James Explains: Upsell Through Transactional Email

There’s no better time to upsell than through an email confirmation.

Imagine this, a customer has just completed an order on your ecommerce site. Let’s say they've ordered 250 business cards. You have your automated messages set up in JangoSMTP, like a lot of our users do, so that your customers receive an order confirmation immediately following each transaction.

When would be a better time to offer that customer a discount and free shipping on an additional 250 business cards?...NOW

You could also offer related products like personalized stationary, promotional ink pens, or business card magnets. This customer is in the mood to buy, so take advantage of each opportunity.

They've already placed an order through your website, and entered their payment and shipping information. It would be unusually easy to add items to their order now. That's an opportunity no business can afford to ignore!  Make sure you incorporate upselling into your next campaign.

As always, I’m James, the most interesting animal in email marketing.  Keep it locked here for the latest and greatest!

Special thanks to JangoSMTP Account Executive, Erica Melzer, for helping me with this post!

Cheers,

James The Jangolope
Department of Awesome
JangoSMTP

About James

James the Jangolope is our JangoSMTP mascot. Each month, look for our new “James Explains” emails and blog posts on transactional email advice, trends, and quick tips. James will offer insight on how to improve your SMTP plan and how to use your JangoSMTP account to the fullest  

What is a Jangolope? Find out HERE

We want to hear from you. Have a topic you would like James to cover? Email us at marketing@us.jangomail.com with the subject line: James Explains. Follow James on Facebook

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Hey Griswold, The Little Lights Aren't Twinkling

By: Melonie Mottice
Marketing Specialist

It's that time, Christmas time is here

Everybody knows there's not a better time of year

Hear that sleigh, Santa's on his way

Hip, Hip Hooray, for Christmas Vacation

It is that time of the year! Not only is watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation a must, but so is decorating your home for the holidays. While the sound of “250 strands of lights, 100 individual bulbs per strand, for a grand total of 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights,” might be overwhelming, a lot of us like to show our holiday spirit with outdoor Christmas lights, and JangoSMTP can make it easier!

Throughout the 1989 movie, the main character, Clark W. Griswold, is on a mission to host 'the most fun-filled old-fashioned family Christmas.' Clark escapes his in-laws by putting up Christmas lights on nearly every inch of his house, but can’t get them to work. When they finally turn on, his family is ecstatic to see the house...everyone but his father-in-law, Art. Art immediately notices that the little lights aren't twinkling – a minor detail in the whole elaborate display.

Fast forward to today. If Clark had the technology we have, he wouldn't have to rely on Art. Instead, he could connect all of his outdoor timers to an SMTP server like JangoSMTP. Any time the little lights weren't twinkling, he would be notified via email on his smartphone.

Nowadays, some houses and even neighborhoods decorate every inch of their lawn. There are sensors, timers, and heck, you can even program your lights to the sound of Christmas carols. Even if you aren't going all out like Clark, you can set up email notifications confirming the activity of your lights, indoor and outdoor, using JangoSMTP.

Before Aunt Bethany thinks your house is on fire, or Art informs you the little lights that aren't twinkling, connect your Christmas light timers to our SMTP server. Try a JangoSMTP 30-Day Trial and send up to 500 emails for Free.

Our Latest Email Commercial: Undelivered. Undead.

What happens to emails that aren't sent with JangoSMTP?

They roam for an eternity in the nether regions of the email underworld. Not quite dead, but lost in the maze of network obstacles and spam filters.

Be your Email's hero and keep him away from the pile of the email undead.

 

Ready to save your emails from Zombiehood? Sign up for a free JangoSMTP account at http://www.jangosmtp.com/Free-Account.asp.

Integrating JangoSMTP with Java

Since Oracle provides the JavaMail package for sending emails in Java, it's easy to integrate JangoSMTP into your current Java software.

First, you need to obtain the JavaMail library. If you're using the enterprise edition of Java, then you probably already have JavaMail installed. Otherwise, you will need to unzip the contents and add them to your buildpath in Eclipse, or your classpath in Windows. To add the package to your buildpath, click Project > Properties > Libraries > Add External JARs.

Then you can use JavaMail to connect to the JangoSMTP server and send a message. You should connect to relay.jangosmtp.net using your JangoSMTP credentials. We've already built a simple example that will connect to JangoSMTP to send a message.

Properties props = new Properties();
props.put("mail.transport.protocol", "smtp");
props.put("mail.smtp.host", "relay.jangosmtp.net");
props.put("mail.smtp.port", 25);
props.put("mail.smtp.auth", "true");
 
// set up a new authenticator
Authenticator Authorization = new SMTPAuthenticator();
Session JangoSMTPSession = 
             Session.getDefaultInstance(props, Authorization);
Transport transport = JangoSMTPSession.getTransport();
 
// this object will hold the details of the email
MimeMessage EmailMessage = new MimeMessage(JangoSMTPSession);
 
// store the plain text and HTML portions of our email
Multipart MultipartContent = new MimeMultipart("alternative");
 
// first set the plain text message
BodyPart part1 = new MimeBodyPart();
part1.setText(PlainTextMessage);
MultipartContent.addBodyPart(part1);
 
// then set the HTML message
BodyPart part2 = new MimeBodyPart();
part2.setContent(HTMLMessage, "text/html");
MultipartContent.addBodyPart(part2); 
 
EmailMessage.setContent(MultipartContent);
        
// Set the From Address.
// Must be a sender that is saved in your from-addresses.
EmailMessage.setFrom(new InternetAddress(FromAddress));
        
// Set the subject
EmailMessage.setSubject(Subject);
        
// set the to-address
EmailMessage.addRecipient(Message.RecipientType.TO,
                                new InternetAddress(ToAddress));
 
// Connect, Send the Message, and Close the Connection
transport.connect();
transport.sendMessage(EmailMessage, 
          EmailMessage.getRecipients(Message.RecipientType.TO));
transport.close();

With the authentication code that is in the example file, this code will allow you to construct and send a transactional email using JangoSMTP. This email will contain all the tracking and other features set up in the settings section of the JangoSMTP site.