E-billing tips from the trenches

Four years in the e-billing industry has taken its toll on me. Not only do I know more than I ever expected about billing systems, processes and challenges, but I actually surprised myself yesterday at how passionate I feel when discussing the intricacies of a well designed, easily navigable, interactive, electronic bill.

I also realised that I hold some rather defined opinions on how an e-bill should be structured, and what constitutes, for me, an e-billing faux pas.

Which brought me to the topic for the next couple of Industry Insights: a selection of e-billing tips that could only come from someone who eats, sleeps and dreams about electronic bills, and has jumped through almost every hoop that electronic billing could present.

Firstly, consider packaging. In the paper billing process, lots of thought is given to the envelope shape, the placement of logos and addresses, and the general first impression. When sending an e-bill, there are also specific packaging elements that can either make or break bill delivery.

* Be mindful of how an e-mail will look in the recipient`s e-mail in tray and how it will display in the commonly used preview pane available in most software packages.

* Be careful when selecting the e-mail address from which e-mail is sent, as this is one of the first elements a recipient will see.

* Make sure the name, rather than the e-mail address, that appears in the `from` field looks good and projects the right formality.

* Don`t use all lower case or all capitals in masquerading the company`s name, as it doesn`t look right.

The same goes for the name and e-mail address that appears when the customer hits reply to the e-mail bill. It doesn`t have to be the same address as the `from` field, but it must make the customer feel their query, compliment or complaint will be addressed. The `reply` address needs to reassure the customer of a support structure, and that the e-mail reply will be received by a customer care person, such as CustomerCare@company.com.

The subject line of the e-mail to which the bill is attached is crucial in terms of catching the recipient`s attention. E-mail marketing guidelines state that message content, e-mail subject line and relevance of the message are the most important factors in getting an e-mail read. When sending out an e-bill, the message content and relevance is taken care of, which leaves the impact of the subject line to be considered. The subject line needs to be relevant, but it should not repeat the same words as the `from` address, or the first in tray impression is one of duplication. Take a look at the e-mail inbox and you will see what I mean.

The biggest faux pas in creating a cover e-mail is to disregard standard e-mail marketing principles.

Alison Wright, MD of Striata

Now think of the customer filing all their monthly e-bills. They will probably create a folder for each biller, moving their monthly e-mail bills into this folder structure. Make it easy for the customer to find a previous bill by putting the bill date and name into the subject line of the e-mail. Sounds simple, but after having to scroll through 20 e-mails with the same subject line to find last December`s bill, the benefits of a date in the subject line can be clearly seen.

Then consider the diligent type who will save the e-bill file itself into a folder. Make sure the naming convention for the encrypted bill attachment is carefully considered. It should be descriptive and preferably contain a date reference. Companies should remember they are not the only biller sending out electronic bills, so help the customer to easily identify which is which.

This brings me to the cover e-mail (the e-mail to which the e-bill is attached). The biggest faux pas in creating a cover e-mail is to disregard standard e-mail marketing principles. There are certain words that are commonly used by spammers, and which most spam filters will block. Don`t use words like `click`, or `free`, and don`t use exclamation or question marks. These are simple e-marketing guidelines, which, if ignored, could lower the e-bill delivery rate.

Make sure any vital instructions about the e-bill are provided in the top portion of the e-mail. Remember that most people view the e-mail itself in the preview pane, and just click on the attachment from there. Make sure any instructions the recipient needs to read (to download software, for instance), appear in the preview pane. The likelihood of the recipient reading instructions is low if they have to scroll down, and that translates into high volumes of calls and e-mails to the call centre.

By the same token, experience shows that putting the most important marketing messages into the cover e-mail will not result in high readership. Once the recipient understands the e-bill process and doesn`t need the instructions, they will gloss over the e-mail content to get to the bill content.

More effective marketing real estate lies in the bill itself. Rather include in the bill design a page or space for marketing messages. Having a `landing page` on the e-bill gives plenty of space to present product messages and images, or to notify clients of important events. This is also a handy spot for the navigation bar or buttons. Messages within the bill are far more likely to catch the recipient`s eye than the e-mail cover content. Which doesn`t mean the e-mail cover can become boring and stale, as it is still the first impression of the bill, and must project the right branding, message and energy.

Next month, I will continue with tips from the trenches relating to how customers interact with e-bills.