Want to build a solid relationship with new leads? Creating welcome emails and email designs is the first step. They can help you achieve maximum ROI, increase conversion rates and boost your sales, especially if you get the email designs right. So join us as we look back on our favorite welcome emails and share some of what we’ve learned while crafting some of the most beautiful, incredibly effective sequences.

What is a welcome email?

A welcome email is a message that is triggered after someone has registered or subscribed to your email list. Sending a sweet hello in the guise of a beautifully designed email first is better than jumping straight to selling. 

A welcome campaign will also help you get to know your customers better. After that, you can use the data you get to properly segment your list so you can send relevant offers to the right customers.

Why do welcome emails work?

Research shows that welcome emails are more engaging than any other type of email with an average open rate of over 60%. Welcome emails also generate 320% more revenue than other promotional emails. This is what makes them an essential part of your email marketing strategy, especially if your goal is to boost sales and metrics.

Email Designs - How to craft the perfect welcome series

  • Personalization

Since you asked for your subscriber’s name when they signed up to your email list, you might as well put it to use. Subscribers are 26% more likely to open a welcome email with a personalized subject line than one without. 

You can see how that works in this Knife Aid email:

KnifeAid KnifeAid

  • Generosity

Give freebies or discounts on initial purchases. You'll keep your customers happy while giving them an idea of what they’ll be getting out of their subscription. After all, the mention of a “special offer” in your website’s email pop-up is probably what drove them to sign up in the first place. 

Semihandmade does this by offering a free estimate to leads:

Semihandmade Semihandmade

  • Use Animations

No matter how old we get, animations never fail to capture our imaginations and attention. Use the power of animation in your welcome email designs and take some inspiration from Plastic Tides:

Plastic Tides Plastic Tides

  • Simple, but not simplified

Once your creative juices get flowing, there’s no telling where your imagination might take you. But, it’s probably a good idea to put your virtual paintbrush to the side for now and focus on making sure that your welcome email designs make sense. 

Keep your color scheme simple, your design to the point, and avoid overdoing it with graphics. Customers respond better to minimalist email designs like this Vegancuts welcome flow email:

Vegancuts Vegancuts

  • Set the Tone

If they're done right, welcome emails can help keep your brand top of mind. Plus, they set expectations for what you offer and how you do business. What's more, they'll give subscribers an idea of the types of emails you send and how frequently you send them. This will go a long way to getting subscribers excited about what’s to come.

Our favorite welcome email designs

Welcome emails can help you create a bond with your leads. Here are some of our favorite, most effective welcome email designs to date.

Ideally, a welcome email series should follow this sequence:

  • Welcome: The first email of your welcome series is meant to welcome the subscriber. As mentioned, you can do this by giving them a special offer such as a discount, so you’re not just welcoming them with words.

Neurogan knocks this one out the park:

Neurogan Neurogan

  • Intro: The second email should be sent two days after the subscriber joins your list and is an excellent opportunity to introduce your brand. Talk about the unique features of your products and describe the benefits that come with being part of your email list. Or, take your potential customer behind the scenes and show them how your products are made.

Semihandmade and PepperMate do a great job of this:

PepperMate PepperMate

  • Demo or social proof: In your third email, provide the subscriber with a step-by-step guide on how to get started with your service, or a short video tutorial on how to use your products. Alternatively, you could frame this email to include social proof and build trust. Show the prospect that you actually have real customers who are fans of your product or service. Use social media posts shared by current customers or flaunt your testimonials and reviews.

Vegancuts does this by flexing all the awards and high-profile features they’ve gotten so far:

Vegancuts Vegancuts

  • Allay concerns: In the fourth email, think of any concerns that a customer might have while considering whether or not to purchase your products, and include ideas on how to solve these concerns. For instance, if you’re selling CBD, include a section on how CBD actually works. This will take care of any worries the customer may have about its effects.

New customer emails - making the perfect first impression, every time

Chances are, you send quite a few emails a day. And you're not the only one. Your customers are probably pretty bombarded with these. So how do you keep your customers from unsubscribing? Engaging your subscribers is a full-time job and it all starts with your welcome email flow. 

If this is your first time creating a welcome email series or you need help with some or all the elements mentioned above, get in touch with these email marketing experts to get started.