5 Essential Follow-Up Emails Every Shopify Store Owner Needs

Apart from its newcomer-friendly interface and customizable store features, what really sets Shopify apart from other e-commerce marketplaces and platforms is that it lets you streamline the relationship-building process with your dear customers. With Shopify Email, you can craft, automate, and manage branded emails that can not only bring you closer to your shoppers but also help in converting your leads to sales. And in this blog article, we’ll discuss how exactly you can make the most out of this feature with these 5 kinds of follow-up emails. 

If you’re a print-on-demand business owner, selling on Shopify is definitely one of the most cost-efficient and effective ways to make your brand known. With 700 million projected shoppers for 2023, having your own Shopify website and setting your business’ footing in the platform may just be the key to your next big milestones.

Let’s get started!

Follow-Up Email #1: Welcome Email

The moment your target shopper provides you with their email address and hits the button “Join Now” or “Submit,” they give you their complete trust and access to their inbox. And if you’re one of those who receive dozens of spam emails and random promotions daily, you know how big of a deal this is. This is why it’s your responsibility to ensure your newsletter subscribers that providing your business with their info is worth their while. You can start this by sending them a welcome email and making them feel appreciated for connecting with you and supporting your brand.

Here are some things you can include in your welcome email:

A Quick Brand Intro and Store Tour

What’s your brand all about? Have you got any exciting stories to share? How does your brand resonate with your shoppers?

Having a newsletter for your print-on-demand business isn’t just about boosting sales; it’s also about strengthening your relationships with your customers through constant updates. Thus, you can treat your welcome email as your business introduction or the getting-to-know phase. You can simply put your store’s one-liner at the center of your template or provide a brief background of your business’s humble beginnings and milestones. 

This is also your opportunity to introduce your products and highlight how they are aligned with your brand’s vision and values. For instance, if you sell statement tshirts intending to promote inclusivity, you can include an image of models of different genders, ethnicities, and body types wearing your tees. 

To maximize the visuals, you can add embedded clickable links that would direct the readers to your store’s landing pages. 

A Thank You Message

Just like Kate Spade’s welcome email above, you can also start your subscribers’ newsletter journey by sending them a simple thank you message. Providing you with their email address means that your customers want to stay updated on the new offerings, promos, and other initiatives of your brand. Thus, you can take this as an opportunity to celebrate them being part of your mailing list and thank them for their subscription.

Exclusive Offers and Discounts

A ‘thank you’ can become even sweeter when sent with special deals and discounts. Your subscribers want to feel that being part of your mailing list means they’re unique to you and your brand. And there’s no better way to show that than providing them exclusive offers, coupons, and vouchers they can use for a limited time. This can not only put a smile on your customers’ faces but can also boost your sales and average order value (AOV).

Follow-Up Email #2: Abandoned Cart Email

Perhaps they just forgot about the last digits of their credit card number, or they’re waiting for a specific date to finally hit the checkout button–whatever the reason is, abandoned carts can be such a bummer. They’re like a missed opportunity, an ‘almost’ that didn’t cut. And the thing is, they’re pretty standard in the world of e-commerce. The shopping cart abandonment rate across all niches and industries amounts to an average of 69.57%. But, the good news is it’s never too late to rescue your abandoned carts and turn them into sales. That’s with the help of a creative and entertaining email template!

Here are some things you can put in your abandoned cart email:

A Catchy Subject and Headline

“How Can We Help?🤗”

“Uh-oh…seems like you forgot to hit the checkout button😨”

“Check out now before they do….”

Rescuing an abandoned cart is like selling your products all over again. You have to be as creative as you can to make your shoppers rediscover the flair they’ve once seen in your products before they left the checkout page. Start by using catchy subject lines that would make them open your email without a second thought. You can also be creative with your visuals and headline, just like Myer Fit’s abandoned cart email above.

A Reminder of the Items Left in Your Customer’s Cart

With the thousands of products, they see on the internet, chances are your shoppers have already forgotten which specific items they’ve left in their carts. Hence, when you send your abandoned cart emails, enumerate the products they failed to check out, and don’t forget to indicate the prices! This should help them decide right then if they should finally complete their purchase.

An Incentive or Promotion To Complete the Purchase

Sweeten the deal! Aside from reminding your customers about their abandoned carts, you can also offer some discounts or incentives, such as a free item or free shipping if they complete their purchase within a specified period. This builds a sense of urgency while enticing them to buy the products finally. You can also indicate how many stocks are left for the item to convince them further that there is no better time to hit the checkout button than NOW.

