Google Chrome, Boomerang and Gmail… yes they go together like magic! I’ve made a cool discovery and definitely wanted to share with all creative entrepreneurs out there. One thing about the handmade business and really, business in general these days…is the connection and relationships we form with our customers. It’s so important to be available, to get feedback and keep updated with how our lovely customers are feeling.
So I’ve been brushing up my Etsy shop process, formulating a checklist for processing orders and revamping every little detail. Have you put some thought into your buyer’s message for example, the email that everyone gets when placing an order? No matter what shop you have, there’s always an order confirmation email. I decided to add some spice to mine, just for kicks. I know not everyone reads them, but when they do – I’m sure they will be amused and hopefully smile a bit! I also thought about follow-up emails to ensure that my customer received the package after shipping. Since I’m located in Italy, packages might take a while to arrive, so it’s really important for me to be able to schedule emails while processing the order…rather than to have a running list of emails to write at a later date. That can get really confusing and time consuming.
Enter Boomerang. It’s a plug-in for Gmail that lets you schedule emails – eureka! Talk about cool. After using it a few times to schedule future emails (and I tested it on myself, pretty sweet!) I realized there’s more functionality as well. You can set it to remind you of emails you have sent out where the person hasn’t responded after x amoutn of days, as well as move messages back to your inbox after a certain amount of time…to keep your emails tidy but functional. No one likes the overflowing inbox! Pretty techy cool, eh? I just love tools that help me get things done more efficiently.
I feel as if now I’ve opened up a new way of communicating with customers directly, opening up the gates for more feedback so that I can improve things moving forward. It’s also a nice way to get you back onto the customer’s mind a few weeks after they’ve purchased a product. I have to admit, I always find those messages a nice surprise and reminder when I receive them! Whether you choose to use this nifty plugin or do it old school, remember the importance of follow-up emails. People are busy and you do need to remind them of things in a non-spammy fashion every now and again. Try it! Hope you’ve enjoyed this marketing tip this week…now back to work 🙂
