Discover 10 essential email flows that every ecommerce store needs to increase conversions, keep customers engaged, and ensure repeat purchases. Whether you're just starting or refining your strategy, these flows will help you deliver the right message at the right time to your customers.
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Omar Juman
Email marketing remains one of the most powerful tools in an ecommerce brand’s arsenal. But to truly harness its potential, it’s not enough to just send a one-off promotional email now and then. To build lasting relationships, increase customer loyalty, and maximize revenue, your brand needs a series of well-crafted email flows that guide your customers through every stage of their journey.
In this article, we’ll dive into the 10 essential email flows that every ecommerce store needs to boost conversions, keep customers engaged, and ensure repeat business. Whether you're just starting or refining your strategy, these flows will help you deliver the right message at the right time to your customers.
A sequence of emails sent to new subscribers or customers when they join your email list for the first time.
Why You Need to Have It:
This is your brand’s first impression, where you set expectations and introduce your values, products, and offers.
Without a welcome series, you lose the opportunity to engage customers right at the point when they are most interested, resulting in lower open and conversion rates.
Goal of This Flow:
To make a strong first impression, increase brand awareness, and encourage that crucial first purchase.
Messaging to Include:
Best Practice:
Triggered when a customer adds items to their cart but doesn’t complete the purchase.
Why You Need to Have It:
Customers often abandon carts for various reasons, but a well-timed reminder can nudge them to finish their purchase.
You’re leaving money on the table by not following up with customers who have already shown purchase intent.
Goal of This Flow:
To recover lost revenue and remind customers about the products they were interested in.
Messaging to Include:
Best Practice:
Sent after a customer completes a purchase to thank them, confirm their order, and set expectations for delivery.
Why You Need to Have It:
It helps solidify the relationship with the customer, reinforces brand loyalty, and creates an opportunity to introduce them to other products.
Without this flow, you miss the chance to build rapport with customers right after they’ve bought from you, which could impact repeat purchase rates.
Goal of This Flow:
To express gratitude, provide important order details, and encourage a long-term relationship.
Messaging to Include:
Best Practice:
Triggered when a customer browses products but doesn’t add anything to their cart or make a purchase.
Why You Need to Have It:
This flow re-engages customers who have shown interest but may need more persuasion to make a purchase.
Without it, you’re missing out on nudging potential customers who are already interested but haven’t yet converted.
Goal of This Flow:
To remind browsers of the products they were viewing and encourage them to take action.
Messaging to Include:
Best Practice:
Sent to encourage customers to purchase complementary or higher-value items based on previous purchases.
Why You Need to Have It:
It maximises the lifetime value of each customer by encouraging additional purchases.
You’re missing out on opportunities to increase average order value and create additional revenue from existing customers.
Goal of This Flow:
To introduce customers to complementary or upgraded products to enhance their shopping experience.
Messaging to Include:
Best Practice:
Targeted at customers who haven’t made a purchase or engaged with your brand for a set period of time.
Why You Need to Have It:
Re-engagement emails help you win back lapsed customers and remind them of the value your brand offers.
Without this flow, you lose the opportunity to re-engage potentially high-value customers who may have simply forgotten about your brand.
Goal of This Flow:
To re-engage inactive customers and encourage them to make a repeat purchase.
Messaging to Include:
Best Practice:
Automated emails sent on a customer’s birthday or the anniversary of their first purchase.
Why You Need to Have It:
This personal touch shows appreciation and encourages loyalty through exclusive offers tied to special occasions.
You miss the chance to connect with customers in a personal, meaningful way and create positive associations with your brand.
Goal of This Flow:
To celebrate the customer’s milestone and encourage a purchase with an exclusive, time-sensitive offer.
Messaging to Include:
Best Practice:
An email series designed specifically for your most loyal customers, offering them exclusive benefits, rewards, or early access to new products.
Why You Need to Have It:
Your VIP customers are your most valuable, and nurturing this group can significantly increase their lifetime value. Offering them exclusive perks strengthens loyalty and encourages repeat purchases.
Without this flow, you may lose the opportunity to make your VIP customers feel special, leading them to switch to competitors.
Goal of This Flow:
To reward loyal customers, increase retention, and boost repeat purchases through exclusive offers and rewards.
Messaging to Include:
Best Practice:
An automated email flow that requests feedback or product reviews after a purchase is completed and the customer has had time to use the product.
Why You Need to Have It:
Gathering reviews and feedback is crucial for social proof and improving your products and services. Positive reviews can help drive conversions, while constructive feedback allows you to address issues.
Without this flow, you miss the opportunity to leverage customer testimonials to boost conversions, and you might not gather valuable insights to improve your product offerings.
Goal of This Flow:
To collect product reviews and feedback that can be used to improve your business and provide social proof for future customers.
Messaging to Include:
Best Practice:
Triggered when an out-of-stock item a customer showed interest in becomes available again.
Why You Need to Have It:
This flow re-engages customers who wanted an item that was previously out of stock, providing an excellent opportunity to recover potential sales.
You lose the chance to inform customers who were interested in a product that it’s available again, potentially resulting in lost sales.
Goal of This Flow:
To notify customers about the availability of previously out-of-stock products and encourage them to complete their purchase.
Messaging to Include:
Best Practice:
Mastering email automation is essential for growing your ecommerce business.
These 10 email flows — from the Welcome Flow to the Back-in-Stock Flow — help you engage customers at every stage of their journey.
By building relationships, nurturing leads, driving repeat purchases, and leveraging feedback, you ensure that every interaction adds value to your brand and keeps customers coming back.
From boosting customer retention to increasing conversion rates, these flows are designed to help you unlock your store’s full potential.
Don’t miss out on the benefits of having a well-structured email strategy — it’s a powerful tool for long-term growth.
If you want to implement these email flows or need help growing your ecommerce business, we’re here to help.
Book a free Ecom Growth Call with us today, and let’s unlock your brand’s potential!
Thanks for reading!
Omar Juman
Co-founder @ Blue Drop Studio
Ready to take your ecommerce business to the next level?
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from Blue Drop Studio. See privacy policy and terms of use for details.
Ready to take your ecommerce business to the next level?
As a member of the Ecom Growth Collective Newsletter (it's free), you’ll get actionable strategies, expert insights, and industry updates straight to your inbox. Whether you're looking to boost sales, get started, or stay ahead of industry trends, we’ve got you covered.
By signing up via email, you express consent to receive marketing communications from Blue Drop Studio. See privacy policy and terms of use for details.
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