Email Marketing

10 Ways eCommerce Stores Can Drive Revenue From Transactional Emails

January 10, 2025
written by humans
10 Ways eCommerce Stores Can Drive Revenue From Transactional Emails

Today, let’s talk about how to turn the boring routine customer emails into something exciting (and a win-win) for both of you. 

Yes, we’re talking about transactional emails. 

98% of your customers read transactional emails daily and spend around 15-20 seconds reading them. 

64% of customers find these emails to be the most important to them.

chart showing importance of transactional emails

Sadly, most transactional email designs are boring and poorly optimized. 

As a result, they don’t always bring sales—leaving a lot of money on the table.

This blog will explore how to maximize transactional emails from mere confirmations into valuable moments that encourage higher-order values, inspire repeat purchases, and foster deeper connections with your customers. 

Let’s dive into actionable strategies to transform your transactional emails into powerful revenue drivers.

1. Add subliminal cues in your order confirmation emails 

Order confirmation emails are often automated transactional emails that brands send customers after placing orders successfully, reiterating important information like order details, delivery date, and order tracking number.

It generates the most significant open and click-through rates, making it the most potent transactional email you could send.

Order confirmation emails offer you a potent sales weapon; see how:

Some best practices on how to design transaction emails:

✅ Visual Order Progress Bar

The progress bar gives recipients a clear sense of their order status. It reduces anxiety and creates anticipation, reinforcing transparency.

✅ Product Thumbnail with Summary

A thumbnail and a summary remind customers of their purchase, reducing confusion. It adds a touchpoint for reassurance, especially in multi-item orders.

Pro Tip:

  • If there’s space, include an "Add to Wishlist" button for additional items or accessories to increase follow-up purchases.

✅ Get Updates by Text

Offering SMS updates provides flexibility and enhances communication channels, catering to customer preferences.

✅ ‘Did You Know’ Fact About the Brand

A brand fact adds personality, reinforces values, and makes the interaction more memorable. It can create emotional engagement and build brand loyalty.

Keep it brief, and ensure it connects with the overall brand tone. For example, include a clickable link to learn more or support the cause.

Transactional email design example:

2. Incentivize your brand survey emails for future purchases 

Fact: 61% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase decision.

People love being helpful. 

Let your customers know that others are reading their reviews and it’s helping them shop better. 

This will spur them into giving more honest reviews.

Some best practices on how to design transaction emails:

✅ Reward for Survey Completion

Offering a monetary reward for completing a survey is a strong motivator, creating a direct value exchange that drives participation.

Pro Tip: Clearly state the reward upfront and emphasize it in both the subject line and the body of the email. For example, "Complete our survey and earn $50 instantly!" This ensures recipients immediately understand the value.

✅ Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

The email features a prominent, action-oriented CTA button, such as "Take the Survey," that is visually distinct.

Pro Tip: Use contrasting colors for the CTA button to make it stand out. 

Add a sense of urgency by pairing it with text like "Limited time only" or "Act now."

✅ Prompt to Refer a Friend

Adding a referral prompt encourages viral growth and introduces new customers. 

Pair it with incentives for both the referrer and the referee to boost participation.

Pro Tip: Integrate a seamless sharing mechanism (e.g., clickable links or social media icons) and provide a reward for referrals. For instance: “Loved taking the survey? Share it with your friends, and you’ll both earn $10 when they complete it!”

Transactional email design example:

3. Establish trust with genuine support 

An FAQ-based transactional email that addresses a shopper’s concerns in real-time is a great way to improve customer experience and establish trust. 

It also frees up time spent dealing with repetitive questions, letting you focus on more pressing things.

Some best practices on how to design transaction emails:

✅ Clear FAQ Structure

The email is structured with a series of FAQs, offering recipients relevant information in a digestible format. This approach ensures clarity and answers common customer questions.

Pro Tip: Group FAQs logically by topic (e.g., shipping, returns, order status) and use collapsible sections or expandable accordions to avoid overwhelming readers with too much text.

✅ Interlinking for Easy Navigation

Link to relevant resources and related FAQs so shoppers can explore more without feeling lost. It encourages self-service and reduces customer support requests.

Pro Tip: Use anchor links to navigate directly to specific questions within the email, creating a seamless user experience.

✅ One Major CTA ("Start Shopping")

A clear, single CTA keeps focus on the desired action, reducing distractions.

