Limited spots, unlimited potential. 
It’s an e-store dream come true: you launch a new product that quickly becomes a bestseller, feeding so much voracious demand that you can’t even keep it in stock. This dream occasionally happens, maybe a bit more frequently than you would think, with a little preparation. And, with a little more planning, your revenue doesn’t have to stop there.
Let me walk you through the mechanics of creating and upselling a bestseller through one recent example. In this case, our client’s store had made a name for itself selling beautiful jewelry coupled with the spiritual energy of crystals.
We laid the foundation of our to-be bestseller by frequently emailing about the different properties of crystals. The available literature on the topic of crystal energy is varied and even contradictory. So we set out to set the record straight by composing a series of e-newsletters that categorized the different types of crystals by their main uses: healing, confidence, focus, etc.
Not only that, but we described how to best wear the jewelry to derive the greatest impact. We included many testimonials from our client’s customers. We also highlighted the beauty of the jewelry in both imagery and description. Unlike with many competing products, the art of this crystal jewelry’s design was not an afterthought.
Of course, one of the most popular uses of crystals is for spiritual healing, one of the best uses of turquoise as well as rose quartz. So our client sourced a special Turquoise Protection Wrap Bracelet (coded in inventory as TWP). We focused extensively on content pieces that described its benefits, including especially its beauty and healing properties. Once released, we promoted it with newsletters, promos, flows, discounts, and customer referrals.
It worked. Customer demand accelerated to off-the-charts, and our client ran out of stock. But that was no reason to stop. We set out to cultivate this demand even more while also letting our customers know to expect a shipping delay as our client went to great lengths to bolster the supply.
We created a Delivery Notification Flow with the trigger “someone placed an order, where product equals TWP.” We included in this flow one update plus one re-send for those who didn’t open the initial email. This helped ensure that customers were informed about the shipping delay.
Update Outline:
- Personal tone from our brand hero who appears prominently in most of our client’s emails
- Thank you for the purchase
- Announce shipping delay due to high demand
- Specify likely delivery date range
- Video of how the product is made
Plain Text vs HTML Template
We split-tested a plain-text version versus an HTML version to see which would generate more engagement. The winner was the plain-text version, which seemed less automated and promotional and, therefore, more authentic and heartfelt.
Update = Conversion
While our main goal was to inform customers of the delay, the results also positively impacted sales goals. The trust built through these strictly informational emails ironically led to more sales.
Quick Update Email 1:
($64.82 on average per occurrence)
Resend to Non-Openers:
($49.34 on average per occurrence)
How to Get More $$$
Such a healthy conversion rate led us to create a special Upsell Flow for this product. We introduced a new bracelet based on rose quartz, priced at double the original bracelet’s value, and crafted a compelling story highlighting the combined benefits of both bracelets.
Email 1:
($56.44 on average per occurrence)*
Resend with Discount:
($100.64 on average per occurrence; 0.4% of recipients placed an order)*
* Upsell flow data is for only 10 days
Lessons Learned
- Implement special Upsell and Cart Abandonment Flows as soon as a product achieves bestseller status
- Split-test the Upsell Flow with products at different price points to identify optimal performance
- Consider adding a third email to the Upsell Flow to increase conversions
What bestseller experiences have you had? When a product begins to sell out, do you hit the brakes or the gas? Comment below with your experiences.
Marko Kojadinovic and Thomas McClintock,
Hustler Marketing
