Every e-commerce business must contend with issues such as out-of-stock products. In fact, per studies, in 2022:
- More than half of online shoppers worldwide stated being unable to complete purchases as the products were out-of-stock.
- Nearly 60% of online shoppers in the US felt that out-of-stock issues affected their shopping behavior.
While out-of-stock problems can frustrate customers, they also impact e-commerce businesses, from leaking brand revenues to lost page views and lower search rankings
Fortunately, one way to minimize the impact of out-of-stock issues is through back-in-stock emails – telling your customers you’ve got what they need.
This article will teach you the significance of back-in-stock emails and how to create engaging emails to drive conversion.
What Are Back-In-Stock Emails?
A back-in-stock email is typically a customer outreach email communication. It informs a potential buyer that the product they had shown interest in – but was unavailable as it had been sold out or, because of technical or logistical reasons, could not proceed with purchase – has become available again.
Where a prospective customer wants to purchase an item that is not in stock, this directed reminder in the form of a back-in-stock email from you can help rekindle interest and increase sales. Typically, back-in-stock emails can be sent to your entire contact list or to a specific segment of shoppers who have opted in to receive notifications when a particular product of interest becomes available again.
Notably, back-in-stock emails are sent for physical products and services. So, for instance, if you are selling your online courses with a fixed number of participants, you can send a back-in-stock email to prospects when a desired course or session is opened for new registrations again. Simply put, though not a literal ‘back in stock message, the logic same logic can be applied when services become available after becoming out of stock/reserved/locked.
Are Back-In-Stock Emails Effective?
For starters, the success of back-in-stock emails depends on the impact the campaign can generate and the specific product itself. Here’s an overview of how back-in-stock email marketing can help your business.
1) Gives You A Second Chance:
Every customer counts, and these emails can give you a valuable lead-saving second chance. Where your prospect may directly move to a competitor, some customers will likely opt-in to be notified via email about when the product returns in stock. Once you have an email id, you can promptly inform the customer that the product is now available.
2) Facilitates Urgency Of Purchase:
Back-in-stock emails are an excellent way to remind your loyal, existing customers that their desired products have become available.
Furthermore, reminding customers that a previously sold-out item is accessible again can trigger urgency to purchase the product before it goes out of stock again. The FOMO (fear of missing out) psychologically works on customers to make the most of the opportunity so they don’t miss out on a good product or deal!
3) Instills Trust In The Brand:
Back-in-stock emails reassure buyers and keep them engaged so that they remember about the out-of-stock product. Staying connected with customers and personalized attention to their shopping nurtures trust and confidence in the brand.
4) Serves As A Timely Reminder:
Sometimes, customers forget that an item they liked was out of stock. These emails offer a gentle and timely reminder, reigniting their interest and nudging them back to the shopping bag.
5) Develop Customer Insights:
Back-in-stock notification subscriptions enable marketers to measure customer demand easily without the need for hoarding stockpiles for months together.
When a customer signs up for your back-in-stock emails, it gives you insights about the product demand based on customer interest. This will facilitate better planning of future product launches.
6) Opportunity To Boost Revenues:
Back-in-stock emails are an excellent opportunity to engage with customers through cross-selling and upselling, even if you lost out on the initial sale.
To explain, if your customer switches to a competitor, your back-in-stock email could also include accessories or upgrades to enhance their overall product experience. This could very well inspire them to return to your store, considering you were their first preference. Having taken a positive step toward customer care, it will be much easier.
How To Create Back-In-Stock Email Campaigns That Drive Conversion?
Informing your customers that an item they had shown interest in has become available is a friendly, personal gesture. Nonetheless, for a positive response from buyers, you will still need a compelling back-in-stock email that helps translate your outreach into a done deal.
These tried and tested techniques will make creating appealing back-in-stock campaigns that bring your customer back to your store easier.
Collect Customer Details Accurately.
At the outset, you must ensure that your site is organized to collect customers’ emails in case of out-of-stock product encounters – if not, your customer will leave you for your competitor.
Implement an email pop-up form fill on the item’s product page whenever an item becomes unavailable. This will help you notify customers once the product or a similar product item returns in stock. Notably, you can leverage browsing data to recommend relevant stock availability emails. Once the product is restocked, the back-in-stock email can be triggered.
Craft Appealing Back-In-Stock Emails.
Your back-in-stock email needs to be straightforward so that your customers remain engaged. Focusing on the following elements can help create a winning back-in-stock email message:
- Subject line: A catchy, memorable email subject line can improve the chances of your email getting opened. Per survey findings, 64% decide whether or not to open emails depending on subject lines, making it hard to ignore the importance of a well-crafted subject line. Furthermore, subject lines containing 6 -10 words have the highest open rate of 21%.
