When you're developing an email marketing strategy for your online store, one of the first things you want to do is set up an email welcome series. That is a sequence of automated emails that introduces them to your brand and builds the customer relationship.

With an average open rate of 54% and a conversion rate of just over 2%, it's one of the highest-performing email flows, according to Klaviyo.

It serves as your potential customers' first introduction to your brand, can provide helpful information about your products, and help establish credibility with your audience.

Every ecommerce brand's welcome email sequences will (and should!) look different depending on what resonates with your target audience.

But at the core of many successful welcome sequences, there are seven types of emails to consider including. These will increase the chance that your subscribers will become customers.

1. Thank you email

The first thing to send your new subscribers in your welcome email sequence is a simple thank you message that welcomes them to your email list. Remember: It's a privilege to earn a spot in their inboxes. A quick thank you can go far in starting your relationship on the right foot.

It can include information about how often customers can expect to hear from you and what kind of content they'll receive, like special access to sales, new blog post notifications, or product development updates.

Consider including a letter from the founder or CEO. This can make the email feel more personal and relatable.

2. Incentive email

If you promised your new subscriber a special treat for signing up for your email list, you'll want to send that right away. Have you ever subscribed to a newsletter that promised a discount code, only to get it hours later after you had already purchased? Not a good experience.

Or perhaps you were offered a free downloadable, like skincare tips from a beauty brand based on your skin type. But they sent it the next day, and you've lost interest. That brand lost out on the opportunity to build a relationship with you.

So whether you've offered a discount, gift, product recommendation, free shipping, or exclusive content, include that early in your welcome sequence while your new subscribers are still excited.

3. Share your brand story

Email is an excellent opportunity to introduce your audience to your company. Share your brand story, your mission, and brand values.

You're not just your product, after all. Think about a company like Dove that associates itself with body positivity. Dove could just be a soap brand that gets your body clean. But it's more than that, and its customers resonate with the message.

So use your welcome messages as an opportunity to connect with potential customers on shared values that go beyond product benefits.

4. Product education emails

As your email subscribers get more familiar with your brand, it's worth surfacing your products' benefits. That can help them envision the product in their lives, understand how yours differ from your competitors', and answer common questions.

For example, if you sell running shoes, a welcome message could include tips on how to find shoes with the right fit for your foot shape and the ideal level of cushioning.

You could include a product walkthrough for technical or feature-rich products. Or you could show a product in use for common use cases. For example, if you sell a digital drawing tablet, you can show how someone uses it to create art in various ways.

5. Helpful emails

General education emails related to your product, but not about it, are another great thing to include in a welcome email flow. You build your audience's perception as a trusted expert in your niche by being helpful to your audience in topics that relate to your products.

For example, a running shoe company could offer advice on landing strikes and injury prevention. A cookware brand could share recipes. And an organization accessories store can offer tips on decluttering.

6. Social proof email

Social proof is powerful. It can help build trust with potential customers and increase conversions.

So including email content that highlights customer reviews or testimonials, user-generated content, press coverage, or awards your brand has won are all great ways to show your brand's value and legitimacy.

7. Incentive reminder email

Finally, send reminders about any special offers your subscribers haven't taken advantage of yet -- if you gave them a discount for signing up to your email list, for instance.

If a customer didn't purchase from your initial welcome email, consider sending a reminder a few days later. Perhaps after you've had a chance to educate them on your brand and products.

And if they still don't act, send one final reminder before the offer expires.

Find the email welcome series that works best for your brand

The key to creating a successful welcome email series is to build relationships with your audience, provide value, and test, test, test!

You want to send enough emails to engage your audience effectively and entice them to make that first purchase, but not so many that you annoy them and cause them to unsubscribe.

So test the number of emails in your flow and their order. Also, test each email's copy, design, subject line, and CTAs to find what works best.

Keep an eye on clicks, conversions, and unsubscribes so you can find the best combination of engagement and revenue growth to determine welcome email performance.

Furthermore, once a customer purchases, move them out of your welcome flow. They don't need any more convincing at that point, and you're better off engaging them with a post-purchase flow.

Integrate welcome emails with SMS

As you build out your email welcome flow, it's worth considering how SMS might fit into it. SMS has an open rate of 95% within just three minutes. So text message marketing can be a great complement to email for short, actionable messages in your welcome emails like discount reminders or personalized product recommendations.

Emotive is an SMS marketing platform designed for ecommerce. Build audience segments to deliver personalized messages. Boost conversions and repeat purchases through automated two-way conversations. And connect to your email marketing software for a seamless customer experience.

Curious how Emotive can power your SMS program? Book a demo to learn more.