The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:
UPDATED: 11/3/09
TigerDirect, 10/30 — 73 Hour Weekend Deals: 25" HDMI LCD $189...Huge 5" GPS $129...4gb HP Core 2 Duo Laptop $599...28" 1080p HDTV $329
Continuing the rash of October email redesigns, TigerDirect has made major changes to their email template, adding a traditional header, navigation bar and social bar. Navigation bars are usually garner lots of clicks, as discussed in Email Navigation Differs Radically from Website Navigation, so TigerDirect is wise to at least test them. Here’s the new design:
And here’s the old design from an Oct. 29 email:
TigerDirect’s new design seems to be inspired by Newegg’s. Here’s theirs from an Oct. 29 email:
NikeStore, 10/30 — Now Available: The Air Max LeBron VII
Nike has also redesigned their emails, moving to a lighter color palette that’s easier to read and that matches the design of their website. Keeping your email and website designs in sync is important to maintaining consistent branding. As part of that change, they’ve also changed how they handle their secondary messaging, using large, all-caps for those subheads. Again, this makes their emails easier to scan.
Nike also significantly changed how they handle their administrative links at the bottom of the email. First, they’ve broken it out from the rest of the message with a slightly darker background than used with the secondary messages. The new, lighter background really makes the SWYN links pop much more than they did before. Second, they’ve dropped the preference update box. While it’s great to try to get subscribers to update their preferences, it shouldn’t be a fixed part of your email template. In the same way that whitelisting requests are pointless to have in every email, preference updates are too, because if subscribers don’t react to them after several exposures, then they’re not likely too ever. It’s much smarter to periodically include such messaging, particularly ahead of the holidays.
The other big change is that they’ve increased the width of their emails to 650 pixels from 610. As discussed in Soon Even More Emails Won’t Be Optimized for Width, we recommend to our clients that they make their emails 650 pixels wide, although we’re already starting to advise narrower widths for clients with lots of mobile subscribers. Here’s the new design (left) and the old design from an Oct. 22 email:
J&R, 10/30 — 3 Day Weekend Sale - The Biggest Savings of the Week!
While holiday headers are fairly popular, it’s pretty rare for retailers to use seasonal headers around other holidays. In this email, J&R introduces a Halloween header.
eBags, 11/1 — Turn Back the Clocks, Turn up the Savings
Fewer than 5% of major online retailers mentioned Daylight Savings in their emails over the past several days. EBag’s Daylight Savings-themed email was unique in that it tied it to the holiday season.
SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Fingerhut, 10/30 — Fingerhut: Watch Sale + Daylight Savings Starts this Weekend
Linens ’n Things, 10/30 — Turn Back the Clock and Save 10% Off Your Order
Avon, 10/30 — Daylight Savings SUPER SALE: UP TO 65% Off + FREE Shipping
Sears, 10/30 — HO-HO-HO...Black Friday Starts Today
Williams-Sonoma, 10/30 — Seasonal Favorites Are Back: Peppermint Bark, Holiday Décor & More
Toys “R” Us, 11/1 — It's Here! Shop Our Biggest BIG BOOK Ever
Frederick’s of Hollywood, 10/30 — Get a sneak peek at the sexiest styles for Holiday + $5.95 flat shipping.
Target, 11/1 — Sleighbells ring: Free shipping when you spend $50.
Lillian Vernon, 10/30 — Here's $5 to Help You Personalize the Perfect Gift
Cooking.com, 10/30 — Save 50% on Our Ultimate Carving Set + Carving Tips
Bluefly, 10/31 — O-M-Ghoul! EXTRA 25% OFF All Sale Items – Today Only!
Ralph Lauren, 10/31 — No Trick. No Treat. Just Sweet.
Norm Thompson, 10/31 — 25% more off all sale + FREE SHIP. Happy Halloween!
Norm Thompson, 10/30 — 25% EXTRA off Sale + Free Ship at our Halloween Event!
Eddie Bauer, 10/30 — Our Treat: Free Shipping, No Min. Purchase
Kmart, 10/30 — Save 25% on Home and Last Minute Candy Savings
1-800-Flowers.com, 10/31 — Savings so good it's scary--20% Sitewide Sale ends tomorrow
Coldwater Creek, 10/31 — Boo! 25% off ENDS SUNDAY. Enjoy a treat (or two)!
Blair, 10/31 — Treat yourself to this shipping offer
ShopNBC, 10/31 — Trick or Treat 5 ValuePays on Everything
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