Email marketing: The complete guide for 2026

Email marketing is a digital marketing strategy that uses email to connect with subscribers. It helps promote products, build brand loyalty, and increase revenue. Litmus reports it delivers the highest ROI of any marketing channel, at $36 per $1 spent. 

According to Omnisend, you can earn as much as $79 per dollar. And automated emails like welcome and abandoned cart messages drive 37% of sales from just 2% of emails sent. 

Email is also one of the few marketing channels you truly own, meaning you can reach your audience directly without relying on changing algorithms. 

This email marketing guide covers what email marketing is, its advantages and challenges, and types of email marketing campaigns. You’ll also learn email marketing for beginners, including regulations to follow. By the end, you can start campaigns and increase ecommerce sales. 

Watch this short video to see how email marketing works:

What is email marketing? 

Email marketing is a way to reach subscribers, customers, or leads using email. It helps build your brand, recover abandoned carts, and encourage repeat purchases.

All you need to do is deliver valuable information (like newsletters about how to use your product) or targeted offers based on your goal. 

For example, welcome emails introduce your brand, newsletters share updates, and promotional emails highlight discounts to drive purchases. Here’s a promotional email example from Omnisend. It has a clear offer and a minimalistic design, helping readers quickly see the offer and click through:

For ecommerce stores, email marketing is a revenue driver. Here are a few things you can achieve with email marketing: 

• Welcome new customers: Onboarding emails build trust and introduce your brand 
• Recover abandoned carts: Automated reminders bring back shoppers who left items behind 
• Promote products and offers: Targeted campaigns increase repeat purchases 
• Personalized recommendations: Suggesting products based on browsing or purchase history improves sales 

To automate this process, invest in a powerful email service provider (ESP). Tools such as Omnisend let you manage, send, and track email campaigns. In fact, there were 4.55 billion email users in 2025, according to Statista. This number is projected to grow to 4.97 billion by 2028.     

If you have an online store, you can reach this large audience through email. Send automated emails or personalized offers to recover lost sales, encourage repeat purchases, and increase revenue.

Does email marketing work? (Yes — here’s proof) 

Global spending on email marketing revenue is projected to reach $18.9 billion by 2028 (Statista). This is the total amount of money businesses are spending on email marketing software and services. 

Additionally, Omnisend’s report reveals a 30.7% increase in open rates in 2025, from 26.6% in 2024. And, according to DMA, email delivery rates rose to 98% in 2024. Even with Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection limiting open tracking, 40% of marketers still use open rates as a key measure of success, according to Litmus.       

Omnisend data showed click-to-conversion rates also increased to 27.6% for email campaigns in 2024. Subscribers not only click on emails but also complete desired actions, such as making purchases. 

Approximately 50% of customers bought a product directly from an email, based on Marigold’s report. This is an impressive conversion rate compared to the 21% and 43% for banner ads and social media posts, respectively.

We also know that automated emails drove 37% of email-generated sales, according to Omnisend. Even though they only make up 2% of email volume. One in three subscribers who clicked on an automated email in 2025 completed a purchase.

As for ROI, based on Omnisend statistics, ecommerce businesses usually see $36 – $40 per dollar spent, however in the USA, Omnisend users generate an impressive $76 for each $1 spent. That said, according to Saleshandy statistics, people receive 121 business emails per day. This signals stiff competition to stand out. 

Evaldas Mockus, VP of Growth at Omnisend, says, “We’ve seen customers consistently increase revenue using automated email sequences like abandoned‑cart and welcome flows. It’s enough proof that smart email marketing strategies are the key to driving business growth.”

He adds, “Every year, we see the same pattern. Brands that use dynamic content, segmentation, and automation to personalize emails build stronger customer loyalty and see higher repeat purchase rates.”

Advantages of email marketing 

Now we’ll explain why each of these advantages matters for your ecommerce store: 

• Direct communication
• Cost-effectiveness and ROI
• Measurability
• Drives repeat purchases for ecommerce 
• Automations and efficiency 
• Audience ownership

Direct communication

Email marketing is targeted at people who are already interested in your brand. You can choose exactly when and to which contacts you want to send messages. 

