All online stores have transactions based on the purchases made by customers. On average, several small or medium businesses send over 150 emails initiating actions. About 3.9 billion people are using emails daily.
This information has to be relayed to the customers, which is done through transactional email API. Transactional emails, as opposed to bulk emails, are sent one at a time and are limited to the content they are with the type of content they are sent.
Explaining a Transactional Email
Transactional emails are administration-related and are non-marketing emails that the vendor sends the buyer individually. If they have purchased something from the vendor, they will send an invoice with the order details; if the buyer has forgotten the password to the account, then the directions to reset it, etc., are sent via transactional emails.
They also contain information regarding order confirmation, notifications, account balances, subscription details, account reset, and password reminders. A key rule is that they must not contain any marketing information.
These emails are sent automatically to the customers upon any interaction with the app or the website. Transactional emails can be sent to single contacts when triggered by an action specific to them, like a trigger to send welcome emails to new users and order confirmation upon a successful placement.
How to Create and Send a Transactional Email?
Transactional emails can be sent via Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) or Application Programming Interface (API). Credentials must be created within the website or the app to get access to send transactional emails.
Consulting a developer would help get it up and running smoothly. Once the design template is ready, the transactional emails’ ID can be sent to the developers to deliver them automatically via SMTP or API. These help businesses connect with their customers quickly and make the whole experience customer-friendly.
What is Transactional Email API?
Transactional Email APIs are developed to send regular emails in bulk like notifications, mass marketing campaigns from third parties, and password resets. Transactional emails are good for one-to-one interactions or one-to-many email blasts with the provision for customized messaging. They are usually triggered programmatically through a web API or SMTP due to an action that is predefined and instructed.
Significant Benefits of Using Email APIs
1) They are easy to use
2) They can be implemented quickly
3) They are highly economical at scale
4) They provide reliable service and high deliverability
5) They make email list management easier
6) They provide reports and analytics of the transactional emails
7) They allow for the personalization of content
8) They provide high security for the emails
Best Transactional Email Practices
1) Personalize the content
When creating a transactional email, it is essential to include both the brand name and the customer’s name. An Experia Marketing Services study found that the transactional emails with a brand in the subject line get opened 7% more often than others and 26% more often than those without customer names. It is mainly because the customer is reminded of the purchase they have made and wants to confirm it. The customer’s name must preferably be added near the beginning of the email. For example, the emails can be personalized similar to, ‘Here’s your receipt, Ellen’ or ‘Hello Jack, did you know that your subscription is about to expire?’.
2) Remind the customers
The customers who access transactional email IDs are usually attentive, and it helps marketers provide a few suggestions or reminders organically to keep them engaged. For example, in an email confirmation order, the vendor can add statements like creating a new account, joining the loyalty program, or subscribing to regular updates.
3) Use superlatives and enthusiastic tones
Whether it is a delivery or a pick-up, online ordering has become the norm these days. Online shopping is usually a quieter business as compared to the chaos of the stores. So, it helps to keep the customers pumped up and excited about their purchase. Upbeat and exciting subject lines like “Yay! Your order has been confirmed”, “Get excited- your order is on the way!”, “The order is packed and shipped, and it’s on its way to you!” can keep the customers engaged with the online store updates.
4) Provide a link to track the order
Order tracking links help the customers stay informed about their purchased product; it allows the vendors’ site to get higher click rates.
Thus transactional Email API makes the communication between the customers and the vendor much more open.