Triggered emails are extremely useful in saving retailers’ time and effort. They maintain customers’ trust, engagement and satisfaction, as well as the customers’ relationship with the retailers.

The automatic sending of an email can be triggered by endless triggers, which can be set and customized by the retailer (time after trigger, frequency, content, design, etc.).

So if you are setting up triggered emails, where should you begin?

Follow this list to find some of the most common and most useful triggered emails.

Welcome Email

When: activity-based trigger – after a sign-up or registration.

Why: primarily, to encourage them to start shopping and increase conversions.

Since this is the first email the new subscribers receive from you, it will also start a relationship with your customers, make them comfortable with your company, give them intel, engage with them and begin forming trust.

Welcome emails are extremely effective, as Experian found they induce 3 times more revenue per email than than regular promotional emails.

What:

– A ‘thank you’ or ‘welcome’ message.

– Information- about how to use the service, how the loyalty program works, the company’s story, some tips, the benefits of shopping with the company or of being a subscriber, contact information, etc.

– A discount, demo or freebie to encourage shopping.

Cart Abandonment Email

When: behavior-based trigger – when items in the cart are abandoned (first email to be sent in one hour after behavior happens).

Why: cart abandonment is a prevailing issue in e-commerce, for which emails are the most effective solution, with an average of 18% conversion rate. Find out how to implement such a strategy and what the best practices are.

What: different messages are appropriate for different numbered email and customers. Some messages include:

– Show the cart items abandoned.

– Personalized product recommendations.

– Monetary incentives (discounts, free shipping, etc.).

– Low stock alerts.

– Social proof (reviews, ratings, logos, etc.).

Inactive Email

When: inactivity-based trigger – after a set period of time a customer has not made a purchase (i.e. half a year).

Why: primarily, to remind inactive customers of your company, show you care about them, buid loyalty and encourage them to shop.

What:

– A ‘we miss you’ or ‘come back’ message.

– Personalized product recommendations – to help find more relevant products.

– Monetary incentives.

– Help (live chat, useful links) – if confusion stopped them from buying.

– Benefits of the company and of being a subscriber.

– Social proof (reviews, testimonials, etc.).

– Survey asking why they are not shopping – shows you care and able to be more helpful.

Product Update Email

When: event-based trigger –

– A product desired by the customer is back in stock (size, color, model).

– A product desired (cart/wishlist) drops in price.

Why: this alerts the customer of when a product they desire becomes a better match to their conditions (the needed fit or color, or a lower price). It encourages the customer to return to the site and shop it.

What: the main message is about the newly available version of the item. Other messages you can include are:

– Monetary incentive.

– Personalized product recommendations.

– Social proof.

Special Events Email

When: date-based or time-based trigger, sent at set time before –

– Customer’s birthday.

– Anniversary with the company.

– Special occasions, holidays and festivals (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc.).

– Loyalty programs-related (at a certain amount of collected points or before the customer needs to renew the subscription).

Why: these emails not only remind and entice customers to shop more but also build trust and loyalty due to the personalization of the message and the continued contact.

What: offer something of value that is specific for this event (time-limited to induce sense of urgency):

– Specific product recommendations about occasion.

– Monetary incentive.

– New, time-limited products (mostly occasion or holiday-related).

Order Confirmation (Transactional) Email

When: activity-based trigger – after the purchase is made.

Why: this email is crucial as it reduces the common post-purchase anxiety (that the order is made). This confirmation plus concising all the essential delivery information into one email create a sense of trust and build customer loyalty.  As a secondary effect, this email re-engages with the customer and builds up for a repeat purchase.

What:

– An ‘order complete’ and/or ‘thank you’ message.

– Essential information about transaction – items purchased, shipping address, link to order information, link to tracking of order progress, etc.

– Personalized product recommendations.

– A discount for the next purchase.

– Asking for feedback about the shopping experience.

Shipping Confirmation Email

When: activity-based trigger – after the items are shipped.

Why: similarly to the order confirmation email, this email mainly reduces anxiety that the items are shipped, builds trust and loyalty and encourages repeat purchases.

What:

– A ‘your items are shipped’ message.

– The same previous essential information.

– Asking for feedback about the shopping experience.

Product Delivered (Review) Email

When: activity-based trigger – when the product is delivered to the customer OR a set time (up to 2 weeks) after the purchase is made.

Why: There are three main reasons for this email. The first is to ensure the customer received the items and if not, to help with this issue. The second is to provide information to customers who wish to replace or return the product. The third is to obtain feedback about the experience (shopping, shipping, product and company). Feedback is important to:

– Re-engage with the customer.

– Show you care about them. Give satisfied customers rewards to encourage repeat purchases and give unsatisfied customers incentives and compensation.

– Improve your company according to feedback.

– Increase social proof on your site (reviews, testimonials, etc.).

What:

– A ‘thank you for purchasing’ message.

– Survey for feedback – quick and short and can provide incentive for filling it.

– Essential information: contact information, return and replacement information, etc.

Unsubscribe Email

When: behavior-based trigger – when the customer clicked to unsubscribe.

Why: this is your last chance to convince the customer to stay a subscriber and preserve your relationship.

What: a personal message expressing sadness about the decision and highlighting benefits of staying a subscriber.