By the Dropship Stair team. Last reviewed: November 2026.
Key takeaways
- Email marketing for Shopify stores works because you own the list: no ad platform can take it away, and every email costs far less than buying the visitor twice.
- Start with the emails that earn money on their own: welcome, abandoned cart, and post purchase emails, before you send a single newsletter.
- Write like a person, not a flyer, because short, useful emails get opened and long, salesy ones get ignored.
- Grow the list slowly with honest offers, and clean it often, so you mail people who want to hear from you instead of people who never asked.
Email marketing for Shopify stores means using email to bring past buyers back, recover carts that were left behind, and turn one-time shoppers into repeat customers. It works because an email list belongs to you, and each message reaches people who already know your store.
Most small stores spend all their effort on finding new buyers and almost none on the buyers they already have. That is backwards. A past buyer already trusts your store, already knows your shipping, and is far more likely to buy again than a stranger who just saw your ad. Email is how you reach that buyer at the right moment, with the right offer, for almost no cost.
What is email marketing for Shopify stores, and how does it work?
Email marketing for Shopify stores is sending useful emails to people who gave you their address, like order updates, welcome offers, cart reminders, and product news. It works by staying in touch with buyers after the sale, so your store is the one they think of next time.
The list is the heart of it. A buyer gives you their email at checkout, or a visitor signs up for a discount, and that address becomes a direct line to them. Unlike social posts, which reach only a fraction of your followers, an email lands in an inbox the person checks every day. Your job is to make that email worth opening, by sending something useful and timely, and by never mailing people who did not ask for it.
Two kinds of email do most of the work. Automated emails go out on their own when something happens, like a new signup or an abandoned cart. Campaign emails go out when you choose, like a new product launch or a seasonal offer. A store that runs both kinds well can earn repeat sales every week, with less effort than ads. If you are still building the store itself, our guide on how to start dropshipping on Shopify covers the setup that email plugs into.
How do you build an email list from scratch?
Build your list from scratch by asking every buyer and visitor for their email, in exchange for something honest and useful. Start with checkout, then add one signup form on your store, and grow the list one real subscriber at a time.
Checkout is your best source. Most buyers will share their email for order updates, so make sure your store collects it there and asks, in plain words, if they also want news and offers. That single checkbox builds a list of people who actually bought from you, which is the most valuable list a store can own.
Add one signup form on your home page or at the bottom of product pages, with a clear reason to join. A small discount on the next order works well, as does early access to new products. Keep the form to one field, the email address, because every extra field cuts signups. Never buy a list, and never add people who did not agree to hear from you. A bought list brings spam complaints, while a small list of real buyers will out-earn it every time.
What emails should every store send first?
Every store should send three automated emails first: a welcome email, an abandoned cart email, and a post purchase email. These three run on their own, reach buyers at the exact moment they care, and earn sales while you do other work.
The welcome email goes out right after someone signs up. Thank them, deliver the offer you promised, and show them your best products in a few short lines. A good welcome email sets the tone for everything that follows, so keep it warm, short, and useful. If the signup promised a discount, the code should be easy to find.
The abandoned cart email goes out when a buyer adds a product but leaves without paying. Send the first reminder within a few hours, while the buyer still remembers the product. Keep it simple: show the product, remind them why it helps, and answer the one doubt that often stops a purchase, like shipping time or returns. The post purchase email goes out after an order. Thank the buyer, say when the order will arrive, and suggest one related product they might like next time. For help with the pages these emails point to, read our guide to Shopify store conversion rate.
How often should you email your customers?
Email your customers one to two times a week, plus automated emails when something happens. That pace keeps your store in mind without filling inboxes, and it gives each email a reason to exist.
More emails do not mean more sales. A store that mails every day trains its buyers to ignore it, and a store that mails once a month gets forgotten. One or two useful emails a week is the middle ground that works for most stores. Send a campaign only when you have something worth saying: a new product, a real offer, or a tip that helps your buyer. If you have nothing worth saying that week, skip the email.
