Best practices in email marketing for online sellers

Email marketing is one of the most effective tools that marketplace sellers can use to build customer loyalty. Sellers can focus on targeted messaging and turn simple emails into a powerful growth tool for boosting repeat purchases and standing out in the online space.

In this article, we will focus on the key things to keep in mind when building your email marketing systems.

Build healthy lists and segments

One of the most important factors for a successful marketing campaign is getting the right audience.

• Prioritise getting leads through opt-in programs to reach customers who care the most. Use double opt-in if your niche is sensitive or in case you get many spam sign-ups.
• Come up with lead magnets to encourage your customers to sign up. For example, include a branded card in your packages, offering discounts or bonus content in exchange for subscribing.
• Use QR codes where possible. Convenient ways to sign up can make signups fast and mobile-friendly.

Ensuring that the mailing list comprises customers who are willing to interact with your store significantly boosts engagement.

Making use of smart segmentation can save a lot of time and open up more possibilities for future campaigns.

Email providers track how recipients interact with your emails. If a large portion of your list ignores or deletes your emails, your sender reputation may suffer. Using segments to reach the right subscribers in your list helps avoid this issue.

Start with the key segments and adjust depending on your specific strategy:

• First-time vs repeat buyers
• High-value customers (multiple tiers if needed)
• Product type purchased
• Levels of engagement

Making informed decisions on the segments is easier when you have access to powerful analytics tools. See more about analytics in different kinds of online sales:
Sales Reports and Analytics in e-Commerce stores

Use automated email flows

Setting up an automated mailing campaign will bring the most clicks for your store. These can run 24/7 and will keep track of opportune events. Focus on the essential flows that drive the highest ROI:

• Welcome series
  This is your best chance to introduce the brand story and turn a casual subscriber into an engaged follower. It is a good practice to include a helpful resource or incentive at this stage (e.g., a discount).
• Thank-you flow
  Interacting with customers post-purchase dramatically improves the perception of your brand. Including product care tips, guides, and FAQs helps the buyer confirm that they made the right choice. This is also a good time for review requests.
• Re-engagement emails
  Keeping track of inactive customers (90 days, 180 days, etc.) can offer you a chance to remind them why they liked your products. Here, you can highlight new releases or trending items, as well as time-sensitive incentives.
• Abandoned cart
  This option is more accessible to sellers with a dedicated e-commerce website, but it is worth mentioning as the highest converting campaign among the email options. Recapturing buyers who were already close to purchasing can greatly boost sales.

Marketplaces like Amazon and eBay prioritize user privacy, and to uphold this, they employ a system known as email address proxying. In this system, the seller does not have access to the buyer’s actual email address. When synchronizing your marketplace sales with an e-commerce store through Salestio, it is helpful to understand these limitations to better navigate them.

See the guide below to see how Salestio helps integrate customer information with your e-commerce store:
Managing Email Notifications for Marketplace Imported Orders

Deliverability matters

Improving email deliverability is a serious concern, especially when promotions start scaling.

• For a new brand domain, start with small batches of highly engaged subscribers, then increase daily volume over time. This helps to prevent throttling or being marked as spam.
• Never buy email lists — they destroy deliverability. Sticking to your own subscriber lists helps retain interest. Sending your email campaigns to engaged customers will help keep spam reports to a minimum.
• Verify your domain. Setting SPF records ensures that your domain cannot be impersonated, implementing DKIM signifies that your emails can be trusted, and DMARC is an extra layer of security to prevent email spoofing. This often overlooked set of tools is a significant boost for your own deliverability, customer trust, and your own security.
• Avoid spammy words (“FREE!!!”, “Act Now”, “Guaranteed”), do not use excessive pictures, and focus your email content to be informative.
  Learn more about wording on online marketplaces: How to use tags and keywords on marketplaces and in Salestio
• Maintain your list and remove inactive subscribers regularly.

Smart, targeted emails turn browsers into buyers and buyers into fans. Mastering email marketing is a great growth opportunity for marketplace sellers.