You can even segment your customers based on behavior and send them tailored messages. This helps increase engagement and build lasting customer relationships that improve ROI. 

In fact, according to Litmus, 90% of marketing professionals who use segmentation have reported an increase in performance (like engagement or conversion rates). 

Additionally, 80% of marketers say that personalization improves performance. You can increase open rates, clicks, or conversions by tailoring content based on what your customers respond to. 

Cost-effectiveness and ROI 

Email generates one of the highest ROIs in marketing. According to Omnisend, the average email ROI is 3,600% – 4,000%. This means that for every $1 you spend on email marketing, you get $36 – $40 in return. 

This far exceeds other channels. For example, according to First Page Sage,  SEO drives 721%, pay-per-click ads 24%, Facebook ads 113%, and influencer marketing 689%.

This shows that you can get far more revenue for each dollar invested in email marketing. In fact, based on Omnisend’s report, automated emails have some of the highest revenue per email: 

• Welcome: $6.30 per email 
• Shipping confirmation: $2.86 per email 
• Abandoned cart: $2.54 per email 

Measurability 

This is the ability to track how your audience interacts with your campaigns. Some of the most important metrics to start measuring are: 

• Open rate: How many people opened your email
• Click through rate (CTR): % that clicked any link
• Click-to-open-rate (CTOR): % of people who click a link in your email 
• Conversion rate: Measures the final action (like buying a product) 
• Bounce rate: % of emails that didn’t reach inboxes and sent back to the sender 
• Unsubscribe rate: People who opted out 
• Revenue per email: How much you earned from a single campaign 

According to Litmus, 59% of marketing professionals analyze engagement metrics like opens, clicks, conversions, and unsubscribes.  

These metrics provide actionable insights that allow you to refine email content, send time, and targeting for better engagement and ROI. You can track these metrics inside email platforms like Omnisend. 

Drives repeat purchases for ecommerce 

When someone joins your email marketing list or makes a purchase, you can send targeted messages that bring them back. These include product recommendations, restock alerts, and special offers. 

In fact, according to Gorgias, repeat customers make up only 21% of shoppers, but generate 44% of revenue and 46% of orders. They also generate 300% more revenue than first-time buyers. 

So, if you increase your repeat customers by 20%, you can increase revenue by up to 6%: 

Automation and efficiency 

Automated emails are triggered by real customer actions, so they reach people when interest is already high. This can lead to more engagement and sales. 

For example, a customer who leaves items in their cart can automatically receive a reminder email. New customers can get a welcome series, and past buyers get follow-ups. 

In fact, Omnisend reports one in three clicks on an automated email results in a purchase. On average, automated emails generate $2.87 per send, compared to just $0.18 for campaigns. 

Automated emails also deliver 24% higher open rates, 6x more clicks, and 19x higher conversion rates. 

Audience ownership 

Email marketing lets you own your audience. This means that no algorithm can decide who sees your messages and who doesn’t. 

On social media, algorithm changes can reduce visibility. For instance, if a social media platform changes its rules, or bans your account, you risk losing your followers. 

Additionally, on platforms like Instagram, the average engagement rate for business posts is only 0.45%, according to Statista. Meaning, most followers don’t interact with your content. With email marketing, you can tailor messages to specific audience segments and drive repeat business.        

Challenges of email marketing 

Let’s break down three of the most common challenges of email marketing for ecommerce stores. We’ll also share practical tips on how you can mitigate them. 

Deliverability and spam filters: Sender reputation, SPF, and DKIM 

Email deliverability is about making sure your emails actually land in subscribers’ inboxes. Some emails may get blocked or land in the spam folder. One big reason for this is sender reputation. 

This is a score that email providers, like Gmail, give your email address or domain: 

• Higher score means emails are more likely to reach inboxes
• Lower score means emails might be marked as spam

Email providers consider spam complaints, bounces, and past sending behavior to calculate this score. 

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) also affect sender reputation. These technical records prove emails are really from you. Think of them as official stamps showing that you’re allowed to send emails from your domain. Without them, servers may reject emails.

For ecommerce, poor deliverability affects revenue. Abandoned cart, promotion, or product emails that don’t reach customers result in lost sales. Use email marketing tools like Omnisend that can automatically set up SPF and DKIM. This ensures emails actually reach your subscribers. 

