10 Email Marketing Techniques That Win Customers (And Keep Them Coming Back)

In the world of ecommerce, email marketing is still king. With a return on investment of $36 for every $1 spent, it continues to be one of the most powerful tools brands can use to grow revenue, increase retention, and build long-term customer relationships. But let’s be honest—not all email campaigns are created equal.
Winning customers (and keeping them coming back), calls for a specific strategy. Growth Gurus, a top-tier email marketing services provider and Klaviyo email marketing agency, helps ecommerce brands build automated, high-converting campaigns that drive real results.
In this post, we’ll walk through 10 proven email marketing techniques that our team of email marketing specialists uses to turn browsers into buyers.
1. Use Customer Segmentation to Personalize Campaigns
One-size-fits-all doesn’t work in ecommerce. Personalization is the name of the game. By segmenting your list based on behavior, purchase history, geography, engagement level, or other data points, you can send more relevant messages that drive higher open and click-through rates.
Tip: Segment VIP customers and offer them early access to new products or exclusive discounts.
2. Craft Magnetic Subject Lines That Get Clicked
Your subject line is your first (and sometimes only) chance to make an impression. It needs to spark curiosity, create urgency, or promise value.
Here are some quick wins:
- Use numbers: “3 Products You’ll Love This Season”
- Ask a question: “Ready to Glow This Summer?”
- Create FOMO: “Last Chance to Save 25%”
Pro Tip: Always A/B test your subject lines. As a leading email marketing specialist, Growth Gurus helps clients fine-tune messaging to improve open rates.
3. Leverage Welcome Series to Build Trust Early
Your welcome email (or better yet, welcome series) sets the tone for your entire relationship with the customer. Use this opportunity to:
- Tell your brand story
- Offer a discount or free shipping
- Highlight bestsellers or customer favorites
- Set expectations about future emails
A well-structured welcome flow builds brand affinity and increases first-purchase conversion rates. Our ecommerce email marketing agency creates multi-step welcome journeys tailored to your audience segments.
4. Use Storytelling to Create Emotional Connections
Email should be focused on connecting. Share your founder’s story, customer testimonials, behind-the-scenes content, or user-generated photos. These moments of storytelling humanize your brand and increase loyalty.
5. Time Your Emails for Maximum Engagement
Send time matters. Different audiences engage at different times of day and week. Klaviyo allows brands to optimize send times based on previous engagement behavior.
Instead of guessing, trust the data. Test and analyze when your customers are most likely to open and interact with your emails.
Bonus: Growth Gurus helps clients set up automated flows and campaigns that send at the perfect moment for each recipient.
6. Incorporate SMS for a Multi-Channel Follow-Up
Email and SMS are better together. While email is perfect for in-depth content, SMS shines for short, time-sensitive messages. Combining both in a coordinated flow (like for abandoned carts or back-in-stock alerts) increases your chances of conversion.
A full-service ecommerce email marketing agency can build integrated email and SMS strategies to maximize touchpoints and revenue.
7. Make CTAs Clear, Compelling, and Clickable
Your email should have one clear purpose. And that purpose needs to be backed by a strong CTA (call-to-action).
Best practices:
- Use buttons, not just links
- Keep CTAs action-oriented: “Shop Now,” “Claim Your Discount,” “See What’s New”
- Test placement, color, and copy for performance
With Growth Gurus, every email design is conversion-optimized and A/B tested for maximum impact.
8. Automate Lifecycle Campaigns for Consistent Revenue
Automations are where the real magic happens. Lifecycle emails are triggered by customer behavior and sent at just the right time.
Essential flows include:
- Welcome Series
- Abandoned Cart
- Post-Purchase Thank You
- Review Requests
- Winback Campaigns
As a certified Klaviyo email marketing agency, Growth Gurus sets up powerful automations that keep revenue flowing even when you’re off the clock.
9. Create a Value-Driven Content Calendar
Email marketing should incorporate information beyond promotions. Build a content calendar that delivers consistent value to your audience.
Mix it up with:
- Educational content
- Product spotlights
- Brand stories
- Seasonal campaigns
- Subscriber-only perks
Our team works closely with ecommerce brands to develop strategic calendars aligned with launches, holidays, and audience interests.
10. Always Test, Measure, and Optimize
Every email is an opportunity to learn. Use A/B testing to experiment with subject lines, layouts, CTA buttons, and more.
Key metrics to track:
- Open Rate
- Click Rate
- Conversion Rate
- Revenue per Email
- Unsubscribe Rate
Growth Gurus provides performance reporting and optimization strategies as part of our full-service email marketing services.
Bonus Tip: Keep Your List Healthy with Regular Cleanups
Deliverability is everything. A disengaged list hurts your sender reputation and lowers your open rates.
Every few months, run a re-engagement campaign to win back inactive subscribers. If they still don’t engage, remove them. It may seem scary, but your open and click rates will thank you.
With the right strategy and list hygiene process, Growth Gurus ensures your emails hit the inbox-not the spam folder.
Final Thoughts: Email Marketing That Actually Works
Winning customers requires strategy, personalization, automation, and a relentless focus on data.
Growth Gurus is an email marketing specialist and strategic partner for ecommerce businesses looking to:
- Increase conversions
- Improve customer retention
- Scale revenue through automated email flows
- Integrate Klaviyo with SMS, Shopify, and more
For ecommerce brands seeking expert support, Growth Gurus is the email marketing services provider of choice.