Email automation for online stores: why start from day one

An abandoned cart, an unopened offer, a customer who bought once and disappeared - all of these are unused sales. Email automation helps win back part of them without daily work: you set the sequences up once, and after that the emails send themselves.

Why email still works

Social media algorithms keep changing and advertising gets more expensive. The email list belongs to you: an email reaches a person who agreed to receive it, and you do not pay for every impression as you do with ads. That is why email remains one of the cheapest ways to keep in touch with existing customers.

In this article we are not talking about mass newsletters but about automation: emails that send themselves when a customer takes a certain action. These bring the most benefit.

Omnisend: why we choose this tool

For WooCommerce stores we most often use Omnisend, although for simpler needs MailerLite is perfectly enough (it also has a free plan). We choose Omnisend for several reasons:

• Built for online stores - the features are tailored to e-commerce
• Easy integration with WooCommerce - products, carts and orders sync automatically
• A free plan up to 250 contacts - you can start without paying
• Ready-made automation templates - no need to build from scratch
• SMS and browser notifications - everything on one platform

5 email automation scenarios worth launching at once

1. Welcome series

A new subscriber gets a series of 2-3 emails: an introduction, value, a first offer. This way the person immediately learns what to expect and gets to know your brand.

2. Abandoned cart

According to the Baymard Institute (2025), on average about 70% of online store carts are abandoned before the purchase is completed. An automatic reminder sent after 1-4 hours brings part of these buyers back, so this scenario often pays off fastest.

3. Post-purchase emails

A thank-you, delivery information, a request to leave a review. This strengthens customer loyalty, and reviews help convince future buyers.

4. Repeat purchase reminder

If you sell products used every day, a reminder at about the time the product should run out can noticeably increase repeat purchases.

5. Winning back inactive customers

A customer has bought nothing for 60-90 days? An automatic campaign with a special offer helps win inactive buyers back.

What it costs

The free Omnisend plan lets you send up to 500 emails a month to 250 contacts - enough to start. As the contact base grows, the paid Standard plan costs from about 16 US dollars a month (prices change, so check before choosing).

Compared with the sales that can be won back, it is a small cost.

The most common mistakes

Even after launching automations, a few mistakes often reduce their benefit:

• Sending too often - if emails go out every day, customers quickly unsubscribe. We recommend no more than 2-3 automated emails a week to one contact.
• An unsegmented base - all customers get the same emails. Most email tools let you split contacts by purchase history, browsing behaviour and other criteria.
• Emails not adapted for phones - a large share of emails is opened on a phone, so check every template on a small screen before launching it.
• Results not tracked - without analytics you do not know what works. Watch open, click and conversion rates for every automation.

What else is worth sorting out in the store

Automations bring the most benefit when the store itself runs smoothly. If you do not have a store yet, start with the article on how to launch an online store in Lithuania: from choosing hosting to payments.

An email brings a buyer to the store, but if the page loads slowly, some visitors leave without buying. How to measure speed is covered in the article on Core Web Vitals.

Planning a budget? You will find indicative build prices on the pricing page, and the yearly running costs in the article on website maintenance cost.

Where to start

Starting is not complicated. First choose a tool and connect it to the store. Then launch the three basic sequences: welcome emails, an abandoned cart reminder and post-purchase emails. They cover the most important moments - when a person subscribes, when they almost buy and when they have just bought.

If you already have a store, we can help connect an email tool to WooCommerce and configure the first sequences. Get in touch - we will discuss where it is worth starting in your case.

If you are only planning an online store, see online store development, and if you need to connect the store with other tools - system integrations and automation.