A new customer subscribed to your email list. It’s now your job to keep them engaged and loyal. But how do you do that? How do you make the best first impression that will keep customers coming back?
The first step is to send them a welcome email from your welcome email program. In this blog post, we will explore what makes a good welcome email program successful, and show you 10 inviting eCommerce welcome emails to inspire you.
Tip: click on images to see full creatives.
Setting the tone and introducing your brand
The most crucial aspect of a welcome email program is the way you set customer and brand expectations. This can be done through the language you use when you introduce yourself.
Keep reading for some examples.
Ettinger
In this example, Ettinger welcomes their customers, explaining what their brand offers, as well as guiding customers back to their website with their call to action (CTA) ‘See the Ettinger Journal’.
Source: Ettinger email
Lily & Me
In their email, Lily & Me list some of their Unique Selling Points (USPs) which set them apart from their competitors. This includes the fact that they are a family business, their products are handcrafted and made sustainably.
Source: Lily & Me email
Another tactic they use in this email is social proof. In this example, they include a Feefo rating at the bottom of this email, easing their customers’ purchase anxiety and building trust. This heightens the chances that new customers will buy a product from the brand.
GolfClubs4Cash
In this welcome email example, GolfClubs4Cash explains what their business does, including that they don’t only sell, but also buy golf clubs.
Source: GolfClubs4Cash email
Similarly to Lily & Me, GolfClubs4Cash also uses social proof in their email by including a CTA to read reviews about them on Trustpilot.
Make customers feel welcome
Another important aspect of a welcome email program is that your customers should feel welcome and appreciated by you. They have given you some of their personal information, and they want something in return.
For example, you can help them feel appreciated by including a coupon in the email, as promised via a data capture tactic on your website.
Below are some examples that use these kinds of tactics.
Cooksongold
In this example, Cooksongold gives customers a welcome gift: a code for free delivery. They also make use of product recommendations to encourage customers to make use of their coupons as soon as they see something in the email they like.
Not only that, but they also make use of star ratings to build trust with new customers, as well as popularity messaging. The popularity messaging in this email shows how many people have recently bought each item recommended, creating urgency so that customers will want to buy the products before they’re out of stock.
Source: Cooksongold email
Buyagift
Buyagift gives new subscribers a £10 discount on their first purchase, and, similarly to Cooksongold above, makes use of product recommendations. They even show how much each product is with the added discount, allowing customers to choose which product they buy wisely.
Source: Buyagift email
Jewellerybox
Whilst Jewellerybox do not make use of a coupon code, they do show customers that they understand them through more personalized product recommendations. These recommendations are chosen through behavioral targeting, meaning the recommendations shown are based on the customer’s purchase and browsing behavior.
Source: Jewellerybox email
Thorntons
In the welcome email below, Thorntons makes use of a variety of the above tactics to invite their customers to their brand.
For example, they make use of personalized product recommendations, as well as a 10% coupon code.
Finally, they include their story, setting the tone for their brand, and why customers should buy from them.
Source: Thorntons email
Show your benefits
Why should customers buy their products from you and not from your competitors? Your welcoming email program should be clear on the benefits your company provides your customers.
Keep reading for some more examples.
Roman
In the email below, Roman explains that their customers benefit from free UK delivery, tracked returns and new lines in their email inbox every week. They also provide next day delivery, free size exchanges for their products, and the option to pay split costs over time via Klarna.
Source: Roman email
The Diamond Store
The Diamond Store’s email below starts with ‘Thank you!”, showing customers that the company appreciates them. It also provides crowd-sourced product recommendations, showing popular and trending items. On top of that, they make use of ratings via Trustpilot as well as customer testimonials.
Like Roman, they also list their benefits. These include free worldwide delivery, 30 days free returns and a 5 year guarantee, easing customers’ purchase anxiety.
Source: The Diamond Store email
Capture more data
Data capture doesn’t stop at getting a customers’ name and email address. You need more data to be able to segment customers and create more personalized customer experiences. This data can be collected by asking customers for more information about them (such as asking for their birthdays) or through looking at their real-time browsing and purchase behavior.
You can also ask to be able to reach customers on different channels, such as apps, social media, and SMS.
Below is one final example.
Source: Ann Summers email
Final thoughts
The main goal of a welcome email program is to increase customer loyalty. To do this, it may be beneficial to introduce a multi-step welcome email program. To find out what works best for your business, we recommend continually testing and optimizing.
Interested in sending more types of personalized triggered emails? Check out our Types of triggered emails you should be using [checklist].
