Welcome emails are instrumental in onboarding new customers. Customers expect them and brands need to be sending them. 74% of customers expect a welcome email as soon as they subscribe to your brand. As a result, welcome emails see a significantly higher engagement rates than other emails. Open rates stand at 91% whereas click-through-rates are about 26%.
Sending out welcome emails should be a mandatory part of your relationship with customers. They present you with a chance to send an email you know will be read by most customers. For eCommerce brands in particular, welcome emails will give you the opportunity to establish a strong connection with customers. These connections, when nurtured rightly, will give you life-long customers that are loyal to you.
Great welcome emails often have one or more elements that get customers to take a desired action. You can find a detailed breakdown in our Ultimate Tips for Great Welcome Emails article. These elements include the following:
- Timeliness
- A captivating subject line
- A warm greeting and introduction
- A call to action
- An offer
- An unsubscribe link
Of course, you are not limited to these only. Depending on your industry or the type of eCommerce business you have, there might be other creative elements you can explore. With that said, feel free and let your creativity flow.
In this article, we are looking at 12 eCommerce exceptional welcome emails that will inspire you. Let’s jump in.
Help For Heroes Shop
Subject: Thank you for signing up!
The veteran community Help for Heroes uses their welcome email to share a brief introduction about their cause. This is an awesome approach to hook subscribers who identify with this cause. At the very beginning, they describe how the profits from their shops go to help wounded and sick veterans. This noble cause will speak to any new subscriber who aligns with the same mission and values, potentially leading to an increase in sales.
They also highlight their best selling and featured products designed by their own veterans. There are clear examples of what their products look like, as well as, shopping categories and a review section.
Equal Parts
Subject: Thanks for joining our community and welcome to our kitchen.
Equal parts skillfully combines a number of elements in this welcome email. They start off with an offer “Free Shipping on Orders $50 and above. This is a great way to convert new subscribers into paying customers.
They also let their audience know what they should expect from them henceforth. By spelling out the expectations on the first day, customers understand what they will be receiving. They can subsequently decide to stay or not based on this information.
There is also a clearly visible call-to-action (CTA) urging new subscribers to shop for their products. At the bottom of the email is a visual catalog of products that new subscribers can see and purchase.
Wildist
Subject Here’s your code for 15% off your first order!
eCommerce brand Wildist goes for a simple yet effective approach. They lay out what a new subscriber should expect from their brand and offer a 15% discount to encourage them to make a purchase immediately. A bright call to action re-emphasises on the discount and also adds a sense of urgency by encouraging the customer to act now.
Munk Pack
Subject: A note from our founders
Welcome emails are also a great avenue for storytelling. Every brand has a story of how they started and Munk Pack uses their welcome email to share their story. They share the pain points that made them start their business as well as their mission for the brand. Subscribers who share the same pain points can relate to this story and interact with their brand.
The “Learn More” call to action is a bold orange color and is hard to miss.
The image includes a showcase of their products.
They reassure the subscriber with a “100% Satisfaction Guarantee” statement. As small as it may seem, this subconsciously gives the customer the assurance that the product is as good as they say it is.
Faves
Subject: Thank you for subscribing to FAVES! 🎉
Candy brand Faves sets expectations straight away with subscribers. They have a three point list of the kind of content subscribers should expect from them. The welcome email is brief and has a call to action included. The also use their welcome email as an opportunity to tell subscribers the serving size of their products. Overall, this is a simple and straightforward email that sets expectations from the get-go.
Who Gives A Crap
Subject: We just wanted to say thanks!
Who Gives A Crap’s welcome email is another positive example of sharing a brand’s causes with new subscribers. As soon as a new subscriber signs up, they know that 50% of profits from their purchase will help billions of people gain access to clean water and sanitation. A worthy cause that will potentially move subscribers who identify with it to action.
The bright blue call to action immediately stands out to the reader. They also leave no room for doubt by stating practical reasons why customers should support them. This email works well for non-profits, charities, and even for profits that have an impact-driven business.
GoodRx
Subject: Why people love GoodRx – Hint: We help you save.
GoodRx leads their welcome emails with a customer review; something you don’t see often. New customers need some convincing to move along the customer journey. A review in the first customer interaction will do just that. Apart from the review, they briefly explain what their product does and the potential savings a customer can make. “Up to 80%” savings on subscriptions paints a vivid picture to the customer about the benefits available to them. Finally the call to action seeks to get new subscribers to check the product out for themselves. An added touch is the “Download the app” option for mobile users.
Crossnet
Subject: We’re stoked you’re here
Creativity should be used in welcome emails just as Crossnet has done in their welcome email. The email starts off with a witty remark “We know you are here for the discount, but we’re going to play a quick game of crossnet.” By placing the reader in an imaginary game of crossnet, they immediately capture their attention. At the end of the game, the subscriber wins a $10 discount code. I like this welcome email because it’s different from what you usually see in your inbox.
Disco
Subject: Let’s Disco 🕺. Here’s 10% off
Disco combines expectation, storytelling and expert advice to tell new customers they know what they are about. By setting expectations, new subscribers know what to expect from the brand. The founder then explains why he started the brand in 3 points. The most interesting part is showcasing the profile of an expert in healthcare. It lends credence to the effectiveness of the product. Additionally, there is a call to action that encourages new subscribers to shop with a 10% discount. The display of the products in the background image adds a touch of perfection to the email.
Bokksu
Subject: $10 off welcome offer
Bokksu starts their welcome email with a $10 discount for the first subscription box. Customers can take up this offer with a call to action that follows immediately after. The next part of the email talks about the Bokksu Mission. The company’s mission highlights their cultural sustainability model that supports local, artisanal snack makers. They also let customers know when and how their products are hand-picked based off a unique Japanese theme.
Sugardoh
Subject: Last chance for 15% off!
Based on the subject line, you can see this is a latter part of a welcome email series. This last email offers the customer a 15% discount off their first purchase. The body of the email describes the features of the product and a call to action to get customers to “Shop Now”. For many brands, one review is often enough, but for Sugardoh, three does the trick of cementing the customer’s belief in their product. Overall, a good welcome email that makes use of discounts and reviews really well.
Wild
Subject: Hey! Welcome to the Wild side
Wild welcomes new subscribers directly with their brand’s mission. By dwelling on the fact that their products are reusable and convenient, they remind subscribers of their brand promise of creating sustainable products. Furthermore, they point out six more reasons why new subscribers should choose their brand – in case they are not convinced. The bright colored “Browse FAQs” call to action is available for subscribers who may have questions as well. Wild uses sustainability as a major selling point to welcome new subscribers. Take a look at the bottom section of the email. It re-emphasizes the brand’s mission and story, making it something people can easily relate to.
Wrapping Up
Welcome emails are a vital part of any eCommerce email marketing strategy. They are often the first form of interaction a brand has with a new customer. Welcome emails should be adequately timed and sent within a few hours of a customer interacting with your brand. They should be simple yet memorable to allow your brand stay in the minds of customers. It is a good idea to keep them clutter-free with a clean design that communicates your brand’s value.
Offers are also a superb way of getting new customers to take a desired action. Discounts and Promo code offers particularly thrive in eCommerce, so explore them as much as you can.
Additionally, welcome emails can be used to set expectations of what new customers should anticipate from a brand. Storytelling is also an excellent way of sharing your brand’s mission and journey with your new audience. You would often realize that a good number of customers come to you because they identify with your brand.
The examples in this article will hopefully inspire you to craft welcome emails that stand out. For a thorough breakdown of how to create welcome emails, I recommend you read our guide Ultimate Tips for Great Welcome Emails.
