E-Commerce Email Guide

Essential Email Flows

ROI #1

Abandoned Cart Recovery

Email 1 (1hr): "You left something behind" — show cart items, no discount
Email 2 (24hr): Address objections, add social proof
Email 3 (72hr): Final offer — 10% discount or free shipping
Avg recovery rate: 5-15% of abandoned carts

Retention

Welcome Series

Email 1 (immediate): Welcome + brand story, 10% coupon
Email 2 (Day 3): Best sellers / popular categories
Email 3 (Day 7): Social proof, customer reviews
Email 4 (Day 14): Educational content or how-to guide

LTV

Post-Purchase Flow

Email 1 (day 3): "How to get the most from your order" tips
Email 2 (day 7): Review request with direct link
Email 3 (day 30): Cross-sell complementary products
Email 4 (day 60): Win-back if no repeat purchase

Revenue

Browse Abandonment

Trigger when visitor views a product 2+ times without purchasing. Send within 4 hours. Show viewed product + 3 similar items. Include urgency (limited stock) if applicable.

Subject Line Formulas

TypeFormulaExample
Urgency[Time] left to [benefit]"24 hours left for free shipping"
CuriosityYou won't believe [result]"What 10,000 customers told us"
Personal[Name], [observation]"Sarah, you viewed this 3 times"
Direct[Offer] — [action]"20% off — today only"