Grow your ecommerce store · Email marketing · 2 min read
Best Ecommerce Email Marketing for Shopify Stores
Short answer
The best email marketing for Shopify stores combines steady list growth (pop-ups and checkout opt-in), automated flows triggered by Shopify data (welcome, abandoned checkout, browse abandonment, post-purchase, win-back), segmented campaigns, solid deliverability and measurement by revenue per recipient.
Email is usually one of the most profitable channels for Shopify stores, because you are talking to people who already showed interest, and sending costs very little. Here is a complete approach.
1. Grow the list
- Pop-up or flyout with a clear incentive. See the best email pop-ups for Shopify.
- Checkout opt-in so buyers can subscribe.
- Footer sign-up form.
- Quizzes and giveaways for engaged audiences, with clear consent.
2. Build the core flows
| Flow | Trigger | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | New subscriber | Deliver offer, introduce brand |
| Abandoned checkout | Checkout started, not completed | Recover sale |
| Browse abandonment | Viewed product, no cart | Nudge back |
| Post-purchase | Order placed | Educate, reduce returns, ask for review |
| Win-back | No purchase for a set period | Reactivate |
See email automation for ecommerce.
3. Segment campaigns
- Engaged in last 30/60/90 days.
- Purchasers vs non-purchasers.
- By product category bought.
- VIPs by spend.
4. Plan a campaign calendar
Mix promotional and non-promotional emails: new arrivals, guides, stories, customer features, restocks and sales. Plan around your key dates (launches, holidays, seasonal moments).
5. Protect deliverability
- Authenticate your domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- Make unsubscribing easy.
- Stop emailing long-inactive subscribers or move them to a sunset flow.
6. Measure properly
Track revenue per recipient, conversion rate and unsubscribe rate. Opens are inflated by privacy features, so use clicks and orders.
Shopify data worth using in emails
Because your email platform syncs with Shopify, you can personalise far beyond a first name:
- Products viewed and carted: power browse and cart abandonment.
- Order history: recommend complementary items and time replenishment.
- Collections purchased: segment by category interest (for example, coffee vs equipment).
- Location: shipping cut-off reminders by region, local events, weather-appropriate products.
- Customer tags: wholesale, VIP or subscriber tags from Shopify can drive different messages.
- Discount usage: avoid sending coupons to people who only buy on sale, or reward full-price buyers differently.
A simple segmentation starter set
| Segment | Use |
|---|---|
| Subscribers who never purchased | Welcome series, best-seller education, first-order nudges |
| One-time buyers | Post-purchase education, second-order incentives |
| Repeat buyers (2+ orders) | Early access, new arrivals, loyalty perks |
| High spenders | VIP treatment, personal notes |
| Lapsed customers | Win-back flow |
Mistakes Shopify stores often make
- Running both Shopify's abandoned checkout email and an email platform's flow, so customers get duplicate reminders.
- Forgetting to add the checkout marketing opt-in.
- Sending the same newsletter to wholesale accounts and retail shoppers.
- Never cleaning the list, so inactive subscribers drag down deliverability.
- Building flows once and never checking them, so they keep promoting discontinued products.
Fixing these is usually quick and often lifts results more than adding new tactics.
Choosing a platform
Read the best email marketing app for Shopify, Klaviyo alternatives and the ultimate guide to email marketing for Shopify.
Frequently asked questions
Which email platform is best for Shopify?
Shopify Messaging suits new stores; Klaviyo is the most popular for growing stores; Omnisend and Mailchimp are other common choices.
How big should my list be before emailing?
Start from the first subscriber. Welcome and abandoned checkout flows work at any list size.
How do I collect emails at Shopify checkout?
In Shopify settings you can show a marketing opt-in checkbox at checkout so customers can subscribe while ordering.
Sources and further reading
Platform features, prices and policies change. Check the official help pages linked above before you act on a detail that matters to your store.