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Welcome Emails: A Best Practices Guide for Ecommerce Retailers

Written by Mark Konigsmark | Apr 16, 2021 5:10:12 PM

When it comes to email marketing best practices, welcome emails are a must-have. One of the best ways is to set up a well-designed welcome email. Welcome emails are a way to get subscribers to remember you by engaging with them immediately after they sign up. Moreover, they build a strong foundation for a long-term customer relationship.

When used effectively, a welcome email sent right after a sign-up using email automation will immediately set the tone and induce loyalty with your interested email subscribers.

Unfortunately, welcome emails are often an afterthought by businesses seeking to set up an email list. When you do not send a welcome email, it immediately creates a letdown for the audience. 

If you run an eCommerce store, this is especially important. Further, eCommerce stores need to take advantage of every interaction opportunity available to them with their potential customers. The more information and value you can provide in your emails, the bigger the chance of closing a sale.

What marketers and salespeople need to realize is the value of every single email list addition. When someone subscribes to your list, they are telling you they are, at some level, interested in your product or service.

If someone tells you they are interested in your product or service, respond with an acknowledgment and send them a welcome email.

 

Why Do You Need a Welcome Email?

Take a look at these welcome email quick facts:

What Are Welcome Emails?

After prospects subscribe to your website or email list to receive more information about your solution, the welcome email gives the customer the first impression of your organization. 

Typically, a welcome message will contain a “thank you for subscribing” or a similar statement with instructions on how to contact and interact with your company conveniently. It may also include an offer such as a “15% off your first order” promotion. 

Begin with a friendly tone to highlight your value and share a bit more about your business. Continue reading to learn more about increasing welcome email effectiveness.

The Basics of Welcome Emails

The first thing to do is to analyze the Five W’s (and an H!). 

  • Who is the customer? 
  • What do they need? 
  • Where can they go for more information? 
  • When can they expect more information? 
  • Why are they contacting you? 
  • Lastly, How can you help them?

Your welcome email should be clear, concise, and informative. You can see examples of welcome emails in our lookbooks here.

A method for continually optimizing your welcome emails is with multivariate testing. The more testing and improvements you make, the more you can drive conversions. Remember, the objective of the welcome email is to initiate the onboarding and sales process.

Optimize Welcome Emails With Automation

All-in-one marketing platforms such as Springbot typically come with a welcome email automation ready to go. With this automation, you don’t have to do any work after you design your message. From populating the appropriate email list to deploying the welcome message, automations save marketers and business owners a lot of valuable time and energy that they can focus elsewhere.

Final Tips

  • Many new subscribers are not yet customers. A welcome email does not assume there is already a sale and should provide helpful information at first to build trust.
  • Optimize your emails for short attention spans. Write a concise message, and fill the email with subheadings and bullet points for quick reading.
  • Maintain a friendly tone in your communication that is engaging and not pushy.
  • Always include a call to action (CTA).
  • Use email automation to streamline the process and create an interactive customer journey. With an automated process, you can gauge potential issues and take data-driven steps to improve them.

If you don’t have a welcome email written yet, create one right away. Welcome emails can deliver a positive first impression and also drive revenue. Moreover, automation can be your best friend in eCommerce. With Springbot, you will find a curated suite of marketing automation solutions customized for your needs. 

If you’re interested in learning how we can help you with your welcome email automations, click here and drop us an email!