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8 Email Automation Ideas for eCommerce Success

7 Apr
2023
8 Email Automation Ideas for eCommerce Success

You've probably heard it said that the money is in the list. And while that may be true, what's even more important is how you use that list to generate revenue. One of the most effective ways to do this is through eCommerce email automation. With the right strategies in place, you can unlock success for your eCommerce business with little effort on your part.

In this article, we'll discuss 8 eCommerce email automation strategies that you can use to increase sales and improve customer loyalty. If you're wondering how email automation works, you're in the right place. Let's get started!

Why use Email Automation for eCommerce? 

Email automation is one of the most effective ways to nurture leads and convert them into new customers. They should be a major component of your overall eCommerce marketing plan. By sending automated emails that are relevant to your prospects' interests, you can stay top-of-mind and build trust with your audience. These emails are unlike transactional emails in that they should feel personal and unique to each recipient.

Not only that, but email automation software can also help your eCommerce business with:

  • Increased efficiency: Email automation streamlines the process of sending emails, saving time and reducing the risk of human error.
  • Improved targeting: Automated emails can be targeted to specific groups of customers based on their behavior and preferences, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.
  • Personalization: Automated emails can be personalized with the recipient's name, previous purchases, and other information to create a more individualized experience.
  • Better customer experience: Automated emails can help create a more seamless and enjoyable shopping experience for customers, leading to increased loyalty and repeat business.
  • Increased sales: By sending targeted, timely, and relevant emails, eCommerce businesses can increase sales and drive more revenue.
  • Cost-effective: Email automation is often more cost effective than traditional marketing methods, such as direct mail or print advertising.
  • Increased customer engagement: Automated emails can help eCommerce businesses stay top-of-mind with customers and keep them engaged with the brand.
  • Data and analytics: Email automation provides valuable data and insights into customer behavior, allowing eCommerce businesses to make informed decisions and continuously improve their email marketing strategy.

8 eCommerce Email Automation Ideas for Business

Now that you understand the benefits of email automation for your eCommerce business let's take a look at 8 must-try strategies for automated email workflows for eCommerce:

1. Post-purchase sequence

Sendlane post-purchase automation sequence

How to set it up: 

After a customer makes an online purchase, set up a series of automated emails that are sent in the days and weeks following their purchase. These emails should thank them for their purchase, provide product education, offer additional products they may like based on user behavior and their previous purchases, and ask for product reviews.

Email 1:

This email should be sent 1 day after the purchase and should thank the customer for their order. It should also include a link to track their order, as well as any other relevant information about their purchase.

Email 2:

This email should be sent 2–3 days after the first email and can include product education or tips on how to use your product.

Email 3:

This email should be sent 1–2 weeks after the first email and can include promotional offers, upsells, or cross-sells based on previous customer purchases.

What it's for:

The post-purchase sequence is a great way to keep customers engaged with your brand and encourage them to make additional purchases. Plus, it encourages customers to share their experiences with others, which can help you generate more sales.

2. Post-purchase feedback request

Sendlane post-purchase automations sequence

How to set it up: 

Set up an automated email that triggers at least 7-14 days after the purchase, with a call-to-action to leave a review or provide feedback. Set up a conditional split if the customer has filled out the request. Add another request to the sequence for those who did not fill out the first time.

Email 1:

This email should be sent 7-14 days after the purchase and should express thanks for their order, with an image of what they purchased. It should also include an ask to leave a review or provide feedback on their purchase.

Email 2:

This email should be sent after they leave a review or feedback, thanking them for their time. 

What it's for:

This email automation is essential in gathering feedback from customers that can be used to improve and refine your products or services. It also helps build customer loyalty and engagement with your brand, as well as increase customer retention.

3. Abandoned cart sequence

Sendlane abandoned cart automation sequence

How to set it up: 

Customers abandon their cart for all types of reasons. Set up an automated sequence of emails that triggers within 3 hours after when a customer adds items to their cart but does not complete the purchase to help convert some of those potentially lost sales. 

Email 1:

This email should be sent within 3 hours after items are added to the cart and contain a reminder of the products they’ve left behind, as well as an incentive for completing their purchase.

