Email Marketing for Ecommerce: The Flows That Generate 20-30% of Revenue

Email should generate 20-30% of your total ecommerce revenue. If it's not, you're leaving money on the table every single day.

The good news is that email marketing is one of the highest-ROI channels available. The even better news is that most of the work is automated. Set up the right flows once, and they keep working for you.

The 5 Essential Email Flows

These are the flows every Shopify store needs. In order of priority:

1. Welcome Series (5-7 emails)

This is your highest-performing flow. New subscribers are most engaged right after they sign up. Your welcome series should introduce your brand, share your story, highlight best sellers, and include a first-purchase incentive.

Space these emails over 7-10 days. Don't send them all at once.

2. Abandoned Cart (3-4 emails)

About 70% of carts get abandoned. This flow recovers a chunk of that lost revenue. Send the first email within 1 hour. Follow up at 24 hours and 72 hours. Include the product image, a reminder of what they left behind, and make checkout easy.

3. Browse Abandonment (2-3 emails)

Someone looked at a product but didn't add to cart. They're interested but not convinced. This flow nudges them back with social proof, reviews, or additional product information.

4. Post-Purchase (3-5 emails)

The sale isn't the end. It's the beginning of the customer relationship. Thank them for their order, provide shipping updates, share care instructions or usage tips, and ask for a review. Then cross-sell related products.

5. Win-Back (3-4 emails)

Customers who haven't purchased in 60-90 days need a reason to come back. Offer an incentive, show them what's new, or remind them why they bought in the first place.

Campaign Strategy

Flows run automatically. Campaigns are one-time sends you schedule. Plan for 4-6 campaigns per month minimum.

Types of campaigns that work:

New product launches
Sales and promotions
Educational content
Behind-the-scenes stories
Customer spotlights

Segment your list. Don't send the same email to everyone. At minimum, segment by purchase history, engagement level, and where they signed up.

Platform Choice

For Shopify stores, Klaviyo is the standard. The integration is seamless, the segmentation is powerful, and the analytics show you exactly how much revenue each email generates.

ActiveCampaign works well for non-Shopify businesses. GoHighLevel is good if you need CRM and email in one platform.

Metrics That Matter

Track these numbers:

Revenue attributed to email (target 20-30% of total)
Flow revenue vs campaign revenue
Open rates by flow and campaign
Click rates
Revenue per recipient

Don't obsess over open rates alone. Revenue is what matters.

Getting Started

If you're starting from scratch, set up your flows first. They'll generate revenue on autopilot while you work on your campaign calendar. Start with welcome and abandoned cart, then add the others over time.

Email is the channel you own. Unlike paid ads, you're not renting access to your audience. Build your list, nurture it well, and it becomes one of your most valuable business assets.

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