Every time you communicate with a customer, your relationship with them is influenced.
Email marketing’s main strength has always been its versatility. This makes it a great tool for the modern ecommerce marketer, who’ll need to communicate with customers at various stages of the shopping and buying processes.
The best way to get ideas is to look at ecommerce email examples proven to work.
Get inspired by these outstanding ecommerce email examples.
The right email can improve sales numbers, build your brand, and can be effective whether a customer is browsing, buying, or even following up after a purchase. Here are 21 ecommerce email examples you can draw inspiration from.
1. Shipping confirmation
Source: Really Good Emails
What do customers like besides great products? Certainty. Triggered emails like this shipping confirmation email from Taylor Stitch take the guesswork out of things for your buyers. Ecommerce email examples like this show when simplicity and a text-heavy presentation is appropriate.
Your buyers want to know their order was received in your system, completed with all the details including the product, shipping/billing addresses, shipping method, and price. Add in options to track or initiate a return, and this email gives recent buyers everything they need.
2. Special deal
Source: Really Good Emails
When it comes to showing off special deals and products, presentation is everything. Taylor Stitch’s email gets your attention right away, using sleek images of the product. There’s also just enough text to help you see how you’ll save with this deal.
This email is great because it perfectly balances appropriate images and need-to-know information, keeping things simple, so the products speak for themselves.
3. Abandoned cart
Source: Really Good Emails
You’ll never want to see your customers abandon their carts, but maybe they had a browser problem or simply got busy and forgot about finishing up their transactions. Abandoned cart emails can be triggered when a product is left in a cart for a set period of time without completing the transaction.
This email from Food52 is designed with a simple format, combining one basic image with a conservative amount of text. Rather than a lengthy plea for the customer to finish their purchase, it functions more like a gentle reminder.
4. Free gift
Source: Really Good Emails
There’s not a person out there who doesn’t like getting a freebie when they make a purchase. This email from Purple outlines the free gift options customers have when they make a purchase.
The language is clear, along with images, so there’s no confusion about what’s available. Customers will appreciate the complimentary gift and the clear description of what qualifies.
5. Referral reward
Source: Really Good Emails
Referral programs are a great ecommerce tactic for gaining more customers through word-of-mouth promotion. Ecommerce email examples of this system should always be clear of how they’re rewarding the person who referred the company.
This referral credit progress email from Massdrop is not only clear, but it provides a clickable link where customers can track the journey of the person they referred, so they know when their reward is coming.
6. Welcome
Source: Really Good Emails
There’s nothing like being given a warm welcome when you join a company’s mailing list. This email from Massdrop gives users plenty of direction on what they can do next.
They can contact the company, give feedback, join in community discussions, or explore a wide variety of product categories. Welcome emails should be a holistic launch pad with multiple click-through options consisting of minimal text.
7. Product arrival
Source: Really Good Emails
The launch of a new product is always important to promote, especially if you’re looking to increase sales numbers. This email from Peloton shows how to do it the right way.
Start with a simple image of the product, followed by one header, and a small amount of text broken up into several sections. Close it out by giving readers the option to find more information, and you’ve effectively put your new product on the market.
8. Product sale
Source: Really Good Emails
If you have the technology on your site to track users’ activity, you can set up product update emails like this one from UNIQLO. If you know what they want, you can let them know when the price drops.
This simple reminder is a great way to alert them to a deal they may have otherwise missed, and it shows them you’re out to help them save. Cap it off with a couple of other item suggestions for good measure.
9. Webinar invitation
Source: Really Good Emails
If you’re in the tech industry, support is everything. Customers need to know exactly how to get the most out of their purchases. This Zoom webinar invitation shows how to promote this type of help.
With an invitation to schedule, a list of upcoming events, and more, this email combines everything you’ll need to empower your customers with the knowledge to use your products. It could also save you from getting a few thousand questions emailed to you.
10. New changes
Source: Really Good Emails
It’s never fun for customers to log into their account and think: “What’s going on?” When changes are being enacted, it’s wise to update those affected via email.
