Email Marketing for Shopify Beginners: Which Tool Should You Use?

You launched your Shopify store. Congrats — that's genuinely hard. Now everyone's telling you that you need to "build your email list" or "set up automations" and you're sitting there wondering what any of that actually means in practice.

Here's the honest truth: email marketing is one of the highest-ROI things you can do for your Shopify store. But you need the right tool, set up the right way. This article walks you through everything — which tool to use, what to set up first, and what to actually send — so you can get results without wasting time.

No jargon. No assumptions about your technical skills. Let's go.

Why Shopify Stores Need Email Marketing (And Why Social Ads Aren't Enough)

When someone visits your Shopify store and leaves without buying, they're usually just not ready yet. They might come back tomorrow. They might forget you exist forever. Email marketing is how you stay in touch with those people and bring them back.

Here's what email marketing does for a Shopify store:

Social ads work. SEO works. But both require constant spending or constant effort. Your email list, once built, is an owned asset that keeps paying you.

Which Email Marketing Tool Should You Use?

There are many options. For Shopify beginners in 2026, we recommend Moosend.

Here's why Moosend specifically works well for Shopify sellers:

1. It integrates directly with Shopify Moosend connects to your Shopify store, which means it can see when someone abandons a cart, what products they've viewed, and what they've purchased. This is what makes automation possible without manual work.

2. Pre-built automation templates Moosend comes with ready-made automation "recipes" — pre-built workflows you can activate with a few clicks. These include:

You don't have to build these from scratch. They're already designed. You customize them and turn them on.

3. Affordable pricing that makes sense for small stores

For most new Shopify stores, $9–$16/month is a reasonable starting point — and the abandoned cart automation alone tends to pay for the tool within the first few weeks.

4. Easy drag-and-drop email builder You don't need design skills. Pick a template, swap in your logo and colors, update the text. Done. Emails look professional without requiring you to hire anyone.

Start your Moosend free trial →

Your First 3 Automations (Set These Up Before Anything Else)

When you connect Moosend to Shopify, resist the urge to do everything at once. Set up these three automations first, in this order. They cover 80% of the value.

Automation #1: The Welcome Series

What it is: An email (or short series of emails) sent automatically to anyone who joins your email list.

Why it matters: The moment someone signs up is when they're most interested in your brand. This is your best chance to make a great first impression, tell your story, and introduce your products.

What to include:

Email 1 (immediate): A warm welcome. Who you are, what your store is about, and a small thank-you offer (10% off their first order is classic and effective). Keep it personal and brief.

Email 2 (2–3 days later): Tell your brand story. Why did you start this store? What problem does your product solve? People buy from brands they feel connected to. A genuine story here builds real loyalty.

Email 3 (4–5 days later): Showcase your bestsellers or most popular collection. Make it easy for them to browse and buy.

How to set it up in Moosend: Use the "Welcome Series" automation template. Customize the three emails with your content, set the timing between each one, and activate. The whole thing takes about 45 minutes.

Automation #2: Abandoned Cart Recovery

What it is: An automated email (or series) that goes to shoppers who added something to their cart but didn't check out.

Why it matters: This is the single highest-ROI email automation for any ecommerce store. You're targeting people who already showed intent to buy — they just didn't finish. A gentle reminder can convert a significant number of them.

What to include:

Email 1 (1 hour after abandonment): "Hey, you left something behind." Simple subject line. Show them a picture of what's in their cart. Include a direct link back to checkout. No pressure, no discount yet — just a helpful reminder.

Email 2 (24 hours after abandonment): A little more urgency. "These are going fast" or "We're holding your cart." Maybe include social proof (reviews of the product they left). Still no discount.

Email 3 (48–72 hours after abandonment): If they still haven't bought, offer a small incentive. "Here's 10% off to help you decide." This is your final push.

How to set it up in Moosend: Use the "Abandoned Cart" automation recipe. Connect your Shopify store data, plug in your product images (Moosend can pull these automatically), customize the copy, and turn it on. This one automation can literally pay for your Moosend subscription many times over.

Automation #3: Post-Purchase Thank You

What it is: An email sent automatically after someone completes a purchase.