Inbox competition and email fatigue: How to stand out

Crowded inboxes can lead to email fatigue, where users ignore or unsubscribe from generic messages. In fact, according to Zero Bounce, 43% of people unsubscribe from being emailed too often.  

To stand out, you need to move beyond mass campaigns to personalized experiences based on browsing or buying behavior. 

According to Omnisend, personalized automated messages delivered 52% higher open rates, 332% higher click rates, and 2,361% higher conversion rates. 

Start by segmenting your audience based on behavior:

• Shoppers who abandoned carts
• First-time buyers
• Users browsing specific product categories

Then, set up automated workflows in tools like Omnisend triggered by these actions. Personalize subject lines and content to match shopper interests. This keeps messages relevant, reduces fatigue, and drives repeat purchases. 

Costs and scaling: Understanding ESP pricing 

Most ESPs charge based on subscriber count and email volume. Some ESPs have tiered pricing: 

• Free triers for smaller lists (~250 contacts)
• Paid tiers for bigger lists and advanced features (segmentation, A/B testing, or detailed reports) 

As you add more contacts to your list and send more monthly emails, your costs rise. If your ESP costs grow faster than the sales your emails generate, your ROI drops. Choosing the right ESP early matters.

For example, tools like Omnisend use contact-based pricing with tiers so you can estimate how costs will grow as your list expands:  

• Free: 250 contacts and 500 emails/month
• Standard: 16/month for 500 contacts and 6,000 emails
• Pro: 59/month for 2,500 and unlimited emails
• Custom: Contact sales team 

Omnisend is built for scaling ecommerce businesses. Compared to competitors, it offers SMS messaging, unlimited segments, and 24/7 support even on the Free plan.

Types of email marketing campaigns 

In this section, we explain top email marketing campaign types, why they work, and show real brand’s email marketing examples.

Tools like Omnisend offer pre-built automations for these email types. For ecommerce marketing, you can launch welcome, abandoned cart, or post-purchase automations in minutes.

Welcome emails 

These are the first emails sent when someone subscribes or makes a purchase in your store. You should send welcome emails within minutes to increase initial engagement. In fact, they have the highest click-to-conversion rate at 50.98% according to Omnisend.

For example, Revival’s welcome email uses a friendly tone, simple design, and a strong offer. It grabs attention with a clear $40 discount and a bold “SHOP NOW” CTA. This is effective because it drives immediate conversions: 

Promotional emails 

These emails highlight discounts, special offers, or limited-time deals. They can be used to increase sales for welcome sequences or cart abandonment. You can also use promotional emails during holidays (like Black Friday). 

They’re effective at converting hesitant buyers into repeat customers by using personalized offers based on behaviour. 

For example, GOAT’s email highlights “over $10M in prizes,” with a “Download now” CTA. This creates excitement around the event and gets more people to download the app: 

Abandoned cart emails 

These are automated reminders sent to shoppers who add items to their cart but don’t complete a purchase. They highlight items left behind, often with images, prices, discounts, and a link back to the cart. Send them within one to two hours after cart abandonment. 

Omnisend reports that welcome and abandoned cart emails drove 76% of automation-generated orders in 2025.

This email marketing example starts with a headline “Forgot something?”. The CTA “Keep shopping” and benefits (Free shipping & returns) build trust and nudges people to complete their purchase: 

Newsletter emails 

These educate, inform, and build loyalty rather than drive a hard sale. They often include behind-the-scenes content or tips on how to use products. Send newsletter emails weekly to keep your brand top-of-mind.

For example, this email starts with “How to make matcha latte at home.” The “Have your Matcha moment” CTA encourages engagement without forcing purchases. It also includes a matcha recipe. This builds trust and increases the likelihood of future purchases:

Post-purchase and order confirmation emails 

Sent immediately after purchase, these confirm orders and include shipping details. Use them to reassure customers their transaction was successful.

They’re effective because they reduce anxiety and keep buyers informed. They also open opportunities for cross-sells and reviews.