Another proven method to attract attention is building urgency in your subject line. Some common examples are:
- Hurry, the countdown has begun!
- Only ten left in stock
- Limited edition stocks
- Back-in-stock sale with a fabulous discount
- Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity (again!)
You may find these emails are overtly pushy, but the shopper will most likely be happy to open the email -especially since they signed up to receive it. On the other hand, if you go low-key with the subject line, it may not excite them, and they may give your email a pass.
- Copy: The main message can include more information about the back-in-stock item. Briefly explain the product’s benefits and the reasons which make it a popular item in your store. Overall, keep the email simple, sans long descriptions, and preferably with a short product list. Ensure the email contains links to your website.
- Call-to-action (CTAs): Finally, provide a robust and visible call-to-action in email that triggers urgency and motivates purchase.
Leverage Data For Personalized Back-In-Stock Emails
Personalized emails show your customers that you know them and understand their reasons for purchasing your products. It also helps make your customer feel valued, as though you are talking directly and exclusively to them. In fact, personalized emails witness almost 6x the revenue production compared to non-personalized forms.
Leverage relevant data insights from your CRM to customize your email campaigns targeting the right audience segment.
Provide Social Proof Of Back-In-Stock Products.
While you want your shoppers to get excited when an item is back in stock, it’s essential for them to feel confident about the product too. Social proof plays a significant role in showcasing satisfied customers and your best product reviews.
Not only does the user-generated content ease the pressure of promoting yourself, but it also reminds shoppers why your product was a sell-out.
Reward Loyal Customers Who Have Been Waiting For Your Product.
Often shoppers who wanted to buy a product earlier could change their minds by the time the product is restocked. In such scenarios, discounts are a great incentive to encourage customers to return and complete checkout.
According to a survey, 84% of respondents stated that price influences their purchase decision, while 61% claimed it was the single most critical factor. Notably, packing in a juicy discount with your back-in-stock email can influence your customers to purchase the back-in-stock product they were waiting for.
Make The Most Of Automation.
For e-commerce retailers selling multiple products, sending one-on-one emails informing customers that their searched products are back-in-stock items can get overwhelming. Automation can help you trigger back-in-stock emails based on restocked items while dynamically pulling in product images from your website.
However, your email team should be accessible to manually send out the back-in-stock notifications if the situation calls for it. After all, this customer segment is literally waiting to buy your product once it becomes available!
Conduct Regular A/B Tests.
Create different back-in-stock email templates for each email type being A/B tested. Then, whenever a particular test shows up with better outcomes than before, the template can be fine-tuned and implemented in the future.
Send Back-In-Stock Emails As Soon As Possible.
Be sure to immediately notify your customers who have opted in for your emails when the product becomes available. Long waiting periods can wane customer interest and turn them towards your competitors.
Do Not Send Back-In-Stock Emails To Recent Recipients.
Sending too many back-in-stock emails all at once can seem suspicious. Instead, consider skipping the recent recipients of your back-in-stock emails so they’re not overwhelmed with too many reminders within a short time.
As you may have realized, back-in-stock emails can be relatively easy to create. Though you may not be unable to prevent your marketplace items from going out of stock, you can use back-in-stock emails to help minimize the extent it eats into your revenues and customer base.
15 Back-In Stock Email Examples To Enable You Get Customers to Checkout
Keep The Spotlight On A Single Product
By focusing on a single out-of-stock item that is now back, beverage brand Haus highlights critical features of the product, usage recommendations, and customer reviews.
The latter acts as social proof, reassuring customers. Prominent CTAs directly take customers to the page where they can shop for the product rather than a general webpage. In addition, plugging in social media handles helps boost the number of followers.
Create A Sense Of Urgency.
This back-in-stock email by outdoor clothing brand Patagonia infuses a sense of urgency into the email by announcing its availability in the headline while urging the shopper to purchase quickly before it sells out again soon.
It also cross-sells its repair services. In addition, the ad features its environmental initiatives as a reflection of its values and connects with customers.
Promote Different Popular-Selling Items.
Innovative home sound system brand Sonos’ back-in-stock emails to its contact list comprise a simple, straightforward message showcasing the range of products for which the wait is over!
Each of the products is supported by its own CTA button. Further, multiple product recommendations enhance the chances of a more significant sale value. At the same time, free shipping, a free trial, and positive customer reviews serve as an extra incentive to complete the purchase.
Bring Back A ‘Bestselling Favorite’ For A Limited Time.
Online plant shopping platform Bloomscape’s email stresses its commitment to meeting customer expectations by bringing back a bestseller for a limited time. Leveraging the customer care theme, the email also features a care guide – with suitable CTAs.
