Your welcome email message is perhaps the best opportunity you will ever have to engage your customer through the e-mail channel and move them towards action.

In fact you’ll find that the welcome email message generates the best open rates and when done well create a lasting good impression for all the emails messages you send in the future.

1. Not sending a welcome email message at all
2. Taking longer than 24 hours to send your welcome email message
   
3. Not setting expectations for future email messages
   
4. Not having a call to action in your email message
   

Not sending a welcome email message at all

Only about 76% of sites collecting email addresses through newsletters, contests and other sources even send a welcome email message. Given the power of the welcome email message to drive business response that’s an amazing number… why do so many failing to let this key marketing moment pass?

You take longer than 24 hours to send your welcome email message

There are several reasons to get your welcome email message sent out quickly.

1. A quickly executed welcome email message creates a good impression, makes you look more responsive, potentially faster to deal with customer questions, issues or just plain order processing.
2. A quick turn around with your welcome email message gets you communicating with your customer while they are interested. Recency of purchase (or interaction) has always been one of the strongest indicators of a customer’s likelihood to buy again or accept an up-sell. In the direct mail field marketers pay top dollar for recent purchasers. So, why not use the same logic with your email messages. Don’t miss the chance to engage with your visitors while they are in a responsive mood.
3. People are fickle and quick to forget…especially on the web. If you don’t get your welcome email message back to your new subscribers within 10 minutes your risk of un-subscribes and spam complaints goes up exponentially. If you think 24 hours is good, think again. A week… forgets about it.

Your welcome email message doesn’t set the stage for future emails

While some online subscriptions give a lot of information about the newsletter’s goals, content and approach… most do not. This makes writing of detailed welcome email messages even more important. Most marketers do a poor job of laying the groundwork and guiding expectations for content and frequency. Over 25% do not even explain the benefits of being an email subscriber.

You have no call-to-action in your welcome email message

Why send a plain vanilla confirmation that looks and sounds like the robot that it really is. This is your first opportunity to engage your brand new subscribers and show the value you offer them.

Do you at least have a link to your homepage…? Come On Now People! That’s the basic stuff.

How about using a simple footer or signature to promote your social networking profiles… No? Why not… it’s just so easy.

Now that you are in the mood let's get creative and give your email readers a reason to click.

Now is the time to review your welcome email message

If you’ve blissfully sailed through the last few months… or years letting your welcome email message run un-attended and un-loved now is the time to take a good look. Don’t let the golden opportunity of your welcome email message go to waste.

Compare your welcome email message against some of the best practices mentioned above and look for ways to communicate your brand, your value and your voice to your customers. As Jean-Luc Picard would say… ENGAGE!