Coinbase’s account changes notification is an example of how to do it, with a clear header, simple paragraph, and a clear list of changes to expect. When your customers feel up to date on your product or service, they’ll be more likely to use it with confidence.
11. Invitation to sell
Source: Really Good Emails
In eBay’s case, this email is about helping buyers try their hand at selling. However, this format can be used to help customers take advantage of any lesser-used aspect of your product. If it has a function they aren’t focusing on, show them the basics.
Simple bullet points and distinct sections make it easy to explain the fundamentals and get your readers curious enough to explore more.
12. Help guide
Source: Really Good Emails
Another help email, this one from Squarespace goes for a more interactive approach by having a video included. It also has links to help guides and webinars, so you can search around yourself or go into a more interactive environment to get the answers you need.
Notice the alternating image placement from left to right in the body. This isn’t just better for aesthetics; it makes things seem simpler and easier to digest.
13. Video tutorial
Source: Really Good Emails
This email from Design Files takes the video tutorial a step further, making it the focal point of the content. It’s focused on a specific aspect of the product, which makes it a good candidate for targeted content.
If your customers seem to have a lot of questions about one particular aspect of your product line, consider making a video explaining things and sending it in an email. The presentation may be simple, but that’s good, since the bulk of the content will be in the video.
14. Limited time sale
Source: Really Good Emails
There’s nothing worse than missing out on a sale, and the best way to keep customers informed is to let them know how much time is remaining.
This Nokia email lets readers know a sale is winding down and provides little information about what’s available. The best thing about these emails is that they can be sent at various intervals—when there’s a week left, three days left, one day left, etc.
15. Closeout sale
Source: Really Good Emails
Here’s Barebones’ time-sensitive sale email. However, this one shows how you can get a bit more creative with your CTAs.
Rather than just saying the sale is ending and providing a link to the product page, each product or product category can get its own link. The advantage is that it helps users save that little bit of time when they’re looking to get to the sale as quickly as possible.
16. Delivery confirmation
Source: Really Good Emails
Delivery confirmation emails are good for two reasons: As Instacart’s email shows, you can provide customers with all the info they need so they remember what they ordered and how much they paid.
17. Trial ending
Source: Really Good Emails
When a product trial ends, there are a lot of variables to consider. Will the customer continue on as a paying subscriber? Will they know why they’re being charged?
Simple ecommerce email examples like this one show how to keep them informed about the upcoming change. Point of advice: provide them with easy help and contact links, so they can follow up with their decision.
18. Product rating and review
Source: Really Good Emails
Reviews are what help companies get better. This Chewy email shows how to ask for one, including using quick links to the specific products you’d like feedback on.
As a nice touch, they included the phone number at the bottom. This is a great way to get feedback from those who prefer private reviews rather than public posts.
19. Out of stock
Source: Really Good Emails
When a product is out of stock, it doesn’t have to represent a lost sale. If you let the customer know that it’s out of stock and offer to remind them when it’s back, you can salvage that purchase at a later date.
You can also give them a time period, ideally two to three weeks, to be on the lookout for a follow-up email if and when the product is back in stock.
20. Tips list
Source: Really Good Emails
If you want your customers to get more out of your products, make sure they know all the tips and tricks they have at their disposal.
Emails like this one from Todoist highlight cool ways to use a product and are great to send out if you’re looking to ask for feedback soon after.
21. Upcoming product
Source: Really Good Emails
Why wait until a product is launched to promote it?
If you want to build anticipation and get the store page a lot of attention on launch day, start talking about the product in the days or even weeks leading up to its release. This email from Boosted does it right with a minimalist presentation that adds to the mystery factor.
Wrap up
Ecommerce emails come in many forms. Product launches, cart recovery, purchase confirmation—what do they all have in common? They get right to the point quickly. Remember:
- Ecommerce emails should be concise and focused on the topic
- Use a combination of images and text, but take a conservative or minimalist approach
- Provide good links to the product pages or support resources readers may need
When you think about your readers, the ideas for email design and click-through options will become apparent. Once they do, you’ll be creating great ecommerce emails just like these.
First impressions are everything. Learn how to master your first ecommerce email campaign here.