From: BabyCenter
Subject Line: Welcome to BabyCenter
Date: Thursday, April 19, 2007

BabyCenter is basically the bible to every new mom I know (and it seems like almost everyone I know is a new mom!) They recently underwent a brand refresh, and I am a major fan of their new logo; it reminds me of lollipops.

I signed up for their email program yesterday and received (immediately, for bonus points!) a very well-written welcome message. The copy body highlights the specific benefits of being a member of the BabyCenter community, while managing to make a person-to-person connection. (It's signed Tina Sharkey, Chairman.) The email also includes a number of intelligent links, including my profile, articles and online shopping.

Here are a few ways the campaign could be rendered even more effective, from top to bottom:

1) Above the logo and website navigation, add language similar to the below:

"View here if you're unable to see images in this e-mail.
To ensure receipt of our e-mails, please add babycenter-email@babycenter.com to your address book."

"View here" links to a hosted version of your newsletter, which allows users with disabled images to view graphics.

2) Include "Forward this email to a friend >" in the upper-right.

3) Add alt tags to your images. This will allow users with images disabled to get a sense of what they're missing, inspiring them to enable images or click through.

4) Break up your navigation items into separate graphics rather than a single, image-mapped graphic. Some email browser strip out image map links, preventing users from clicking through!

5) Jazz up the creative a little! Add some color to the "My Profile", "Quick Links" and "Shop" sections. Pair photo thumbnails or icons with each Quick Link. This will help to distinguish and draw attention to the messaging.

6) For your primary calls-to-action, try using HTML buttons as opposed to text links. They'll grab more eyes and generate a higher CTR.

7) There is a slew of "fine print" messaging that needs to be added to the footer below the creative, some of which has legal ramifications. The most important is to include an unsubscribe link, plus your company's postal address so that you are in compliance with CAN-SPAM. Something like the below should work:

If someone sent you this message and you'd like to receive BabyCenter e-mails, subscribe now.
Unsubscribe from BabyCenter e-mails.

Copyright © 2007 BabyCenter LLC | 163 Freelon Street | San Francisco, CA 94107 | View our privacy policy.

I'm feeling more welcome already...

Posted by lfharmon at 02:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From: Apple
Subject Line: Thank you for your interest in iPhone.
Date: Tuesday, April 3, 2007

I signed up to receive iPhone product updates the day the gadget was announced, but only received this Welcome message today. Of course it's beautiful, and almost because of that I have to point out that the bottom legal copy is misaligned in IE7. But who cares about PCs, right?

Posted by lfharmon at 08:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From: Borders Rewards
Subject Line: Welcome: Make Reading More Rewarding
Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2007

I was amazed to receive this Welcome message from Borders just one day after signing up for their free Rewards Program in one of their airport retail locations. That was until I sat down for lunch and read a newspaper article detailing how Borders was watering down it's Rewards Program and pissing off a lot of customers. I was probably just part of the mad rush to sign up unwitting new members to it's inferior new program.

All the same, Borders does do something good here: allow new customers to personalize their email experience from the outset, encouraging subscribers to "customize the email you receive from us so you get the email you want when you want it."

On a random note, "Become Online Registered" sounds extremely awkward to me. Why not "Register Online"?

Posted by lfharmon at 07:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From: info@mercedes-benz.com
Subject Line: Mercedes-Benz brand world - your registration
Date: Monday, July 10, 2006

First impressions are critical. The content and quality of your welcome message will influence a subscriber's behavior forever, determining whether or not he or she will continue to open - or even subscribe to - your campaigns.

I was disappointed by the Mercedes-Benz Brand World welcome message, which was not only dry but also, for reasons I cannot pinpoint exactly, feels very "English as a Second Language." Even the subject line - "Mercedes-Benz brand world - your registration" - is flat, sounding more like a rote operational message than a gracious welcome.

This message does nothing to service the website behind it, which is actually quite lovely. Click here to check it out.

Posted by lfharmon at 08:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From: macys.com
Subject Line: macys.com | Welcome to macys.com! Free shipping on macys.com!
Date: Friday, January 20, 2006

First impressions are critical. When someone first subscribes to your email list, it's because they actually want to hear from you. Take advantage of that initial excitement by sending them something GOOD! I'm amazed at all of the dry, text-only confirmation messages out there. Often, I don't even GET a welcome message. By contrast, this is a model welcome EDM. It not only delineates all the great reasons to register or sign up for a credit card; it also starts our subscription with a FREE SHIPPING offer. This is a great way to convert subscribers into buyers right off the bat.

Posted by lfharmon at 04:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From: Williams-Sonoma
Subject Line: Welcome to Williams-Sonoma!
Date: Wednesday, November 16, 2005

While most retailers leave it at "Thank you," Williams-Sonoma includes a bonus in their welcome message - a free recipe. A first-time discount or free shipping offer would make this welcome even better.

Posted by lfharmon at 05:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)