Homes Alive Pets nails its post-purchase email with a warm thank-you that makes customers feel valued. The email is concise, features pet images, and provides order and contact details. It also gently encourages future purchases: 

Re-engagement and win-back emails 

These target inactive customers who haven’t opened emails or made purchases recently. They often use discounts or free shipping to boost opens and conversions.

A well-timed “last chance” offer can win back shoppers before they switch to competitors.

This Sourse email starts with a subject line “We’ll give you 25% off to open this email.” This immediately creates curiosity and helps increase open rates. The “Goodbye” drives sales and reactivates customers:

Product launch and announcement emails 

These campaigns generate excitement for new products or services.

You can use them to reach your most loyal customers first by providing early access. This helps generate sales before the official launch.

For example, Ray-Ban’s email includes a bold product image. The “Preorder now” CTA signals early access, making subscribers feel special. This is one of the best product launch emails that drives early sales, and gauges demand for the new product: 

Feedback and survey request emails 

Such emails ask customers for feedback on a product. Send them after a purchase to collect insights while the experience is fresh. You can use this data to improve customer experience and products.

For example, Chewy’s product review email is polite and direct. It lists the purchased items, with clear CTAs, so customers can easily leave reviews. This helps build social proof and brand trust: 

Seasonal and holiday emails

These are time-sensitive campaigns tailored for holidays. They’re used to capture high-intent traffic during peak shopping times. They’re effective when they include urgency, such as limited-time deals.

For example, Beats uses “Last chance to shop our holiday sale” in the email subject line to create FOMO. The email features a minimal layout, product images, an “under $100” offer, and a simple “Shop” CTA: 

Email marketing 101: What beginners need to know 

To start email marketing, you need to collect subscribers, manage your email list, send campaigns, automate messages, and track performance. Let’s break this down.

Signup forms

Signup forms are a way to collect emails to grow your list. You can place them across various points of your website, such as the homepage, in the footer, within blog posts, or during checkout. 

You can also choose from different types of signup forms (we’ll break these down in a later section): 

• Embedded forms
• Popups
• Gamified forms

In fact, gamified popups outperform traditional popups, according to Omnisend. They achieve 3.5% higher conversions, so you should include these for rapid email list building. You should also wait six to 10 seconds to display popups. Immediate popup displays tend to underperform. 

In your signup form, only ask for essential information. Usually, a first name and email address. Asking for too much information makes the signup process tedious. 

Here’s a great example of a high-converting signup form from Omnisend with multiple steps. The popup first offers a 10% discount. Clicking ‘Yes, get 10% off’ triggers a second popup requesting an email. This encourages purchases while growing your list: 

Your email list

A high-quality email list is the foundation of a successful email marketing strategy. Always build your email list from scratch, even if you start with just 10 subscribers. 

Avoid purchased lists, as they may contain outdated, inactive, or spam-trap addresses. In fact, Zero Bounce reports that 23% of email lists decay each year. This can happen to purchased lists, too. 

As a result, you could have higher bounce rates, low engagement, and a damaged sender reputation. Purchased contacts also haven’t consented to your emails, which can lead to privacy violations and legal trouble.

Campaigns

An email campaign is a one-time message sent to subscribers for a specific purpose — like announcing a sale, launching a product, or sharing a newsletter. Some of the best email marketing campaign types are: 

• Welcome email: Introduce your brand and thank subscribers for signing up
• Promotional campaign: Highlight flash sales, discounts, or exclusive offers
• Newsletter: Share updates, tips, blogs, or behind-the-scenes content
• Product spotlight: Showcase new arrivals or bestsellers with compelling product images and messaging

Always make sure your campaigns are designed for mobile. According to Statista, 2.3% of ecommerce conversions come from mobile. Mailbutler reports that around 75% of Gmail users checked their inboxes on mobile devices in 2024.

Start with one email campaign per week to gauge your audience’s preferences. For example, in tools like Omnisend, you can set up subject lines for bestseller items to grab attention, then a preheader like “Spruce your summer uniforms: Our Best Selling Dresses” to support the offer: 

Automations

While campaigns are one-time sends, email automations run 24/7 and trigger based on subscriber actions like signups or cart abandonment. When starting out, prioritize these automations:

• Welcome series: Automatically welcome new subscribers and guide them through your brand and offerings
• Abandoned cart emails: Remind customers about items left in their cart to recover lost sales
• Order and shipping confirmations: Update customers about the status of their orders

According to Omnisend statistics, one in two people who click on welcome and abandoned cart emails make a purchase. Additionally, order confirmation emails convert 22x better than campaign emails. 

