finally, back-in-stock emails enable you to cross-sell and upsell other products, even if the initial sale was not successful.
In the event that the primary product was bought from your competitors, your back in stock email could be used to offer other products on your website as well. Your customer might return to your store in that case. They wanted you at the first place so it won’t be too hard to win back their interest.
How can you make back-in-stock email templates work best?
1. Provide a sense of security
When a customer gives you their email, they need reassurance. You should send them an automatic email promptly after they sign up letting them know that you are aware of the issue and working to restock the item. In the case of a non-urgent purchase, this email can stop the customer from looking elsewhere.
2. Include items left in cart
In the case of an out-of-stock product, customers feel disappointed and leave the website, hopefully after filling out the form. When they discover an unavailable product, they often forget about other items they added to the cart.
In the first email you send, you can not only let them know how you are handling the problem, but you can also remind them about the abandoned cart. This will give them a chance to complete their purchase in your store. As a result, they will be more likely to wait for you to restock instead of purchasing the item elsewhere.
3. Offer cross-selling products
Your back in stock email to them after they sign up for back-in-stock notifications can also contain information about similar products to the one they are looking for. As a result, a customer might choose an alternative instead of going elsewhere to find the original product.
Whenever you are unsure what to offer, take a look at what previous buyers have done. In the case of an out-of-stock pet pillow, offering the customer a Tshirt is not the best option. You should show them pillows with similar qualities and prices.
4. Remind them about their wishlists
In wishlist remarketing, buyers are reminded about items they have already shown interest in, creating a more personalized experience for them.
Wish lists are often forgotten by customers, just like abandoned carts. Even though you can inform them about price changes and sales separately, it’s also good to mention products in wishlists in the back in stock email you send them.
It makes sense to mention the wishlist if the items on it relate to the out-of-stock item. Offer bundles or upsells if that is the case. You’ll sell more than one product, and the customer will get a better deal, so both of you win.
5. Create a fear of missing out
You should remind your customers that your products can run out of stock even though they know the possibility exists.
In your notification to them, let them know it is one of your most popular items and due to the interest or increased sales, you cannot guarantee it will last.
You may also want to inform your customers that periodic sales are only available until a specific date – once that date passes, they will have to wait until next year to make a purchase. Countdown timers are great for this.
