Storefront Notes

Grow your ecommerce store · Email marketing · 2 min read

Email Marketing for Shopify: 4 Simple Tips

By the Storefront Notes Editorial Team · Updated

Short answer

Four tips cover most of the value for a Shopify store: capture emails with a pop-up and checkout opt-in, turn on the core automations (welcome, abandoned checkout, post-purchase), send one consistent, useful campaign each week or fortnight, and send most campaigns to people who engaged recently.

Email marketing can feel like a huge topic, with flows, segments, A/B tests, SMS and attribution models. But a small Shopify store gets most of the benefit from four simple habits. Do these well before worrying about anything advanced.

Tip 1: capture emails everywhere it makes sense

Most visitors leave without buying, and you will never see them again unless you have a way to reach them.

  • Pop-up or flyout with a specific benefit: "10% off your first order", "Early access to restocks", "Free care guide". Show it after a few seconds or some scrolling, not instantly.
  • Checkout opt-in: in your Shopify checkout settings you can show a checkbox so customers can subscribe while ordering. Customers who buy are your most valuable subscribers.
  • Footer form for people who scroll to the bottom looking for it.

Compare tools in 5 best email pop-ups for Shopify. Shopify Forms is free and sends subscribers straight into your customer list.

Tip 2: turn on three automations

Automations send themselves, so they keep earning without weekly effort.

  1. Welcome email or series: deliver the offer straight away, introduce your brand and best-sellers.
  2. Abandoned checkout: remind people who started checkout. Shopify includes this automation; make sure it is enabled and the copy sounds like you.
  3. Post-purchase: thank customers, explain how to use the product, and ask for a review a week or two after delivery.

In Shopify admin, look under Marketing > Automations for templates. If you use Klaviyo or another platform, set them up there instead so you do not send duplicates. More detail in email automation for ecommerce.

Tip 3: send one useful email on a schedule

Consistency matters more than volume. Pick a rhythm you can keep, weekly or every two weeks, and stick to it.

Ideas that are not discounts:

  • New arrivals and restocks.
  • How-to content: recipes, styling tips, care guides.
  • Behind the scenes: how a product is made, packing day, a supplier visit.
  • Customer photos and reviews (with permission).
  • Comparisons: "Which of our three backpacks is right for you?"

Then mix in occasional promotions for real reasons: a seasonal sale, a launch, a holiday. Subscribers who get value in most emails are happier to hear about a sale in some.

Tip 4: send to engaged people first

As your list grows, not everyone stays interested. Create a segment of subscribers who opened or clicked recently, or bought recently, and send most campaigns there. Send to the rest less often.

This reduces unsubscribes and spam complaints and helps your emails keep landing in the inbox. Shopify Messaging (formerly Shopify Email), Klaviyo and most platforms let you build segments like "Engaged in last 90 days" in a few clicks.

What to measure

Metric Why
List growth Are you capturing enough visitors?
Click rate Is the content interesting?
Placed orders and revenue per recipient Is email driving sales?
Unsubscribe and complaint rates Are you sending too often or to the wrong people?

Open rates are inflated by privacy features on Apple devices, so use them only as a rough signal.

When to go further

Once these four are running, add browse abandonment, win-back and segmentation by product interest. Read the ultimate guide to email marketing for Shopify and the best email marketing app for Shopify when you are ready.

Frequently asked questions

Is Shopify Messaging enough for a small store?

Often, yes. It includes templates, automations and a free monthly sending allowance. Many stores move to Klaviyo or similar when they need deeper segmentation.

What should my first campaign be?

Something genuinely useful or interesting: your best-sellers explained, a how-to, or the story behind a product. Not just a discount.

How do I get my first subscribers?

Add a pop-up with a clear reason to join, enable the checkout marketing opt-in, and invite existing customers who agreed to marketing.

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.

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