Pro Tip: Place the CTA at the bottom of the email, but ensure it’s large, prominent, and stands out visually. Use contrasting colors to differentiate it from the rest of the content.

Transactional email design example:

4. Be transparent and communicate your store policies

Clear communication is key to providing a seamless shopping experience. 

So, design transactional emails that not only keep your customers informed but also drive engagement.

Some best practices on how to design transaction emails:

✅ Communicate Store Policies Clearly

Provide clear, accessible information about your store’s policies (shipping, returns, warranty, etc.) right within the email.

Pro Tip: 

Use bullet points or collapsible FAQ sections to explain policies such as:

  • Shipping & Delivery: Expected timelines, tracking links, and shipping restrictions.
  • Returns & Exchanges: Conditions, return window, return labels, restocking fees.
  • Product Categories: Link directly to relevant product categories for easy navigation.

✅ Different Product Categories

Let shoppers explore more product categories based on their purchase, reducing friction for future purchases.

Pro Tip:

  • Use prominent buttons or links that encourage customers to explore related categories or bestsellers. Example: "Shop More [Product Category]"
  • Based on their recent purchase, recommend other relevant product categories to ensure upselling opportunities.

✅ Promote Social Channels

Encourage social engagement with social media links. Show customers that you’re active on the platforms they use.

Pro Tip:

  • Visibility: Include social icons in the footer or within the email body for easy access.
  • Engage via Visual Content: Share posts, updates, or customer reviews that build trust and show product usage on social platforms.
  • CTA for Social Sharing: “Follow Us on Instagram for the Latest Updates!”

Transactional email design example:

5. Remind subscribers about their loyalty rewards

People are four times more likely to purchase a product when referred by a friend, and the customer LTV is 16% higher than non-referred customers.

Use incentivized referrals in transactional emails to expand your reach, dive into uncertain terrains, piggyback off people’s goodwill, and get sales from their social gang.

Some best practices on how to design transaction emails:

✅ Clear Headline to Grab Attention

  • A clear and concise headline reminds subscribers of their loyalty rewards and encourages immediate engagement.
  • Example: "You’re Almost There! 3 More Referrals to Your Free Gift!"

Pro Tip:

Use phrases like "Don’t Miss Out!" or "Time’s Running Out!" to create urgency and emphasize the benefit of completing their rewards.

✅ Visual Countdown to Freebie

  • A visual countdown, like a progress bar or icon, gives a clear, at-a-glance view of how many referrals are needed to unlock the reward.
  • Helps create a sense of achievement and motivates the subscriber to refer more friends.

Pro Tip:

Display the exact number of referrals left to create a clear milestone, inspiring shoppers to refer their friends.

Transactional email design example:

6. Extract more value per sale from your transactional emails

Transactional emails, such as order confirmations, shipping notifications, and delivery updates, are essential touchpoints in the customer journey. 

They provide crucial information, but they also offer a significant opportunity to drive additional sales.

Some best practices on how to design transaction emails:

✅ Boost AOV with Cross-Sells & Upsells

Suggesting related or complementary products right in the transactional email can encourage additional purchases.

Pro Tip:

  • Suggest products related to the customer’s recent purchase, ensuring relevance.
  • Use a button like “Shop Related Products” to guide shoppers toward additional purchases.
  • Offer bundles or discounts when they add certain items, enhancing the value per sale.

✅ Influence Purchase Decisions

Including a customer review or rating from similar products helps build trust and encourages future purchases.

Pro Tip:

  • Show a review from customers who purchased the same or similar product.
  • Prompt customers to leave a review in exchange for a discount or loyalty points.

✅ Social Media Hashtag Integration

Encouraging social engagement through branded hashtags so customers can share their experiences, building brand awareness and loyalty.

Pro Tip:

  • Highlight user-generated content and encourage customers to share their purchases with the hashtag.
  • Offer discounts or entry into giveaways for shoppers who share their purchases via social media.

Transactional email design example:

7. Don’t forget to enhance your welcome emails

Transactional emails such as welcome emails let you connect with new shoppers for the first time. 

They provide an opportunity to maximize your first impression, alleviate shoppers' anxiety, and connect them emotionally with the brand.

It generates four times more opens and five times more clicks than regular emails—offering you an opportunity to leverage them for more sales.

Some best practices on how to design transaction emails:

✅ Minimalist Design

A clean, uncluttered design creates a fresh, modern look that’s easy to read and visually appealing.

