HOW WE WORK
Email marketing for e-commerce and SMEs
Email is still the channel that sells the most per euro invested, as long as it is relevant, segmented and properly measured. This guide shows how we build an email marketing strategy from scratch.
1. Building a quality list
The list is the most valuable asset in email marketing, and unlike social media followers, you own it. We grow the list with discreet forms on the site, pop-ups with a welcome offer, a subscription option at checkout and content lead magnets (guides, checklists, samples) for people not yet ready to buy.
We never buy lists. Besides breaching GDPR, they destroy the domain's reputation and send even the emails to real customers into spam.
Can I use my current contact list? Yes, as long as it is a list of contacts who have given consent (opt-in). We carry out an initial audit to check the quality of the list and suggest a clean-up if necessary.
2. Deliverability: reaching the inbox
Since 2024, Google and Yahoo require domain authentication, one-click unsubscribe and a very low spam complaint rate from anyone sending email in volume. Without these, messages are filtered before anyone sees them.
How do you make sure emails do not end up in spam? We follow every deliverability best practice: SPF/DKIM/DMARC authentication, IP warm-up, list hygiene, optimised content and continuous reputation monitoring.
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC set up on the sending domain.
- Your own domain instead of the platform's generic one.
- List cleaning of inactive contacts and invalid addresses.
- Gradual warm-up when changing platform or domain.
3. The 6 automations every online store needs
Automations are email sequences sent when someone does (or stops doing) something. They are set up once and work every day. These are the six we implement first:
- Welcome: introduces the brand and turns a new subscriber into a first purchase.
- Abandoned cart: recovers sales left halfway, usually in 2 or 3 emails.
- Post-purchase: says thank you, explains how to use the product, asks for a review and suggests the next step.
- Win-back: reactivates customers who have not bought for several months.
- Birthday: a personal message with a perk, with open rates well above average.
- Lead nurturing: in B2B, follows the lead with useful content until they are ready to talk to sales.
4. Segmentation: the right message for each person
Sending the same email to the whole list is the fastest way to increase unsubscribes. We segment by behaviour (products viewed, purchases, clicks), by value (VIP customers, one-time buyers) and by moment (new subscribers, at-risk customers).
With segmentation, each campaign goes to fewer people but sells more, and the domain reputation improves because messages are opened and clicked.
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5. Newsletters people want to open
A newsletter is not a catalogue. The ones that work mix useful content (tips, guides, industry news) with offers, have a clear subject line and a single main call to action. We set a monthly editorial calendar aligned with your campaigns, launches and seasonal dates.
6. Email design and copy
More than half of emails are opened on a phone. Our templates are responsive, lightweight, use real text (not images of text) and large buttons. We write subject lines and preheaders that tell readers what they gain by opening, and we test variations.
Do you create the email content? Yes! Our team creates all the content, including copywriting, design and images. In the Starter package we use standard templates; in the Growth and Scale packages we create custom designs.
7. A/B testing and optimisation
We test one variable at a time: subject line, send time, offer, main image or button position. Each test has a clear winner and what we learn is applied to the next campaigns and to the automations.
8. Email marketing metrics that matter
Since Apple started opening emails automatically, open rate is no longer reliable as the main indicator. We mostly measure what happens next:
- Revenue per email sent and revenue attributed to automations.
- Click rate and campaign conversion rate.
- Net list growth (new subscribers minus unsubscribes).
- Spam complaints and bounces, to protect deliverability.
9. Email marketing and GDPR
In Europe, email marketing requires free, specific and informed consent, a record of when and how it was given, and a simple way to unsubscribe. We set up forms with the right consent boxes, double opt-in where it makes sense and data retention policies.
10. Klaviyo, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign or Brevo?
There is no single best email marketing platform for every business. The choice depends on the business type, list size and the integrations you need:
Which email marketing platform do you use? We work with the main platforms: Klaviyo, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and HubSpot. We recommend the best option based on your needs and integrations.
- Klaviyo: the most complete for e-commerce, with real-time purchase data from WooCommerce or Shopify and very fine segmentation. More expensive for large lists.
- Mailchimp: easy to use and good for newsletters and basic automations. A sensible place to start.
- ActiveCampaign: strong on complex automations and CRM, ideal for B2B and service businesses.
- Brevo: priced by send volume rather than contacts, useful for large lists with infrequent sends. Includes SMS.
11. How often to send emails
The right frequency is the one your list can take without unsubscribes going up. For most online stores, one or two newsletters a week work well, plus the automations, which are always welcome because they respond to a customer action. For B2B services, a monthly or fortnightly newsletter with valuable content is usually enough.
What matters most is consistency: a list that receives emails regularly has better deliverability than one that is only contacted for sales campaigns.
How many emails can I send per month? It depends on the platform chosen, but there is typically no sending limit. The number of newsletters and automations is set in each package, but we can adjust it to your needs.
12. Integrations with the store, the CRM and ads
Email marketing works best when it is connected to the rest of the business. We integrate the platform with WooCommerce or Shopify (purchases, viewed products, carts), with the CRM (lead stage, meetings) and with Meta Ads and Google Ads, to use email segments as ad audiences and exclude people who have already bought.
These integrations make it possible, for example, to send a replenishment email when a consumable product is running out, or to show an ad for another category to someone who has just bought.
13. Email marketing for service and B2B companies
For service companies, email marketing is mainly about building trust before the sale. A welcome sequence with client stories, answers to the most common objections and an invitation to a meeting converts better than any discount offer.
We also run newsletters for current clients, with news, tips and referral requests, because a satisfied client who is reminded regularly is the best source of new leads.
How much email marketing costs
onOrbit Marketing plans start at €290 a month (Starter, up to 5,000 contacts, 4 newsletters a month and 2 automations), then Growth at €590 (up to 25,000 contacts, unlimited automations and advanced segmentation) and Scale at €990 (unlimited contacts, dynamic personalisation and strategic consulting). The sending platform is paid separately and depends on list size.
For an online store with regular traffic, the welcome and abandoned cart automations are usually among the first to pay back the investment, because they recover sales that were almost made.