Why it matters: The post-purchase moment is when a customer is most emotionally satisfied with your brand. It's the perfect time to reinforce that they made a great choice, encourage them to share with friends, and plant seeds for their next purchase.

What to include:

Email 1 (immediately after purchase): Genuine thanks. Not just an order confirmation (Shopify already sends that). This is a personal-feeling email from the brand owner. Thank them for their support. Tell them when to expect their order. Let them know you're there if they need anything.

Email 2 (after delivery — 7–10 days): Check in. Did they love it? Include a review request link (if you're collecting reviews). Maybe suggest a complementary product.

How to set it up in Moosend: Use the "Post-Purchase" automation template. Trigger it when an order is marked complete in Shopify.

Building Your Email List: Where Do Subscribers Come From?

The automations above only work if people are actually on your list. Here's how to grow it:

1. Popup on your store A well-timed popup offering 10–15% off in exchange for an email address is the fastest list-builder for most Shopify stores. Set it to appear after someone's been on your site for 15–30 seconds, or when they're about to leave (exit intent). Moosend has a form builder for this.

2. Checkout opt-in Add an email list checkbox to your checkout page. Shopify makes this straightforward. Customers who buy are already warm — many will opt in.

3. Footer form A simple "Join our list for updates and offers" form in your store footer is low-traffic but passive and consistent.

4. Social media Post about your email list on Instagram, TikTok, or wherever your customers find you. Offer the discount code as an incentive.

What to Send After You're Set Up (Your First Campaign)

Once the automations are running, start sending regular emails — called "campaigns" — to your whole list. For a Shopify store, good campaign content includes:

How often should you email? Once or twice a month is plenty when you're starting out. Consistency matters more than frequency — pick a schedule and stick to it.

How to Write Emails That Actually Get Opened

Having the automations set up is half the battle. The other half is writing emails that people actually open and click. Here are the basics:

Subject lines matter more than anything else. The subject line is what determines whether your email gets opened. Keep them short (under 50 characters), specific, and slightly curiosity-driven. "New arrivals" is weak. "The 3 things we just restocked (finally)" is stronger.

Write like a person, not a corporation. The biggest advantage a small Shopify store has over a big retailer is personality. Use your name in the sender field. Write in first person. Tell stories. If a customer sent you a great review, share it with a personal note about why it made your day. That kind of email builds the kind of loyalty that drives repeat purchases.

Make the call to action clear. Every email should have one main thing you want the reader to do. Visit a product page. Use a discount code. Check out the new collection. Don't give them seven things to do — give them one. A confused reader does nothing.

Send at consistent times. If you email on Tuesday mornings, your subscribers start to expect it. Consistency builds a habit. Sporadic emails from brands you don't remember signing up for get ignored or unsubscribed from.

Common Mistakes New Shopify Sellers Make With Email

Mistake 1: Not starting until the store is "bigger" There's no perfect time. Start collecting emails from day one. Even a list of 50 people is worth something.

Mistake 2: Only emailing during sales If the only emails you ever send are "20% off this weekend," people start ignoring them. Mix in valuable content — tips, stories, behind-the-scenes — and your promotional emails will perform better.

Mistake 3: Not testing subject lines The subject line determines whether your email gets opened. Spend as much time on it as you do on the email body. Short, specific, and slightly curious subject lines tend to outperform long ones.

Mistake 4: Giving up too soon Email marketing compounds over time. Your first campaign might have 12 subscribers and get 2 opens. Your list six months from now might have 600 subscribers and generate real revenue. Stay consistent.

The Bottom Line for Shopify Beginners

Email marketing is not complicated. For your Shopify store, the path is simple:

  1. Connect Moosend to your Shopify store
  2. Set up your welcome series, abandoned cart, and post-purchase automations
  3. Add a popup to your store to collect emails
  4. Send regular campaigns to keep your list engaged

The abandoned cart automation alone can generate enough revenue to justify the tool cost within the first month. Everything else is upside.

Moosend is affordable, beginner-friendly, and built for exactly this kind of store. It's the right tool for the job.

→ Start your Moosend free trial and connect your Shopify store

Your next recovered cart is waiting.