Tools like Omnisend allow you to set up automations in minutes without manual intervention. AI features like subject line and preheader generators create high-engagement copy. AI product recommenders also personalize email content based on past subscriber behavior. 

Segmentation and personalization 

Segmentation lets you divide your audience into groups based on behavior, so you can send more personalized emails. This helps increase opens, clicks, and conversions. You can segment your email list based on: 

• Demographics like age, gender, job, and geographic location
• Customer lifecycle, such as new customer, repeat buyer, or at-risk of churning
• Purchase behavior, such as new vs. returning customers
• Sign up sources

In fact, email segmentation is one of the most powerful personalization strategies in email marketing, according to Litmus. 25% of marketers rank it as the top tactic for improving email performance.   

Platforms like Omnisend automatically update segments in real time based on customer actions and profiles. Omnisend’s AI segment builder goes further. You simply describe the audience you want (like “high‑value recent buyers”), and it creates the segment for you. 

Metrics that matter

After sending your first email campaign, how do you determine if it was successful or not? You need to measure the following email marketing metrics:

• Open rate: Measures the percentage of recipients who opened your email. A high open rate means your subject lines are compelling. Based on Omisend’s report, aim for open rates of 30% – 40%.
• Click-through rate (CTR): Tracks the number of people who clicked on links within your email. A high CTR shows engaging content and effective CTAs. According to Litmus, global average CTR is around 2.3%. 
• Unsubscribe rate: Percentage of recipients who opt out. A few unsubscribes are normal, but spikes may signal issues with email relevance or send frequency. Average unsubscribe rate should be ~0.2%, according to Omnisend. 
• Conversion rate: Percentage of recipients who completed a desired action. It reflects your campaign’s effectiveness. Omnisend reported average click-to-conversion rate was 31.2% for automations in 2025. 
• Bounce rate: Percentage of emails not delivered. High bounce rates indicate outdated or invalid addresses. Average email bounce rate is ~0.3%, according to Omnisend.

You track all these metrics in real time with Omnisend’s reports. 

How to start email marketing in five simple steps

To start email marketing successfully for beginners, we’ve broken down the process into the following five easy steps. 

1. Choose an email marketing platform

You should pay extra attention to this step. There are multiple email marketing platforms (like Hubspot, Mailchimp, or Omnisend) to choose from. 

However, a good platform helps you manage your subscriber list efficiently, automate campaigns, and track performance using detailed analytics. It also ensures your emails comply with data privacy laws, and it provides reliable customer support. 

Omnisend is one of the most powerful all-in-one marketing solutions for both small and scaling ecommerce stores. It offers a free plan with all the essential features you need to get started, such as an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, pre-built email automations, and 24/7 support. 

2. Add your first signup form

Once you’ve chosen your platform, it’s time to start growing your list by adding your first signup form to your website. 

Your form should be easy to spot. You can also provide incentives like a discount, exclusive updates, or early access to products in exchange for signups. This value should be stated clearly in the signup form. You can choose between different types of forms, including:

• A prominent popup that appears based on user behavior, such as exit intent
• An embedded form to place on your homepage or footer
• A gamified form offering discounts or prizes in exchange for emails

3. Create a welcome email

The next step is crafting your welcome email. It’s one of the most important emails you’ll send, as it sets the tone for your relationship with a new subscriber.

Welcome emails have some of the highest open rates. Based on Omnisend data, they reached an impressive 33.79% open rate in 2025. The key is to send welcome emails right after someone subscribes, since this is when they’re most interested in your brand.

Here’s how to make a great first impression with your welcome email:

• Express gratitude for subscribing
• Briefly introduce your brand
• Offer a discount or exclusive deal 
• Set expectations on what’s coming next

Here’s a welcome email template from Omnisend that you can customize: 

4. Send your first campaign

Email marketing isn’t complete until you send your first campaign. You can start with a simple product introduction, announcing one or two of your most popular items. Alternatively, you could offer an exclusive deal to encourage a first purchase.

