Common barriers to customer action in email marketing

What actually drives a customer to buy? (Hint: it’s not always what you think.) When we talk about customer research, we often focus on what people want. But what actually moves behavior is why they want it — and what might stop them. That’s where the Drivers & Barriers framework comes in. It’s simple, but it’s changed how I approach product development, messaging, and brand positioning across every business I’ve built. Here’s how it works: Drivers — what moves someone toward a purchase Trigger — what moment made them realize they needed something new? Goal — what outcome are they really chasing? Functional, emotional, or social? Desire — what’s the selfish reason they want this? (Don’t skip this.) Delight — what would make them feel proud, accomplished, or just good? These become the raw material for your messaging, landing pages, ads, and onboarding. They tell you what to emphasize — and why it matters. Barriers — what creates hesitation or stalls action Pains — what’s frustrating about current options? Alternatives — what else have they tried or considered? Anxieties — what fears or doubts almost kept them from buying? Friction — where in the experience are they getting stuck? These shape your objection handling, your FAQs, your UX, your product roadmap. They tell you where you’re losing trust — and how to win it back. If a product isn’t resonating, or your offer isn’t converting, I always come back to this: Are we leaning hard enough into the real drivers? Are we addressing the real barriers? Because what gets someone to click isn’t always what gets them to buy. And what gets them to buy isn’t always what gets them to stay. If you’re building right now, ask yourself: which of these eight are you actually clear on? And which one have you maybe ignored for too long?

The most overlooked step in email marketing: Telling people what to do next. Most email marketing stops short. You’ve got: • A killer hook • A strong pitch • A product they want But then… no one takes action. Why? Because you didn’t clearly tell them what to do next. People don’t just need a CTA. They need a specific path and action. • What’s the first step? • How long will it take? • What can they expect after? Example: Instead of “Sign up now”, say: “Sign up in 30 seconds. Start your free trial today, and we’ll walk you through setup step by step” Clarity + simplicity = action. Never assume they’ll figure it out on their own.

Scroll through your inbox right now What do you see? ✨🚀 Emojis everywhere in my personal inbox 🔥 "Final chance!" offers that are never the final chance 🙃 Quick question? On about 100 subject lines in my work one & emails I did NOT sign up for Emails build up & build up So how do you make yours stand out? Not just in the inbox, but in your subscriber’s mind? And it’s not just about getting an open (that should never be the only end goal) it’s about making them: · Feel · Do · Or both Here are my top tips for making your email stand out: 1️⃣ If it’s been a while since a subscriber engaged remind your subscribers why you’re in their inbox Recognition and memory are powerful tools in marketing If your subscribers haven’t heard from you in a while, or worse, they signed up but forgot who you are (this is SO common in both the B2B & B2C world), your email can feel like a random interruption instead of something worth opening. 📌 Make it easy for them to remember you: · Remind them who you are and why they signed up · Reintroduce your value - why should they care about you? · If it’s been a long time, acknowledge it and reset expectations · If they don’t remember why you’re in their inbox, they’re not reading your email. 2️⃣ Reduce friction points Most emails make people work too hard to care: 🚫 Too much copy before getting to the point or just pure images everywhere 🚫 Products that are not somewhat related to the subscriber/customer 🚫 Clickbait subject lines that lead to underwhelming content 🚫 Call-to-actions buried under 15 paragraphs of fluff Make it easy: ✅ Be clear, fast, and direct – Say what you need to say in fewer words. ✅ Use formatting that’s easy to scan – People skim more in email ✅ Ensure one clear action – What do you want them to do next? If it takes effort, they won’t bother. 3️⃣ Don’t just aim for an open So many marketers obsess over open rates and forget why they’re emailing in the first place. If your subject line is amazing but the email inside is bland, uninspiring, or irrelevant - congrats, you tricked someone into opening an email they will delete 📌 Instead of just chasing opens, ask: ·  Did the reader stay engaged? ·  Did they take action? ·  Do they want to hear from us again? Your goal isn’t a single open 4️⃣ Make people feel like you’re emailing them, not everyone One-size-fits-all emails = immediate delete. If your email could be sent to anyone, it means nothing to everyone. Instead, lean into relevance: ✅ Use segmentation based on more than just behaviour (think motivations, personas etc) talk to the right people at the right time. ✅ Make your message specific and timely - not generic. ✅ Speak in a human way - ditch the “Dear Valued Customer” energy.

Your brand's emails aren't driving sales. Instead, your CTRs are low and your placed order rates are even lower. The issue isn't your list or your offers, but with your email content itself. Here’s where brands go wrong: 1. Focusing Too Much on Promotions, Not Enough on Value Sure, discounts can drive short-term sales, but if your emails don’t offer real value, you’re missing a crucial opportunity to build a relationship with your subscribers. What You Should Do Instead: 1. Educate Your Subscribers 📚 Use your emails to inform subscribers about your product’s features, benefits, and the problems it solves. Help them understand why they need it. 2. Share Engaging Content 🎨 Provide insights, tips, and stories that resonate with your audience. Engaging content fosters a deeper connection and makes your emails more valuable. 3. Personalize Your Messaging 💬 Tailor your content based on subscriber behavior and preferences. Personalized emails are more relevant and have higher engagement rates. 4. Create a Customer Journey 🚀 Design your email sequences to guide subscribers through a learning process. Start with education, build interest, and then offer promotions. A client came to us with each of these issues. By shifting their focus from constant discounts to a value-driven approach, they saw a 30% increase in email engagement and a 20% boost in conversions. Stop relying solely on promotions and start delivering value. That’s how you turn subscribers into loyal customers. #EmailMarketing #DigitalMarketing #MarketingStrategy #ConsumerBrands #CustomerJourney #RetentionMarketing #EmailCampaigns #LinkedInTips Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog: https://lnkd.in/e7MZcpGZ