A Direct Link to the Cart

Of course, all these efforts are useless if you won’t provide a direct link to your shoppers’ abandoned carts. They wouldn’t want to manually google your store’s website and look for their carts, would they? Make the process easier for them so the moment they decide and say “Ha, I’m buying this now!”, they’ll be on the checkout page in less than a second.

Follow-Up Email #3: Order Confirmation Email

Most customers get excited to receive their order even when they’ve just clicked the checkout button. After all, it’s their hard-earned money they’re spending on your product. To feed this excitement and ensure your dear shoppers that their purchase has been successful, sending an order confirmation email is a must! 

Here are the important details your confirmation email should have:

Confirmation of Your Customer’s Order Details 

Your customers would want to know if they could check out the right items and variations with the right quantities. This is why it would be helpful to provide them with a summary of their purchase and send it straight to their inbox the moment you receive their order.

The Tracking Number and Estimated Delivery Date

It’s your customer’s right to know when they should expect their parcels to arrive at their doorsteps. They should also be able to monitor the progress of the item’s transit and delivery process, especially if their order will be shipped from miles away. To give them peace of mind and a sense of assurance that their packages are taken good care of, you should include the tracking number and estimated delivery date of their orders.

Other Customer Service Resources

Let your shoppers know how and who to reach out to if they encounter any problems with their orders! Whether receiving the wrong or a broken item, getting damaged packaging, or any other possible mishaps, direct them to the proper channels and make sure your customer service resources’ information is included in your order confirmation email.

Product Recommendations

You can keep your customer’s shopping momentum going by also providing product recommendations. These could be items similar to what they’ve just checked out or those that are bought by customers who purchased the exact products they did. This could help them plan their future purchases in your store and keep them excited about your offerings.

Follow-Up Email #4: Review Request Email

Customer feedback and recommendations are valuable insights for every business owner. You can further maximize Shopify Email by using it to request reviews and remind your shoppers to share their experience with their purchase.

Here are some things you can include in your review request email:

“Let Us Know What You Think”

The gist of a review request email is asking your shoppers about their thoughts on your product and their overall experience. Ask for their qualitative and quantitative inputs by providing them a space to share their insights and a scoring or rating system they can use to summarize their review. 

A Direct Link to the Product Page or Review Platform

If you collect reviews through the product pages or a different platform, provide the links and highlight them in your email. You can create a CTA button that would direct the reader to the page or review the website.

Your Appreciation for their Support

Of course, don’t forget to thank your shoppers for their purchases and feedback! Your simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way in making your dear customers feel appreciated for supporting your brand. You can even throw in a limited-time offer discount voucher which they can redeem once they’ve completed their product review.

Follow-Up Email #5: Re-engagement Email

Ghosting doesn’t just exist in the dating world–it happens to online brands too! Some customers, no matter how interested they were in your brand at first, lose the enthusiasm to engage with your store and content over time due to different reasons. Whether it’s because of their busy schedules or some competitor brands they’ve found, it’s never too late to win them back! 

A re-engagement email is like your brand’s way of saying “hey we’re still here and we’d like to keep our connection with you.” It’s a great way to remind inactive shoppers about your brand and keep your relationship alive.

Here are some things you should have in your re-engagement email:

A “We Miss You” Message

Let your customers know that they matter to you and your brand. Including a “we miss you” message in your re-engagement email is a surefire way to appeal to their emotions and remind them of the connection they’ve once had with your brand. You can phrase it differently, such as, “Hey, it’s been a while…” or “It’s never the same without you…”. You can be as creative and personal as you want, but ensure that your brand’s personality is still aligned with your tone and message.

Special Discounts To Win Them Back

If you want to win your inactive customers back and convince them to check out your store, offer some incentives they won’t be able to resist! You can provide them with exclusive discounts, free shipping vouchers, or access to your upcoming collections. The key is to make them extra special and give them a reason or two to shop again in your store.

Updates on New Products and Promotions

“Here’s what you’ve missed while you were gone…”

Just like talking to a friend you haven’t seen, update your inactive customers on the things they’ve missed while they weren’t visiting your store. Similar to the special discounts, this could make them feel valued and entice them to browse your website to learn more about your new offerings and promotions. 

Follow Up Now and Grow Your Shopify Store!

One of the keys to successful growth for any business is having a loyal customer base. With the help of Shopify Email and the tips we’ve discussed above, you can maintain and strengthen your brand’s relationship with both your current and future shoppers. Remember to keep testing your templates and strategies and know when to make the necessary changes. With a solid plan and genuine care for your customers, you’ll grow your store while making more fruitful connections!

For more e-commerce and print-on-demand tips and tricks, check out our blog!