Why Your Emails Aren't Ringing the Till
Most Brisbane business owners I talk to have a love-hate relationship with email. They know they should be doing it, but they feel like they’re shouting into a void. You spend an hour putting together a newsletter, hit send, and then... nothing. No phone calls, no bookings, just silence.
When I sit down with a local tradie or a shop owner in Chermside, they usually tell me the same thing: "I tried email, but it didn't really work for me."
Here’s the truth: The reason it didn't work isn't because email is dead. It’s because you’re guessing what your customers want to hear instead of testing it. In the marketing world, people call this "A/B testing," but let's just call it "The Winner Stays On" method. It’s about sending two versions of an email to see which one actually puts money in your pocket.
If you aren't testing, you are leaving money on the table. But most people do it wrong. They test the wrong things, they get confused by the numbers, or they use platforms that make it too hard. If you're worried about the price of getting started, you should check out the real email platform costs before you sign up for anything "free" that actually limits your growth.
Mistake #1: Testing Things That Don't Matter
I’ve seen business owners spend three days arguing over whether a button should be "Navy Blue" or "Royal Blue." Stop it. Unless you’re Amazon, the shade of blue on your button won't change your life.
If you want more customers, you need to test the big stuff first. These are the things that determine if someone even opens your email or bothers to read it.
Test these three things first: 1. The Subject Line: This is the most important part. If they don't open it, they can't buy. Test a "Boring but Clear" subject line vs. a "Curiosity" subject line. Example: "10% off plumbing services" vs. "A quick question about your kitchen sink." 2. The Offer: This moves the needle. Test a discount vs. a free gift. Example: "$50 off your first consult" vs. "Free initial 30-minute strategy session." 3. The Sender Name: Sometimes people prefer an email from "John at Local Electrics" rather than just "Local Electrics."
Mistake #2: Making Your Emails Too "Pretty"
This is a massive trap for small businesses. You hire a graphic designer to make a beautiful, glossy email that looks like a flyer. You send it out, and it flops. Why? Because it looks like an ad. And what do we do with ads? We delete them.
I’ve seen a simple, plain-text email—the kind you’d send to a mate—outperform a fancy designed template ten to one. People buy from people, not from corporate logos. We've found that fancy emails kill sales because they feel impersonal and often end up in the "Promotions" tab where they go to die.
When you test, try testing a "Fancy" version against a "Plain Text" version. I’d bet my house the plain text one gets more replies and more bookings.
Mistake #3: Not Testing Your Call to Action
What do you want the customer to do? If you don't tell them, they won't do anything.
Most business owners are too polite. They say things like "Check out our website if you have time." That’s rubbish. You need to be direct. Test different ways of asking for the business:
Option A: "Click here to book your quote." Option B: "Reply to this email with the word 'YES' and I'll call you."
- Option C: "Call me on 0400 XXX XXX to grab this deal."
Mistake #4: Giving Up Too Soon
You can't run one test and decide you've solved the mystery of the universe. Testing is a habit.
Think of it like this: If you’re a landscaper, you don't just mow the lawn once and say the job is done forever. You keep at it. Every time you send an email to your list, split it in half. Send Version A to 500 people and Version B to 500 people. See which one gets more phone calls. Next month, take the winner and try to beat it with a new idea.
Within six months, you’ll know exactly what makes your specific customers in the Southside or the Northern Suburbs pull out their credit cards.
The "Golden Rule" of Testing
Only test one thing at a time.
If you change the subject line, the offer, and the photos all at once, and the email performs better, you have no idea why. Was it the subject line? Was it the offer? You’re back to guessing. Change one thing, measure the result, and move on.
How Long Until You See Results?
If you have a list of at least 500 to 1,000 people, you can see results instantly. You hit send at 10:00 AM, and by 2:00 PM, you’ll know which version won.
If your list is smaller, it takes a bit longer to get a clear answer, but it's still worth doing. Even with 100 people, if 5 people reply to Version A and 0 people reply to Version B, you’ve learned something incredibly valuable about your business.
What Should You Do First?
1. Pick your next email: Don't make it a fancy newsletter. Make it a simple offer or a helpful tip. 2. Write two subject lines: One that is very direct and one that is a bit more personal. 3. Split your list: Most email tools have a simple button for this. 4. Check the winner: Don't look at "open rates" as your only metric. Look at how many people actually contacted you or bought something.
Stop Wasting Your Time
Marketing shouldn't be a dark art. It’s just about finding out what your customers like and giving them more of it. If you keep sending emails that nobody opens, you're just wasting your time and potentially annoying your best prospects.
At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses stop the guesswork. We focus on the stuff that actually makes the phone ring, not the technical jargon that sounds good in a boardroom but does nothing for a small business owner.
If you want your emails to actually start making you money instead of just taking up your Sunday afternoon, we should talk. We can look at what you’re doing and tell you exactly where you’re leaving money on the table.
Want to turn your emails into a sales machine? Contact Local Marketing Group today.