Automated emails do not count toward that limit, because they go out only when a buyer does something, like signing up or leaving a cart. Those emails feel timely, not pushy. Watch your unsubscribe rate after each campaign. If it climbs, you are mailing too often or saying too little. If it stays low and people keep opening, your pace is right.
How do you write emails people actually open?
People open emails with a clear subject line, a sender name they know, and a first line that sounds useful. Write the subject like a short note from a real person, keep the email short, and put the useful part first.
The subject line does the hardest job, so spend time on it. A good subject names the benefit or the news in a few words, without shouting or tricking the reader. Avoid subject lines that promise something the email does not deliver, because one trick like that costs you trust for months. Test two subject lines on small groups when your email tool allows it, and use the winner for the rest of the list.
Inside the email, write the way you talk. Use short sentences, one idea per paragraph, and a single clear next step, like a button to the product or the offer. Start with the useful part, not a long greeting. A buyer who opens your email should know in five seconds what it offers and why it matters. End with one action, not five, because an email that asks for everything gets nothing. For ideas on which products deserve an email, see our guide to the best products to dropship.
How do you measure if your emails are working?
Measure your emails by open rate, click rate, and sales per email, in that order. Opens tell you the subject worked, clicks tell you the content worked, and sales tell you the offer worked, so read all three together before you change anything.
Open rate is the first signal. A low open rate usually means weak subject lines, a tired list, or emails landing in spam. Fix the subject first, then check whether you are mailing people who never asked to hear from you. Click rate is the second signal. If people open but do not click, the email did not give them a clear reason to act. Shorten the email, sharpen the offer, and make the next step obvious.
Sales per email is the number that matters most. A campaign that earns few opens but many orders is better than a campaign that earns many opens and no orders. Track which emails lead to orders, and send more of that kind. Also watch unsubscribes and spam complaints after each send, because a rising complaint rate can hurt your ability to reach inboxes at all.
| Email type | When to send | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome email | Right after signup | Deliver the offer, show best products |
| Abandoned cart | Within a few hours | Recover the sale while interest is fresh |
| Post purchase | After the order ships | Thank the buyer, set delivery hopes |
| Product launch | Launch day | Tell past buyers first |
| Win back | After 60 to 90 days quiet | Invite lapsed buyers back with a reason |
| Newsletter | Weekly or twice a month | Share tips, news, and honest offers |
Use the table as your starting plan. Set up the first three rows before you send any campaign, because automated emails earn sales every day without extra work. Then add one campaign a week, and let the numbers tell you which emails your buyers value most.
Dropship Stair also builds WordPress stores for sellers who want a store outside Shopify, with the same care for fast pages and clear product pages. Our team offers SEO services that help a new store get found on Google, so the buyers you work hard to win can find you in the first place. If you want help with a store or with search traffic, see our custom Shopify store design page or reach out through our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a big list to start email marketing?
No, start with the list you have, even if it is only a few dozen buyers. A small list of real buyers beats a large list of strangers every time. Set up your three automated emails, grow the list with signup offers, and let it build as your store grows.
What is a good open rate for a small store?
Small stores often see open rates between twenty and forty percent, but your own trend matters more than any single number. Track your rate over several sends and aim to keep it steady or rising. A falling rate means your subject lines or your list need attention.
Should I send discounts in every email?
No, save discounts for moments that deserve them, like a welcome offer, a cart recovery, or a win back email. If every email carries a discount, buyers learn to wait for one and never pay full price. Mix useful tips and product news between offers so your emails stay welcome.
How do I avoid the spam folder?
Mail only people who agreed to hear from you, keep your subject lines honest, and avoid spammy words and too many links or images. Send from a real address with your store name, and clean your list often by removing addresses that never open.
Can I run email marketing on a free plan?
Yes, many email tools offer a free plan for small lists, and that is enough to start. Check the current price and limits before you pick one, because free plans cap how many contacts or sends you get. Move to a paid plan when your list outgrows the free tier.
Email marketing for Shopify stores rewards stores that treat the inbox with respect. Build the list honestly, send the three automated emails first, write short useful messages, and let the numbers guide you. Your past buyers are your best audience.
Sources: the Dropship Stair guides linked in this article, and Shopify email marketing guidance checked in November 2026.