This helps to focus attention on key messages like introducing your brand and guiding shoppers through their next steps.

Pro Tip:

  • Use plenty of white space, clear typography, and simple layouts to ensure the email isn’t overwhelming.
  • Ensure your design works well on all devices, especially mobile, where first-time shoppers are often engaging.

✅ Warm, Inviting, and Engaging Copy

Friendly, warm, and conversational language encourages connection with new shoppers.

Clear, concise messaging that explains what’s next makes shoppers feel welcomed and informed.

Pro Tip:

  • Use CTAs like "Let’s Get Started" or "Explore Our Collection" to guide shoppers toward action.
  • Offer first-time discounts, free shipping, or limited-time perks to incentivize shoppers to make their first purchase.
  • Share your brand story to connect emotionally and let shoppers understand your values from the start.

Transactional email design example:

8. Use engaging copy and incentives to prevent cart abandonment

The average cart abandonment across all industries is close to 70%, meaning only three out of ten shoppers will complete their purchase. 

Cart abandonment emails can help recover part of the sales, converting up to 50% of the click-throughs. 

But only when you use them smartly. 

Some best practices on how to design transaction emails:

✅ Use benefit-based email copy

Ensure that the copy focuses on the benefits of the items added to the cart. 

Keep it to the point, easily consumable, and actionable—shoppers are less likely to act when it takes much effort to understand or act on the information you provided.

✅ Drive purchase with incentives

A study shows that free shipping makes 79% of US consumers more likely to shop online.

Extra costs like shipping are responsible for about 55% of cart abandonments, making it the number one reason shoppers abandon carts. 

Therefore, offering free shipping or shipping discounts in cart abandonment emails can incentivize purchases, driving cart recoveries.

✅ Re-engage inactive customers with incentives

Re-engaging inactive customers costs five times less than acquiring new ones, generating up to 7% of overall business revenue. 

You can make it effortless using incentives like discounts, free shipping, and freebies - based on tiered pricing.

Reinforce the email with your brand identity and A/B test multiple and single CTAs to learn what works best for your audience.

Transactional email design examples:

AND/OR

Set your cart abandonment email design apart with ‘freebies’ 

9. Nudge your customers with irresistible deals in your holiday emails

Holiday email marketing is an effective channel to boost sales. 

According to different data, the National Retail Federation said most retailers generate 20% to 30% of their annual sales during the holidays.

Some best practices on how to design transaction emails:

✅ Add some personalization

Holiday seasons can be a hard time for customers. 

They receive a lot of hard sell from brands. 

This is your chance to be different. 

Yes, sales are important but done the right way. 

Keep in mind your subscriber’s emotions and pen down a warm copy that spreads warmth and joy. 

Ensure that you keep the subscriber’s benefits in mind. 

✅ Showcase User-Generated Content (UGC)

Sharing photos, videos, or social media posts from real customers using your products makes your brand feel authentic and relatable.

Encourage customers to share holiday-themed content using your branded hashtag, and feature the best submissions in your emails.

Showcase content that resonates with the festive spirit (e.g., gift-giving, cozy moments).

Transactional email design example:

10. Send ‘buffering’ emails to break up mundane transactional emails 

Break up the monotony of transactional emails and foster deeper engagement, ultimately driving higher conversions and loyalty.

Some best practices on how to design transaction emails:

✅ Inspire Engagement

Introducing community aspects like loyalty programs, referral programs, or social engagement can make your transactional emails feel less transactional and more interactive.

Invite customers to join your community builds long-term relationships and encourages repeat engagement.

✅ Inspire Browsing

Highlight product categories and curated selections keep the shopping experience alive and encourage exploration beyond a single purchase.

Show themed product categories (e.g., “Holiday Gifts Under $50” or “Top-Selling Tech Gadgets”).

Use AI-driven recommendations based on past purchase behavior or browsing history.

Include category links directly in the email to make browsing easier and more enticing.

Transactional email design example:

Final words

98% of visitors who visit an eCommerce site—drop off without buying anything.

Why: user experience issues that cause friction for visitors.

And this is the problem ConvertCart solves.

We've helped 500+ eCommerce stores (in the US) improve user experience—and 2X their conversions.

How we can help you:

Our conversion experts can audit your site—identify UX issues, and suggest changes to improve conversions.

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