Transactional messages yield the highest open and read rates. Think about it - this is probably the only type of email a customer would ever call and ask for. Customers often intentionally save these messages for months or even years. So how can you get the biggest bang for your buck on these campaigns? Below are some tips and best practices for getting the most out of your transactional campaigns. 

 Though transactional messages such as order and shipping confirmations certainly don't need to be fancy in design, they should be identifiable as your brand. Your customer should know at a glance that the email is coming from you. Simple ways to reinforce the brand include maintaining your brand colors, fonts, and logos throughout the message.

 Though it's tempting to add a lot to your messages (knowing that your customers will be opening them) the clear focus should always be the purpose of the email: order/shipping confirmation, gift card notification, etc. Prominently show the ordered items. The last thing you want is for customers to be frustrated and not able to find the info they need.

 To provide a good customer experience, make information the customer might want easily available. You can include this information in the message or link out to it. A few ideas of relevant information:

With such high open rates, transactional messages provide a great opportunity for promotion. For example, if you have a new store app, the option to purchase gift cards, a rewards program, or store credit card, you can use secondary space in the email to promote these things. 

Recommending similar products encourages your customers to continue purchasing from you and assists them down the path to becoming a loyal repeat customer. You have an idea of what this person is interested based on their purchase and can you that to target and display items that may also interest them. Remember that the focus of the email should still be the transaction.