Why email automation delivers the best ROI in marketing
Email marketing generates an average $42 ROI for every $1 invested: the highest ROI of any digital marketing channel. But not just any email marketing. Mass campaigns (newsletters) get open rates of 20-25%. Behavioural automations get open rates of 45-65% and convert 5-15x better.
From managing 25+ Romanian online shops, we have identified 7 essential flows that, set up correctly, run on their own and generate sales every day without human intervention.
Flow #1: Welcome series
The first contact with a new subscriber is the most important one. The welcome email’s open rate is 50-70%: 3x higher than the average for other emails. You need to make the most of this window.
The optimal welcome series structure (3 emails in 7 days)
- Email 1 (immediately): Welcome + delivering on your promise (discount code, guide, promised content). Subject: “Welcome, [First name]! Here’s what we promised you ”
- Email 2 (day 3): Your brand story + what sets you apart. You build an emotional connection. No aggressive CTA.
- Email 3 (day 7): Best sellers + testimonials + a clear purchase CTA. Urgency: “Your welcome offer expires in 48h”
Weak: “Welcome to our community!”
Good: “Welcome, Maria! Your -15% code (expires in 48h) ”
Personalisation with the first name + a concrete benefit + urgency = a guaranteed 60%+ open rate.
Flow #2: Abandoned cart
70% of online shopping carts are abandoned. A well-configured abandoned cart flow recovers 10-15% of them. For a shop turning over 100,000 RON a month, that means 10,000-15,000 RON in additional revenue from emails that run on their own.
The 3-email abandoned cart sequence
- Email 1 (1h after abandonment): A simple reminder, no discount. “Forgotten something in your cart?” + product images + a big “Complete your order” CTA
- Email 2 (24h later): Address the objections. Social proof (testimonials for the products in the cart). You can offer a small discount (5-10%) if your margins allow.
- Email 3 (72h later): Last chance. Real urgency: “Limited stock” or “Offer ends today”. CTA: “Don’t miss this opportunity”
If you offer a discount in the first email, you teach customers to abandon their cart on purpose to get one. Test without a discount first. If the conversion rate is below 3%, add a discount in email 2 or 3.
Flow #3: Post-purchase
The most neglected sequence. Customers who have just bought are the most receptive to communication: they have just proved that they trust you. Used well, a post-purchase flow increases LTV (Lifetime Value) by 25-40%.
- Email 1 (immediately): Order confirmation + delivery details. Standard, but personalise it with a warm message.
- Email 2 (delivery day): “Your order has arrived!” + instructions for use/care + a link to tutorials
- Email 3 (7 days after delivery): Review request + a cross-sell offer for complementary products
- Email 4 (30 days later): Check-in: “Are you happy with your purchase?” + loyalty programme + referral invitation
Flow #4: Browse abandonment
A visitor who has viewed a product 3+ times in 48h is a warm lead. A browse abandonment flow targets exactly these users: they are interested but have not added anything to their cart (perhaps because of the price, uncertainty or a distraction).
Setup: trigger after 3+ views of the same product within 48h with no add to cart. Email: product image + key benefits + testimonials + CTA. Optional: “Want to know more? Chat with us.”
Flows 5, 6 and 7
Flow #5: Win-back (reactivating inactive customers)
Customers who have not bought anything in 90-180 days. A 3-email sequence: email 1, “We’ve missed you”; email 2, a special reactivation offer; email 3, last chance. If they don’t come back, remove them from your active list to protect your domain reputation.
Flow #6: VIP/loyalty programme
Identify your top 20% of customers by cumulative value and create a dedicated flow: early access to launches, exclusive discounts, previews. VIP customers have 5-7x the LTV of the average customer: they deserve special, automated treatment.
Flow #7: Product review request
Reviews are essential social proof. Set up an automated email 14 days after delivery with a simple review request. Include a direct link to the review page (Google, your website) and a small incentive: “Leave a review and get 50 RON credit towards your next order”.
Implementation: which platforms to use and how to set them up
Klaviyo: ideal for Shopify/WooCommerce, visual flows, advanced segmentation Mailchimp: entry-level, good for shops under 10k subscribers ActiveCampaign — flexibil, bun pentru B2B + B2C mixt Brevo (ex-Sendinblue): good value for money, EU servers (simpler GDPR) Recommendation: Klaviyo if you have Shopify + a decent budget. Brevo to get started.
Would you like us to implement these flows for your shop?
We set up all 7 flows in Klaviyo or ActiveCampaign and optimise them for your products.
Talk to us →FAQ
How long does it take to implement all 7 flows?
With the right resources, full implementation takes 2-4 weeks: 1 week of technical setup and integrations, 2 weeks of copywriting and design, 1 week of testing and adjustments. The flows start generating revenue from the first day they go live.
Do I need a developer for email automation?
For Klaviyo or Brevo, no. They are no-code platforms with visual interfaces. You only need a developer for the integration with your e-commerce platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento), and even that is often plug-and-play.
How many emails a month are too many?
Rule of thumb: a maximum of 8-12 emails a month per subscriber across all sources (automations + manual campaigns). If the unsubscribe rate exceeds 0.5% per email, reduce the frequency. Segmentation reduces fatigue: not every subscriber receives every email.