Key takeaways
- An email list is a free channel that you control yourself.
- Collect registrations with a discount or useful content.
- Email regularly with offers, tips and new products.
- Email often earns more back than paid advertisements.
Social media followers are borrowed — the algorithm determines who sees your post, and tomorrow that could change. Your email list is the only marketing channel you really own. You reach everyone who has registered, whenever you want, without an intermediary. That's why email consistently delivers one of the highest returns of any channel. This guide shows you how to build a list and get sales from it as a starter.
Why email will become your most important channel
- You own it. No algorithm, no platform that changes the rules.
- It's personal. An email lands in someone's inbox, not in a busy feed.
- It brings customers back. Most visitors do not buy on the first visit; you can retrieve them via email.
- It's cheap. You don't pay per reach like you do with advertisements.
A visitor who clicks away without leaving anything behind is often gone for good. You can continue to reach a visitor who provides his email address.
How do you collect addresses?
Give people a reason to sign up — don't just ask “sign up for our newsletter.”
- Welcome discount via a pop-up — “10% discount on your first order” has worked for years. A pop-up that appears at the right time will generate the most registrations.
- Sign up at checkout — allow customers to sign up for your emails during ordering, with their permission.
- Give away something valuable — a guide, a discount code, or early access to a new collection.
- Via your social media and your blog — refer to your registration from your Instagram and your blog articles.
What do you send to your list?
A list without emails is worthless. The basis for a webshop:
- A welcome email (or series) — immediately after registration, with the promised discount and your story.
- A newsletter — new products, promotions, tips. Not too often, but regularly.
- Abandoned cart emails — a reminder of what someone left behind is one of the best converting emails out there; read how to recover an abandoned cart.
- Customer emails after purchase — thank you, care, a request for a review or a repeat purchase.
Many webshop platforms and marketing tools let you send these emails automatically, so that it runs without you having to worry about it every day.
Stick to the rules (GDPR)
Only collect addresses with permission, make it clear what you are using them for, and make sure people can unsubscribe with one click. Never buy frames — not only is it against the rules, it also damages your reputation and delivery. A small list of people who really want to hear you is worth more than a large purchased list.
From list to sale
Don't just send offers. Alternate value (tips, stories, behind-the-scenes looks) with offers, so that people keep opening your emails. An engaged list that you trust will buy again and again — that's the real benefit of email.
Common mistakes
- Only start email when you “have time” — start with your first visitor.
- Just ask for registration without giving anything in return.
- Buying lists instead of building them organically.
- Only sending sales emails, which causes people to unsubscribe.
Frequently asked questions
Why is email more important than social media?
Because you own your email list. With social, the algorithm determines your reach; email reaches everyone who has registered.
How do I get people on my list?
Give a reason: a welcome discount via a pop-up, an opt-in at checkout, or to give away something valuable.
How often should I email?
Regularly but not too often — for example every other week or a few times a month. Alternate value with offers.
Can I just email my customers?
Only with permission, with a clear purpose and an easy unsubscribe option (GDPR). Never buy address lists.
What is an abandoned cart email?
An automatic reminder of a customer who left products in his basket without paying. It is one of the best converting emails.
Get started
Place a pop-up with a welcome discount on your webshop today and set up a welcome email. Add an abandoned cart email as soon as possible. Refer to your registration from your social media and blog, and build your list from your very first visitor. If you are still at the beginning, read the step-by-step plan to start an online store.
