Only a few strategies are as effective as automatic email flows for marketing your eCommerce business. Using flows is one of the best methods to ensure that your message is heard above the noise, regardless of your level of experience with eCommerce.

We’ll break down the seven eCommerce email processes in this blog so that you can use them with your Shopify brand. 

You’ll discover how to develop an efficient introduction series, earn new clients’ confidence after they make a purchase, retrieve abandoned shopping sessions and carts, generate repeat business, and safeguard your trustworthiness.

Why is Email marketing important? 

Your “target audiences” are unaware of the product when you build one to sell. Therefore, you can utilise the email marketing channel to highlight the advantages and applications of your product to your customers.

Between you and your customers, marketing serves as a conduit and aids in the explanation of your items.

What are Email flows?

An “email flow” is a predetermined sequence of automated emails that are sent out in response to customer activity.

Additionally, once you set them up, they will deliver to the proper customers around-the-clock due to their automation.

Why Email flow is important?

Email flows are impressive for establishing contact with your leads, the promotion of services, or the sale of goods by enterprises. 

To establish relationships and develop brand trust, it is essential that email flows are seamless and offer value to the subscriber. Make an effort to create email flows that smoothly guide recipients through your customer experience.

7 essential email flows

One may put up countless various flows and automation as an eComm brand.

Truth be told, you don’t actually need anything that complicated to achieve fantastic results. Simply follow the fundamentals exactly.

A] New Subscriber Email flow

Your new email subscribers will receive a sequence of emails called the New Subscriber Welcome Flow.

A new subscriber’s initial perception of you and your brand is frequently formed by these emails. Because of this, it presents a crucial “make or break” chance for developing relationships.

People can become addicted to reading and purchasing your content with a killer welcome flow. However, a poor welcome flow may have the opposite impact and permanently turn away potential customers.

Framework:

A welcome flow should typically consist of 3 to 8 emails, spaced out over 1 to 2 weeks. However, there isn’t a secret recipe for the ideal greeting series; it all comes down to you and your brand.

Don’t forget to include a “flow filter” that removes users who add items to their carts or place orders. They avoid getting caught in multiple flows at once in this way.

Key elements:

  • Deliver what you promise
  • Make your first email memorable one
  • Share your ‘why’ or why your first customer should support ‘YOUR’ brand out of everyone.
  • Highlight your best-sellers
  • Try to touch your points on different channels.

B] New customer post-purchase flow

After your new customers make their initial order, a sequence of emails called the Post Purchase flow is delivered to them. 

Furthermore, it is one of the eCommerce industry’s most underutilised marketing strategies. The majority of brands give this flow very little thought and effort. However, when done correctly it may act as a catalyst for unimaginable goodwill, user-generated content, and recurring business. But incorrect execution can make your new clients feel “hung out to dry” or like a number in your sales report.

Framework:

Within the typical delivery window for your brand, 3–7 emails will be sent. When a client orders your product, it usually takes them 7 days to receive it.

You need at least seven days for your post-purchase flow. At least another day or two.

Key elements:

  • This is a great thank you email.
  • Share your ‘why’.
  • Help new customers
  • Cross engage them

C] Abandoned checkout flow

Approximately 60% to 70% of online shopping carts are lost, according to statistics. Quite a few sales are there.

Suppose, for illustration, that despite making $20,000 in sales each month, 60% of your customers depart their shopping carts. Therefore, owing to abandoned carts, you lost out on an additional $30,000 in potential revenue. It is crucial to have a great abandoned checkout flow in place because of this. Customers who started the checkout process on your store but quit it before finishing their purchase receive a sequence of emails called the abandoned checkout flow.

This flow can frequently recover 10%–15%+ of your cart abandoners when done correctly.

Framework:

A total of 3-7 days and 3-6 emails are involved. In contrast to the welcome flow or the post-purchase flow, the goal here is to seize the moment while it’s still favourable. To do that, you typically need to send out a number of emails in the first few days.

Key elements:

  • Reminders, not discounts
  • No pressure language
  • A great place to leverage some humour
  • Messages on other channels

D] Browse abandoned flow

Subscribers who explore your website’s products but don’t add them to their carts or check out are considered browse abandonment flow users.

When used properly, this series is tremendously powerful, but when mishandled, it can be very unsettling.

Framework:

Two- four emails were sent over the course of three to five consecutive days. The length of this flow should typically be less than your flow for abandoned carts. Apply filters to get rid of users who have added items to their carts or completed checkouts after the flow began.

Key elements: 

  • Use flow filters
  • Use segmentation for improved results
  • Don’t be obscene with the browse abandonment flow.

E] Profit maker flow

You won’t find a “Profit Maker” flow in the majority of email marketing classes or in any support manual. But having it in place is crucial. Any series of emails intended to persuade a first-time customer to return and place a second order falls under this general category. 

Because most brands make money from a customer’s second order, it is sometimes referred to as a “profit maker.” not the first, because of this, we wish to have a distinct flow or flow for obtaining a second order from a new consumer.

Framework:

Visitors are encouraged to “load up” on whatever they previously purchased when there is a restocking flow. Materials like food, cosmetics, and supplement goods work well with this flow.

A cross-sell flow is where you invite customers to buy a different product than the one they purchased last

Key elements:

  • Get the timing right
  • Use flow filters

F] Repeat customer flow

Your returning customer’s cycle is yet a further crucial one to set up.

You can configure this flow in a variety of ways. But it would much rather have a separate “new customer flow” for brand-new clients. After that, a different flow handles clients who place second, third, and fourth orders. It is not intended for the returning customer flow to lead to a lot of sales. Rewarding, validating, and involving your loyal, active repeat consumers is its main objective.

Framework:

Within 1-3 days, around 1-3 emails are sent. As long as the flow is significant, it doesn’t have to be too prolonged.

Key elements:

  • Recognize your best customers
  • Treat them
  • create “wow” moments for customers.

G] Re-engagement flow

Safeguarding your list freshness and email deliverability is the primary priority of a re-engagement flow.

Mailing to recipients who never open them or click on them is the last thing you want to do. You are a poor sender, Google and the other ISPs will conclude from this, thus.

Furthermore, they will gradually begin forwarding your emails to the marketing tab or, worse still, to spam.

Sadly, because open rates are disappearing, we will have to rely on click-through rates and “active on-site” analytics to gauge engagement.

The re-engagement flow enters the picture at this point.

Framework:

You specify particular “engagement periods” while using a re-engagement flow. Customers will be directed to this flow if they have not received an email within that time. 

Additionally, a series of emails will be sent to them in an effort to persuade them to visit your website or click the email.

Key elements:

  • Make it Easy to Engage
  • “On the Nose” Subject Lines
  • Be transparent.

Final thoughts

One of the simplest ways to reach out to your consumers with relevant communications is through email marketing automation. Additionally, they have the potential to be one of the brand’s major profit generators.

Presumably, you now have a clearer understanding of the basic email processes and the essential components that make them work.