When you walk into a store for the first time, does the shop assistant immediately pounce on you and demand your credit card details? Have they already presumed you are ready to buy?

Of course not. The best retailers know this is not how to win customers. Instead, the staff are trained to create a unique in-store experience that fosters connection and warmth.

The equivalent to this for an ecommerce store, is simply having a curated welcome email series. Just like the physical retailer, you don’t want to come across (unintended as it may be) that you are pushing a first-time visitor to buy products from your site the moment they click an email from you. Rather, you want to invest in the relationship, creating a connection with each visitor that builds over time.

A welcome email series can not only generate more revenue for your business but also create trust and build a stronger customer relationship, this and more is all covered below.  

Single welcome emails vs welcome email series

First impressions are crucial and sending a single welcome email just won’t cut it. Just like the retail worker in the above example, you want to build trust and establish a relationship with your ecommerce customers. From a financial perspective, e-commerce businesses with a solid welcome email series strategy see a 33% increase in long-term engagement (Invesp).

When you subscribe to a brand’s email newsletter, you will usually receive an email to confirm your subscription. Sometimes, this confirmation email doubles up as a single welcome email just like the example below.

In many cases, that’s where onboarding ends. What follows is a bombardment of random newsletters and promotional emails that you’re most likely going to ignore.

A welcome email series, however, stretches out that initial communication over 5 (or more) emails. Sent over a few weeks, the welcome email series drip-feeds your information slowly to your newest subscriber. They are used to convey:

• What your brand represents

• What problem you’re helping to solve

• Why your solution is useful to the customer

• Why someone needs to keep reading your emails

Here’s how Patagonia does it:

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 4:

Day 7:

Day 14:

As you can see, Patagonia gives new users a reasonably long period to familiarize themselves with their brand story and to discover products that can solve their problems. The welcome series that Patagonia has implemented, starts to build a relationship with new users, thus creating a higher likelihood of turning them into paying customers.

Your ecommerce welcome email checklist

Your initial emails to new subscribers are some of the most important you’ll ever send. But what separates a top-performing series from an average one? We’ve done the research for you, here are the 5 things you must consider when creating your welcome email series:

• Be quick

• Personalize your emails

• Make your subject lines clear and engaging

• Offer discounts or free gifts

• Set expectations

We’ve also compiled some best-in-class examples of a welcome email that you can take inspiration from to make your welcome emails more engaging.

1. Be quick

   Send your first welcome email as soon as someone signs up to receive your emails — this is when they’ll be most engaged. In fact, almost three-quarters of consumers expect a welcome email as soon as they subscribe (Neil Patel). This is a rare opportunity to deliver your first email to a highly engaged, expectant subscriber.
   
   When a new user receives your first welcome email immediately, they’ll be assured of a successful sign-up as well as the start of a great conversation with your brand. However, failing to reach out to them quickly will disrupt the momentum built when someone decides to join your mailing list.
   
   Ortto ensures you can seize this golden opportunity. Leads generated through Facebook and Google ads go straight to your CDP, kickstarting their journey as a new customer,  so there's no delay with your welcome email.
   
   As an example, this email from Jetstar fires off immediately after sign-up, giving new subscribers a chance to familiarize themselves with the brand — and be among the first to get access to sale fares.
   

   

2. Personalize your emails

   We’re in an era of hyper-personalization, so you need to do more than just say “Hey {{ customer.firstname }}."
   
   At sign-up, ask your customer for information beyond an email address or a first name. For example, ask for a zip code or birthday. This data can then be used in your welcome emails to create a more personalized experience. If you don’t want to collect information at sign-up, make use of the unparalleled attention welcome emails receive to ask for more information in the emails themselves.
   
   Not sure where to start? Create a data enrichment journey within Ortto as part of your welcome series. Include the questions you want answered within a welcome email. When your customer clicks on an answer, this information is collected using UTM parameters, and now can be used to send them on a personalized pathway based on their response.  Here’s how Airbnb uses one of their welcome emails to find out more information about new subscribers.
   

   

   Every additional data point you can gather about your contacts will be useful when it comes to segmenting your audience and delivering more relevant content for future marketing campaigns.
   

3. Make your subject lines clear and engaging

   Welcome emails should be clearly identified, but make sure you also add a spark of interest, add a bit of your brand's tone of voice or do something different with your subject lines to grab attention.
   
   Ensure your welcome emails are easy to spot in crowded inboxes, we see too many businesses use the word “welcome” right up front in their subject lines.
   