Along with a detailed description of the restocked product, Bloomscape promotes gifting and sales across other product categories. The clear visuals and reader-friendly template make the email easy to comprehend.
Highlight The Colors/Sizes That Have Become Available Again.
Often, the colors or sizes of products, such as clothing and accessories, go out of stock quickly and remain in the sold-out phase for an extended amount of time.
Everlane sends out back-in-stock emails showcasing the different colors, which are back in stock again. This aesthetically organized product range and clear images gently nudge shoppers to initiate and complete the purchase once their preferred color becomes available.
Simple And Plainspoken
Fashion footwear brand UGG keeps its back-in-stock emails simple and straightforward, with the oversized pic speaking for itself.
The email template assimilates the key offerings – free shipping, loyalty program, store finders, and giveaways – into reader-friendly units that enable the reader to get the message at a glance.
Overall, the CTAs address the different requirements of the buyer and entice them to make a purchase.
Compelling Subject Lines That Generate Excitement
Online retail brand Firebox creates a buzz around a specific product in the subject line of its email campaign. Thereon the copy gives the reader a quick idea of what to expect.
While featuring some of the popular items along with CTAS for each, the well-organized layout also leverages the opportunity to promote Father’s Day gifts, a gift guide to help uncertain shoppers, and a dynamic mystery box gift that continues to build excitement and engagement around the email and facilitate engagement.
Seasonal Restocking And Re-Release
Headwear brand Yellow 108 innovatively promotes back-in-stock products by creating new segments – seasonal restocks and general re-releases – that remind customers of their specific needs.
In addition, the distinct CTAs and the straightforward product display enable users to quickly browse through the primary content with the option to shop the entire collection.
Back-In-Stock Emails That Also Support A Cause
This back-in-stock email by dietary beverage brand Ujji seeks to connect with audiences by supporting an emotionally and socially relevant cause.
The stark contrasts resonate both with the product packaging and the social message, while the concise subsections explain how the product usage will contribute to the cause. Such emails will likely influence buyer segments looking to support the cause in their individual capacity.
Promote Back-In-Stock Items As Gifts.
If certain products become available again just before a holiday season, it can double up as an excellent sales pitch. In this example, AllTrails uses the strategy to inform subscribers that its bestselling blanket is back in stock right in time for winter.
The email then expands the back-in-stock email to cross-sell other products by leveraging the gifting pitch, thus encouraging subscribers to browse the store.
Thank Customers Who Have Asked For Notifications
Kauffman Mercantile sends a personalized email from the company owner thanking customers who’ve signed up for notifications when a product becomes available.
This highly-targeted mail leverages strong purchase intent. The friendly tone, relevant product images, links, and CTAs, with contact information for addressing queries, impart a personal touch to the email and entice shoppers awaiting this notification.
Build Anticipation And Positivity.
This back-in-stock campaign by Uniqlo creates a positive vibe around a favourite product becoming available again.
From a subject line that builds anticipation to striking product visuals of the back-in-stock product, and a vibrant color palette, this email offers a very reader-friendly experience. In addition, the CTAs for other product categories attract customers to explore the range and make a purchase.
Provide The Shipping Status Of A Back-In-Stock Product.
Beauty care brand Experiment’s witty email campaign reassures customers that a favourite product is now back in stock.
Even though the copy is minimal, this peppy email convinces customers that they can go ahead and make a purchase without stressing about shipping, as the product is all ready to be shipped.
Leverage Aspirations
This email by home essentials brand Snowe taps into the psychological, emotional, and social elements of the human desire to engage customers.
The soothing palette, the narrative woven into the out-of-stock experience, and the aspirational copy accompanying the available products with clear CTAs inspire the customer to continue the purchase journey.
Emphasise Product Popularity
The high sales volumes of Fulton insoles provide sufficient evidence of the quality of the product and the increased demand for it.
The brand leverages this data in its simple yet effective back-in-stock campaign to remind customers that all the sizes are back in stock (for now) and to shop for them before they get sold out again.
The template also offers information about contact details and social media handles for customers seeking social proof.
Wrapping It Up
In an ideal world, you’d never have to stress over out-of-stock products in your store and their effect on your sales. But when it does happen, fortunately, back-in-stock emails can minimize the impact on your brand – and help you recover your customers who may be looking elsewhere for a similar deal.
In fact, a well-planned back-in-stock campaign with attractive incentives can boost your credibility and build loyalty in the long term.
This article should boost your confidence in drafting successful back-in-stock emails that work wonders for your brand, as they have done with other established brands.
Suppose you prefer to let the experts take care of your email marketing needs while you concentrate on your primary business. In that case, Inbox Army has all the expertise and resources to create an incredibly effective email flow that becomes a revenue driver for your store