Email 2:

This email should be sent 1–2 days after the first email and can include additional product information or customer reviews. It should also contain an incentive for completing their purchase.

What it's for:

This email automation is essential in reducing cart abandonment and encouraging customers to complete their purchases. It is also a great way to stay top-of-mind with customers and increase engagement with your brand.

4. Cross-sell sequence

Sendlane cross-sell automation sequence

How to set it up: 

Set up an automated email that triggers a send to customers who purchase certain products, with recommendations that complement their purchase history or product categories.

Email 1:

This email should be sent 14-21 days after their first purchase. This will give them time to use the product and determine their needs. It should include at least one product recommendation that applies to the product they’ve already purchased. For example, if they purchased a face wash, the email can include recommendations for moisturizers. 

Email 2:

This email can be sent as a follow up the following month or whenever there is a new product that complement’s what they initially purchased. It can be similar to email 1.

What it's for:

Cross-sell sequences are a great way to increase customer engagement, grow average order value, and generate more sales. They are also helpful in introducing customers to new products they may not have considered or known about before.

5. Winback sequence

Sendlane winback automation sequence

How to set it up: 

Set up an automated email sequence that triggers when a customer has not made a purchase in the past 90 days. These are known as re engagement emails or reactivating emails.

Email 1:

This email should be sent to existing customers who have not made a purchase or engaged with your brand in the past 90 days. It should include relevant content such as product recommendations, promotions and discounts, educational resources, and product reviews.

Email 2:

This email should be sent 1–2 weeks after the first email and can include a more personal message from the brand, such as a video or blog post that speaks to the customer’s interests. It should also contain an incentive to encourage them to make their next purchase.

What it's for:

These email campaigns can help you reach out to customers who have not engaged with your brand in a while and encourage them to make their next purchase. It can also be used to increase customer loyalty, build relationships and reactivate inactive customers.

6. Customer loyalty program

How to set it up: 

Set up a loyalty program that rewards loyal customers for their purchases and engagement with your brand. This can be done through points, discounts or other incentives. It can trigger when repeat customers reach a certain number of purchases or have been a customer for a certain amount of time, with details on the loyalty program and how to join.

What it's for:

A loyalty program is key to building customer relationships, encouraging repeat purchases for your online store and increasing customer lifetime value. It also helps to build an ongoing relationship with customers who are already loyal to your brand.

7. Welcome nurture sequence

Sendlane welcome email automation sequence

How to set it up: 

Set up an automated welcome sequence that triggers when customers sign up for your email list or make their first purchase.

Email 1: Welcome

This email is used to introduce new customers to your brand, provide an overview of the products and services you offer, let customers know what they can expect from future emails, and thank them for signing up.

How to do it: Set up an automated email that triggers when a customer subscribes to the email list, with a warm welcome message, a brief introduction to the brand, and a call-to-action to explore the website or make a purchase.

Email 2: Customer Education

This is used to provide helpful information about your products and services, as well as educate potential customers on how to use them. It should include detailed product information, customer reviews, tips, and other helpful resources that customers can use when making their purchase decisions.

How to do it: 

Set up an automated email that triggers a few days after the welcome email, with educational content such as product guides, how-to articles, or customer testimonials.

Email 3: Best Sellers

This email is used to keep new subscribers updated on the latest products and arrivals.

How to do it: 

Set up an automated email that triggers regularly (e.g., weekly or monthly), with a showcase of the latest products and arrivals and a call-to-action to explore the new arrivals section of the website.

Email 4: Customer Discount

Use this type of email to offer a discount or free gift to new customers as a thank you for signing up.

How to do it: 

Set up an automated email that triggers a few days after the welcome email, with a unique discount code and a call-to-action to make a purchase.

8. Product recommendation

Sendlane product recommendation sequence

How to set it up: 

Set up an automated email that triggers when customers make a purchase or engage with certain products, recommending similar or related items they may be interested in. It should include product recommendations based on the customer’s interests and past purchases.

What it's for: 

Product recommendation emails are great for increasing sales, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty by not only helping customers find the items they need, but also introducing them to new products and services. This type of email automation can also be used to increase customer engagement by providing customers with tailored product recommendations based on their interests.

