On this page
Email reaches people who already know your store, at a cost that does not rise every time you send a message. That makes it one of the few marketing channels where the cost per customer actually falls over time.
In this guide
- Why email marketing matters for a store
- Building your email list
- Core email types at a glance
- Building your first email sequence
Why email marketing matters for a store
Acquiring a new customer through ads costs money every time. Emailing an existing customer costs almost nothing, which makes email one of the most direct ways to raise average order value and bring customers back without raising acquisition cost.
Building your email list
- Offer a small discount in exchange for a signup.
- Include an email opt-in at checkout, not just on a separate signup page.
- Keep the signup request short, asking only for an email address at first.
Core email types at a glance
| Email type | Purpose | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Introduce the store and deliver a signup discount | Immediately after signup |
| Abandoned cart | Bring back a shopper who did not finish checkout | 1–24 hours after abandonment |
| Promotional | Announce a sale, new product, or offer | As needed |
| Post-purchase | Encourage a review or repeat purchase | 1–2 weeks after delivery |
Building your first email sequence
- Send a welcome email immediately after signup, with the promised discount.
- Set up an automated abandoned cart email to trigger a few hours after a cart is left.
- Send a post-purchase email a week or two after delivery, asking for a review.
- Layer in occasional promotional emails once the automated sequence is running.
Frequently asked questions
How big does my email list need to be before it is worth using?
Even a small, engaged list can produce real results. What matters more than size is relevance, since a small list of genuinely interested customers often outperforms a large, disengaged one.
What is the most important email to set up first?
An automated abandoned cart email is usually the highest-leverage place to start, since it recovers sales from shoppers who already showed real purchase intent.
How often should I email my list?
There is no fixed rule, but frequency should match relevance. A weekly or biweekly cadence with genuinely useful content usually performs better than daily promotional emails.
Do I need special software to run email automation?
Most ecommerce platforms integrate with dedicated email marketing tools that handle automated sequences like welcome and abandoned cart emails without manual sending.