Bye-bye profits 👋 There are 5 curable email mistakes that are slowly killing your email marketing and dragging your business down. Here they are, and how can they be fixed... 1. Over-Selling in Every Email Bombarding subscribers with non-stop sales pitches can push them away fast. It's commonly mistaken that frequency is the problem, but 99% of the time it's not... ...Just the frequency of hard sales pitches. Instead, aim for a mix of value and promotion. Share useful tips, stories, or guides related to your product—whether it’s DIY tutorials, stories, or insider advice. Send emails people look forward to, build trust, and keep your brand top-of-mind. 2. Neglecting Mobile Optimization Mobile devices make up the majority of email views, so your emails must look and function well on small screens. Test each email on your phone to check readability and visuals. An email that displays poorly risks being deleted without a second thought—cutting your potential impact dramatically. 3. Ignoring Your Audience’s Preferences Not segmenting your audience is a missed opportunity to speak directly to their needs. Split your audience into groups based on engagement, interests, or purchase history. For example, send product recommendations to your VIP customers and re-engagement emails to those who haven’t clicked in a while. Tailored content resonates more and translates into better conversion rates. 4. Skipping Analytics and Testing A successful email strategy isn’t just “set it and forget it.” Regularly track your open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to understand what’s working. If a campaign isn’t performing, try adjusting your subject lines, refining your offers, or experimenting with timing. Continuous testing is the secret to unlocking consistent improvement. 5. Writing Weak Subject Lines Your subject line is your first impression, so make it count. A compelling subject line can double your open rates. Think about sparking curiosity or highlighting a clear benefit. Keep testing to see what resonates with your audience, and remember—a great email is worthless if no one opens it.

6 objections are killing your cart recovery. After auditing hundreds of abandoned cart flows, I've noticed the same pattern. Brands focus on reminding people they left items behind. But they never address WHY people actually abandon carts. There are exactly 6 objections every potential customer has: 1. Price concerns 2. Trust/quality doubts 3. "Why buy now vs later?" 4. Shipping worries 5. Return policy uncertainty 6. "Will I regret this purchase?" Here's what's interesting: You can handle most of these with simple visual elements. Instead of writing long emails, try this approach: ↳ Free shipping callout (price + shipping) ↳ "3,000+ 5-star reviews" (trust/quality) ↳ "Hassle-free returns" (regret protection) ↳ Trust badges or certifications (quality) We tested this with a client who sells jeans online. Imagine trying to buy jeans without trying them on first. Their second email literally lists every possible objection: "Worried about sizing? Here's our fit guide..." "Concerned about quality? Made in Portugal with..." "Not sure about returns? 60-day hassle-free..." That email became their highest-performing email across their entire account. The key: Don't avoid objections. Address them head-on. Plain text format works especially well for this approach. Better deliverability, higher open rates, feels more personal. What objections are you currently ignoring in your abandonment flows? #emailmarketing #Klaviyo #ecommerce #DTC

“𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴?” After speaking with dozens of CMOs, I’ve noticed a recurring challenge: 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀? 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘆.  𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀? 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁. Smart brands are asking these five key questions to turn subscribers into buyers: 1️⃣ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲? Most brands send a welcome discount and hope for the best. Top performers focus on building a relationship from day one. 2️⃣ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱-𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄? Everyone launches abandoned cart emails. Few take advantage of browse-abandonment or category-interest flows. 3️⃣ 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸? “Didn’t purchase” isn’t the full story. Track micro-conversions—second visits, wishlist adds, or review reads—to uncover conversion barriers. 4️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲? Website personalization isn’t about spammy pop-ups. It’s about showing the right products at the right moment to help customers make decisions. 5️⃣ 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀? Some check email religiously. Others live in their apps. Meet customers where they are, not where you want them to be. 💡 What’s keeping your subscribers from converting? Let’s discuss—share your thoughts in the comments! #ecommerce #marketingautomation #emailmarketing

Want to increase your email conversions? Here’s the trick—address objections before your subscribers even have them. Instead of leaving them thinking, “But what about ___?”, you can step in and say, “You might be wondering ___, here’s your answer.” That builds trust. It keeps people hooked. And ultimately, it removes any barriers between your subscriber and their decision to buy. Friction = sales killer. Here are 3 quick ways to crush objections with email: Know the concerns: What makes your readers hesitate? Could be price, value, or maybe delivery times. Know them well. Have the answers ready: Simple and clear. Use social proof, FAQs, or even a money-back guarantee to back you up. Weave them into your emails: Let it flow naturally. You’re having a conversation, not pitching hard. Make it part of your story. Example: You’re running an abandoned cart email for a clothing brand. Instead of just saying “Come back and buy,” include a line like, “Worried it won’t fit? No stress, we’ve got free returns!” Anticipate their worries before they ask. Watch your engagement and sales skyrocket. #emailmarketing #saas #ecommerce #coachingbusiness #klaviyo #copywriting #ecom