Just ensure you consistently use your brand’s colors, fonts, logos, and tone of voice in every email. It helps reinforce brand recognition and build trust with your audience. 

5. Review and improve

The final step in our email marketing for beginners guide is tracking campaign performance and refining your strategy. It’s a continuous process that helps you learn what your audience likes and dislikes, and how to do better next time.

You can use Omnisend’s analytics to monitor key metrics like open, click-through, unsubscribe, and conversion rates. Based on the results, adjust one or two areas for your next email.

For instance, if your open rate is low, consider A/B testing different subject lines to see which one performs better. You can also fix a low CTR by using more compelling CTAs.

Email marketing regulations: CAN-SPAM, GDPR, CASL

Email marketing compliance requires you to adhere to three main regulations: 

• CAN-SPAM (USA)
• GDPR (EU/UK)
• CASL (Canada)

These laws protect recipients and ensure you send emails responsibly. For example, CAN-SPAM applies to all commercial emails sent to USA recipients. Senders must avoid deceptive subject lines, include a valid physical address, and provide an easy unsubscribe option. FTC reports violations can cost up to $53,088 per email. 

GDPR protects data privacy for EU and UK residents. You must obtain explicit opt-in consent (no pre-checked boxes), and allow users to access or delete their information. 

Fines can reach €20 million or 4% of global annual turnover, according to the European Commission. Always choose an email marketing tool that automates consent collection, double opt-in, and GDPR-compliant data handling, like Omnisend. 

Lastly, CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation) applies to all commercial messages sent to and from Canada. It requires opt-in consent, clear sender identification, and unsubscribe options. CRTC mentions that the penalty per violation is $1 million for individuals and $10 million for businesses. 

By using tools like Omnisend, your emails are automatically aligned with consent, double opt-in, and privacy requirements. 

Omnisend also helps you avoid spam traps. These are fake or inactive email addresses set up by email clients (like Gmail) to catch senders who don’t maintain clean lists. In Omnisend, you can simply segment out old and non-engaged contacts to maintain a clean list. 

Omnisend also supports high email deliverability by ensuring proper authentication (SPF and DKIM covered in a previous section of this article). 

Why Omnisend is built for email marketing success

Omnisend is an email marketing platform made for ecommerce businesses of all sizes. It helps you build, automate, and optimize email campaigns and automations that drive revenue. 

Let’s break down some of the most important Omnisend features you’ll get to help you increase email marketing ROI: 

• Pre-built workflows that generate revenue: Omnisend comes with ready-to-launch automation workflows. These include welcome series, abandoned cart reminders, post-purchase follow-ups, and win-back campaigns. They’re all designed to convert subscribers into customers without manually setting up each email. 

To set up your workflows in Omnisend, go to the Automations tab → Create Workflow, and choose a pre‑built template like welcome or abandoned cart. Then start customizing it: 

• Drag-and-drop editor: This lets you design emails by dragging text, images, buttons, products, and other blocks into your layout, no coding needed: 

• Ecommerce-native integrations: Omnisend connects directly with Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, BigCommerce, WordPress.Your store data, including products, customers, and purchase history, syncs automatically. You also get access to 160+ tested integrations like analytics tools, CRMs, and marketplaces (like Amazon).  
• Award-winning 24/7 customer support: With a Stevie Award for 4,500+ five-star reviews, Omnisend provides 24/7 customer support on all pricing plans, including Free. You even receive full support when migrating to Omnisend. 

Start your first email marketing campaign today 

Email marketing is one of the most effective and affordable ways to connect with your audience, nurture leads, and drive revenue. You don’t need years of experience to get started.

With the right tools and strategies, email marketing can increase revenue and give you insights on how to optimize emails. You only need to start building your first list. Then, follow the rest of the steps in this email marketing guide to launch a successful campaign.

Tools like Omnisend can support you on this journey with pre-built workflows, integrations, drag-and-drop editor, AI features, and responsive support.

Key takeaways: 

• Build a targeted email list to create a direct, high-converting communication channel
• Launch your first campaign quickly using automation workflows proven templates with Omnisend
• Track performance and optimize emails over time to consistently increase ROI

FAQs