The Best Email Automation Tools for eCommerce Stores

Here is a list of the best email marketing automation tools for eCommerce stores:

Sendlane

Sendlane is an all-in-one eCommerce marketing automation solution that provides automated email & SMS, pop-ups, and reviews (coming soon). It also has features like multi-variate testing, dynamic content, and contextual data for email and SMS to make sure your emails are tailored to each customer’s individual needs. Sendlane helps elevate your email marketing campaigns to reach your customer where they are. With a focus on personalization, using Sendlane can help enhance your email efforts and improve your email deliverability.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a popular email marketing platform with automation features like automated emails, segmentation, and reporting. It also allows you to track customer engagement and analyze trends in your customer base.

Klaviyo

Klaviyo is an eCommerce-focused email automation tool that provides features like dynamic content, A/B testing, and automated sequences. It also integrates with major eCommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Bigcommerce, and Magento.

Drip

Drip is an email marketing automation tool designed to help eCommerce stores create automated campaigns that drive conversions. It has features such as personalized emails, split tests, and segmentation to help you target the right customers with the right messages at the right time.

How to Set Up Email Automation for an eCommerce Store?

Email automation is an important part of any eCommerce store’s strategy. It helps you to stay in touch with your customers, build relationships, and increase sales. Through email eCommerce email automation, you can send relevant, personalized messages that are tailored to each individual customer’s needs and interests.

Here is a guide on how to set up email automation for your eCommerce store:

Step 1. Understanding your customers

The first step in setting up email automation is to understand your customers. This involves collecting data on who they are, what they like, and what kind of emails they would respond best to. With this information, you can segment your email list, identify customer preferences and behavior, and create buyer personas.

Step 2. Setting up email automation

Once you have a good understanding of your customer base, it's time to set up email automation. This involves choosing email marketing tools for WooCommerce, Shopify, BigCommerce, or other major eCommerce platforms. Once you've chosen your platform, you'll need to plan out your sequences and what will trigger them. Sendlane offers 50+ email and SMS pre-built funnels to make your strategy as effective as possible while also saving you time and effort.

Step 3. Designing your emails

Once you've set up your email automation, it's time to start designing your emails. This involves choosing templates and creating content that resonates with your customers. Sendlane has a template center with hundreds of ideas so you can spend your time building sequences that work. 

When designing your emails, pay attention to the design of each email, as well as the subject line, headline, images, and copy. Make sure all of your emails are on-brand and feel personal. Use the customer's first name whenever possible to make it more personal. And be sure to add a call-to-action in each email to encourage the customer to take the desired action.

Step 4. Testing and optimizing your emails

Once your emails are designed, it's time to test them and make sure they perform as expected. This involves testing anything from subject lines to copy, images, content links, and more. Sendlane also offers multi-variate testing and reporting features to help you optimize your emails for better performance. 

Testing your email designs and the content will help you determine what works best for your customers so you can get the most out of your email campaigns. Be sure to measure and analyze the results of your emails to further optimize and improve them.

Elevate Your eCommerce Email Automation Strategy

Email marketing automation can help you improve customer engagement with new and existing customers, increase sales, and strengthen the relationship between your business and customers. With the right strategies and tools in place, email automation can boost your eCommerce store's success by building trust with customers and increasing customer loyalty.

Setting up a successful email and ecommerce marketing automation strategy takes time — but it’s worth it in the end. Start by understanding your customers, setting up your flows, designing emails, and testing and optimizing them for maximum results. Learn more about the best practices for your eCommerce marketing automation strategy here.

With Sendlane, you can get started today and take advantage of our easy-to-use features to build an effective email marketing automation strategy that works for your eCommerce store.

Reach out to our team to learn more or request a free demo today!

Interested in learning more about eCommerce? Check out our similar posts:

15 Best eCommerce Email Examples to Grow your Business

How to Create Personalized Emails for eCommerce

Upsell Emails Best Practices for eCommerce in 2023

8 Marketing Automation Software for your Business

5 Must-Try Marketing Automation Tools for eCommerce in 2023

eCommerce Email Automation FAQs:

What is the difference between email automation and email marketing?
How does using email automation increase my sales?

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