Act quickly
Don’t panic. You’re only human and mistakes happen. That being said, as soon as you realise a broken email has been sent, don’t delay in considering your next steps. We know it can be tempting, but if there is a serious issue with an email, there’s little point in burying your head in the sand and hoping the issue will go away. In doing so, you risk your brand reputation. Implying that you haven’t noticed the mistake, or you don’t care about the customer experience enough to rectify it. So instead, take a deep breath, remain calm, and move onto our next suggestion.
Does it really need a response?
The first question you need to ask yourself is whether your broken email requires a response. The answer is totally dependent on how broken an email is. As mentioned, serious errors in emails, such as the wrong content or link, need to be acted upon immediately. However, if your mistake is a simple typo or spelling error. It is likely not worth drawing attention to.Create a redirect
One of the most common errors made in emails is a broken link. For instance, instead of linking to website.com/sale you may have mistakenly linked to website.com/sales. Yes, once the email is sent you cannot go back and edit the link. But all is not lost. In this instance, if you have created a 404 error (page not found) in a link to your domain, then you can simply use a redirect to fix this broken link. If you jump on this quickly, you may be able to rectify the link before anyone notices. This means that recipients will be linked to website.com/sales but they will immediately be redirected to website.com/sale without them even noticing. It’s also worth bearing in mind that if you are using WordPress, you will want to create a 301 redirect. This will create a permanent redirect for this broken link, and can easily be done with plugins such as Yoast SEO Premium or Simple 301 Redirects.Automate a pop up
Alternatively, perhaps the error in your email is that you linked to the wrong landing page, as opposed to including a broken link. This landing page may work perfectly well but is just not relevant to the information you wanted to send your recipients to. In this instance, you can create a popup on this landing page to engage with email traffic as soon as they land. For example, if a beauty brand has linked to the wrong moisturiser, they can include a pop up suggesting that recipients may be interested in the correct moisturiser. Brands can even personalise the landing page pop-up based on the traffic referral. Ensuring it is only shown to those who have come from email.
Admit your mistake
If none of the above is doable, your broken email is due to more than just a link, or you simply are unable to remedy this error, then it may be time to hold your hands up and say you’re sorry. A great place to start is by sending out a sorry email, explaining the mistake, and offering up the correct information. In this instance, choosing a suitable subject line is key to ensuring your subscribers can quickly understand the communication and open it. So if for instance, you sent out the completely wrong email, then you can use this opportunity to send the correct email, and notify your recipients of this in the subject line.
However, if the mistake was only subtle, then you may be better off sending an entirely new email with the amends clearly included, such as a correct link or information.
