The email and SMS flows every ecommerce brand needs
Mrktgrowth Strategies · Updated
Short answer
Most ecommerce brands should build a small set of automated flows before sending more campaigns: a welcome series, browse and cart abandonment, post-purchase onboarding, a replenishment or cross-sell flow, and a win-back flow for lapsed customers. These flows run every day without new work and turn existing traffic into repeat revenue.
Flows versus campaigns
Campaigns are one-time sends to a segment, like a launch or a sale. Flows are automated sequences triggered by what a customer does. Flows should come first because they keep working after they are built.
The core flows, in build order
Build these in order, test each one, then move to the next.
- Welcome series: introduces the brand to new subscribers and leads to a first purchase.
- Cart and checkout abandonment: reminds shoppers who started checking out.
- Browse abandonment: follows up on product views from known subscribers.
- Post-purchase onboarding: confirms the order, sets expectations, and helps customers get value from the product.
- Replenishment or cross-sell: suggests the next purchase based on what was bought.
- Win-back: re-engages customers who have not purchased in a while.
Where SMS fits
SMS works best for time-sensitive, high-intent messages such as cart reminders and launches. Keep it short, collect clear consent, and use it less often than email.
What to measure
Open rates are less reliable than they used to be because of privacy features, so judge flows mainly by clicks, orders, and revenue.
- Revenue attributed to each flow
- Conversion rate from the first message
- Repeat purchase rate
- Unsubscribe and spam complaint rates