Email Marketing Mistakes That Are Silently Killing Your Sales (And How To Fix Them)
Want to hear something scary? Last month, a local business accidentally deleted 40% of their email list because of one tiny mistake. Another business owner told me they hadn’t emailed their list in 8 months because “they didn’t want to bother people.”
As someone who’s helped local businesses see real results with email (like a furniture store that saw a 43% lift in sales), I can tell you – these mistakes are more common than you’d think.
The Truth About Email Marketing in 2025
Before we dive into the mistakes, let me share something important: Email marketing still works incredibly well – when it’s done right. I’ve seen it firsthand, having trained with email expert Ian Stanley (he’s regarded as one of the best in the world) and helping businesses all over the world turn their email lists into reliable revenue streams.
Three Critical Mistakes That Kill Email Results
The “Send Without Testing” Trap
Think of email testing like taste-testing a meal before serving it to guests. Would you serve dinner without checking if it’s cooked properly? Of course not. Yet businesses do this with emails every day.
Here’s what you need to test before hitting send:
– How does it look in different email clients?
– Are all your links working?
– Is the formatting clean and readable?
– Does it sound right when you read it out loud?
– Does it land in the Promo tab or even worse, in SPAM (we can actually test for this)?
The “Random Timing” Problem
Consistency in email marketing is like watering a plant. Too little, and it dies. Too much, and you drown it. You need to find the right balance.
Based on what we’ve seen work with real businesses, you want to strike a balance that keeps you top-of-mind without overwhelming your subscribers.
The “Boring Subject Line” Blunder
Your subject line is like the headline on a newspaper (remember those?). If it doesn’t grab attention, nothing else matters because no one will read what’s inside.
Think about it: When was the last time you opened an email with a bland subject line? Exactly.
How to Fix These Mistakes (And Start Getting Results)
Let’s talk about real solutions that actually work:
Testing Made Simple
Before sending any email:
– Send a test to yourself
– Check it on both mobile and desktop
– Have someone else read it for clarity
– Double-check all links and images
Finding Your Perfect Email Schedule
The key is consistency. Pick a schedule you can maintain:
– Start with weekly emails
– Track your results
– Adjust based on engagement
– Stay consistent with your chosen frequency
Writing Subject Lines That Work
The goal is to make people curious enough to open:
– Make it relevant to their interests
– Create a sense of urgency when appropriate
– Be clear about the value inside
– Avoid spam trigger words
BONUS: The benefits of getting them to hit reply and respond to your email are many. Not only does it help future delivery, but your sales will skyrocket when they learn someone is actually on the other end of the reply- not an automation!
A Simple Way to Get Started
Here’s what I recommend to every business owner starting to fix their email marketing:
- Check your last 3 months of emails
- Note your open rates and click rates
- Look for patterns in what worked
- Create a simple email calendar
- Test everything before sending
Need Help Getting Your Email Marketing Right?
At Communication & Design Inc. in Freeport, we help local businesses turn their email lists into reliable revenue streams. Having helped businesses achieve significant ROI through email marketing, we know what works in our local market.
Get your free Email Marketing Audit by calling 815-281-5152 or visiting our scheduling page.
P.S. – Every day you’re not emailing your list properly is money left on the table. Let’s fix that together.