   

   Don’t be boring. Online shopping boutique Rue La La sends out welcome emails with the subject line, “This was a good decision,” with the email immediately outlining the benefits of signing up for the mailing, such as cheap international shipping and special discounts. Similarly, Nike’s subject line, “You’re in” makes readers feel as if they’re part of something exclusive.
   

4. Offer discounts or free gifts

   Many shoppers have come to expect a discount when signing up for an email list. By offering a discount or gift in your welcome emails, you create goodwill between your business and your new subscribers.
   
   The incentive may even entice them to buy from you, right there and then. Giorgio Armani offers a 10% discount off first-time purchases — it’s a small gesture that can benefit both the company and the new subscriber.
   

   

5. Set expectations 

   Your welcome emails aren’t just an opportunity to say hello — they’re also an effective way to build brand advocates. The following email from General Assembly doesn’t just offer new subscribers a 25% discount if they sign up for a course; it also gives them a feel for the brand by sharing its brand story. Plus, the email tells readers exactly what to expect from future sends: information about upcoming courses and career advice.
   

   

   Your welcome email series gives you the chance to make a memorable first impression with your new subscribers. Remember, each new subscriber can only receive welcome emails once which means you’ll never have a second chance to introduce yourself. Keep them warm and inviting, while setting the right expectations for your subscribers. And most of all, give them a reason to keep reading.

Why a welcome email series will increase revenue?

The first welcome email you send is extremely powerful. In fact, that initial email has the potential to make 320% more revenue than a one-time promotional email sent months later (Invesp). So, why not stretch that welcome email out? After all, your newest subscribers are the most active, most switched-on, and most engaged audience segment you currently have — and they’re more likely to open your emails, which means they’re more likely to buy from you.

Here are 5 more reasons why a welcome email series will help your business make more money:

1. Repetition is effective communication

   You’ve probably heard about the Rule of 7 - your customers need to see your branding and message 7 times before they’ll trust you or buy from you. The more positive contact you have with them, the easier it is to develop and sustain relationships — and ultimately, drive more revenue. A welcome email series allows your brand to get in front of them repeatedly, while they are at their most engaged. Having a streamlined automated welcome series is especially important if you’re new to the ecommerce game.
   

2. An opportunity to tell your story

   We tend to gravitate towards certain brands (and ultimately buy from them) because we connect with their story and their ethos. In fact, 50% of global consumers are happy to pay more for goods and services from companies they align with having strong corporate responsibility.
   
   A welcome email series gives your business the chance to tell your subscribers more about you — don’t be afraid to use it. For example, Warby Parker, an eyewear retailer worth $1.8 billion, was founded to tackle the problem of expensive glasses after one of its founders lost his glasses on a trip and couldn’t afford to replace them as a college student. Customers are able to connect with this story because the brand solves a common problem faced by budget-conscious students while maintaining a rebellious spirit.
   

   

3. Build trust

   Your customers are naturally wary of new websites or services. A welcome email series, however, allows you to build trust over time — essentially, you’re given a chance to nurture that new subscriber slowly. So when it’s time for you to send that all-important email with a CTA to buy, they’ll be more likely to take action. In the long-term, this is a much stronger approach than sending a one-time email.
   

4. Enhance opportunities to engage and sell 

   If you’re just sending one welcome email, the pressure is on to sell something quickly. But with a welcome email series featuring 6 or 7 emails, you can introduce your products or services gradually while also giving customers more opportunities to buy, minus the pressure.
   

5. It doesn’t overwhelm (and annoy) new subscribers

   Many ecommerce businesses make the mistake of cramming as much information as possible into a single welcome email. Your company story, welcome message, product recommendations, and pushing a sale, all squeezed into one extremely scroll-heavy email. 
   
   When subscribers are faced with emails containing too much copy and multiple calls to action, they’ll feel overwhelmed. A welcome email series removes this problem so you can focus on making each individual email as focused as possible, which is far more effective.

Final word

If you’re not sending a welcome email series to new subscribers, get one in place as soon as possible. You are missing out on a chance to deliver a memorable first impression, not to mention 3x more revenue. 

On the other hand, if you’re already sending a single welcome email, expand on that initial email to create a series of compelling content that will cement a strong foundation for a long-lasting subscriber relationship and generate more money.

If you are a smaller business or simply time-poor, then using Ortto to run your welcome series effortlessly as you watch your business grow. Simply build your welcome series campaign using our template, add the customer actions needing to take place and the rest is automated. Start your Ortto journey today, sign up for free with up to 2,000 subscribers.