Emails We Love: Williams-Sonoma
The subject line of an email from Williams-Sonoma, received a week before Thanksgiving, stood out from the myriad other emails referring to the upcoming holidays, and not because it promised fabulous savings or was quirky and clever. In fact, it probably stood out more because it was neither promotional nor cute.
Instead the subject line simply addressed a need of many this time of year: “Shop Thanksgiving Time Savers: Turkey Gravy Base, Pumpkin Butter and More.” Williams-Sonoma doesn’t have to use margin-destroying gimmes such as free shipping because it has something more valuable to offer: quality foods that will make cooking for the big day that much less stressful. Here’s a brilliant example of a value proposition that looks beyond dollars and cents.
The preheader reinforced the subject line while adding a sense of urgency: “Quantities Limited — Our Favorite Thanksgiving Foods — Shop Now,” with that last phrase linking to a category page on the W-S Website devoted to Thanksgiving grub. Just beneath the logo was another deadline-oriented call to action: “5 Days Left to Order for Thanksgiving—Shop Now,” with another link.
I also appreciated that each of the photos of the eight products referenced in the email linked directly to the product page, not to a category page or any other landing page that would require me to drill down. Apparently “all in” emails, in which every photo and text box links back to one dedicated landing page (administrative links such as to the unsubscribe page excepted, of course), are gaining in popularity. In a session at last month’s DMA: 2010 conference, Worldata’s Jay Schwedelson said all-in emails have on average a 48% higher conversion rate than those that direct recipients to multiple pages. I find it hard to believe that such would be the case for emails such as this one from W-S, however, in which each item is delineated so specifically. Regardless, it’s certainly worth testing the all-links-lead-to-one-page model (no matter how irksome you, or at least I, find it). If you do adopt it, though, be sure that the dedicated landing page makes it easy for the visitor to find any particular products referred to in the email, in the same way that it’s best practice for a catalog cover to include a page number for the items featured on it.
Along the same lines, if you click the share-to-Facebook icon, you’re given the choice of which product photo you want posted alongside the link on your profile page. So if you want a guest to bring, say, a jar of Apple-Orange Cranberry Relish to the feast, you could easily suggest as much with just a quick post.
Down a bit further, the email pointed out the deadline to order Willie Bird Fresh Organic Free-Range Turkeys and linked to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Thanks and Giving page, which is separate from the Williams-Sonoma site. If you click through, you’ll learn that Williams-Sonoma’s parent company has raised nearly $11.5 million for St. Jude. I like that W-S refrained from putting that bit of info in its email; as a result the company seems more humble and sincere, somehow. And the St. Jude logo can be posted to your Facebook page as well, by the way.
All in all, I couldn’t find fault with this email from Williams-Sonoma, especially as it did what it was supposed to do: drive me to the Website to shop for Thanksgiving goodies. And if its Bubby’s Pumpkin Pie had cost less than $54, I probably would have ordered one to bring down to my family’s gathering. But that’s a pretty steep price—and I don’t even like pie.
