Most eCommerce brands are making email marketing mistakes without realizing it.
If your open rates are flat, repeat purchases are low, or customers only show up when there’s a discount… it’s not your product.
It’s your email strategy.
Let’s fix that.
Because email isn’t dead – it’s just misused. And these five email marketing mistakes are quietly bleeding revenue from otherwise great brands.
Running your email list without segmentation is like owning a local café… and talking to every customer the same way.
Imagine this: you see the same faces every week. You know their order – black Americano, no sugar. You chat about their dog, their job, their weekend.
Now imagine someone walks in for the first time. Do you treat them the same? Of course not.
You welcome them differently. You introduce your best sellers. You guide them through the menu. You adjust based on the relationship.
That’s what segmentation is.
But in email, most brands don’t do this.
They blast out the same message to their entire list – no matter if someone’s been with them for 2 years or 2 minutes. No filtering by behavior, no purchase history, no context.
It’s the fastest way to feel irrelevant.
And the data backs it: according to Campaign Monitor, segmented email campaigns drive 760% more revenue than non-segmented ones.
Fix this:
Set up basic segments like:
Small changes here create a massive lift – because people open emails that feel like they were written just for them. Segmentation is how you stop sounding like a brand – and start sounding like someone who knows them.
The sale is not the end – it’s the beginning.
Most eCom brands treat post-purchase emails like an afterthought. A lazy thank-you email. Maybe a discount code to return.
That’s not relationship-building. That’s transactional thinking.
Here’s the problem: new customers are at their highest intent right after buying. It’s the best time to make them feel something – pride, relief, excitement, momentum.
But instead of deepening trust, most brands serve a bland follow-up.
Fix this:
Build a post-purchase sequence that:
Think of it like onboarding – not just “fulfillment.” You’re not delivering a product. You’re delivering an experience.
You’re not training loyalty – you’re training procrastination.
If every email includes 10% off or a flash sale, customers quickly learn: wait for the next deal.
You become your own competitor. A self-undermining machine.
This is rooted in loss aversion, a core bias in human psychology: we fear missing out on savings more than we value consistent quality. So when discounts are always available, urgency disappears.
Fix this:
Emails should build brand value, not devalue your product.
This one’s sneaky.
You could write the perfect campaign. But if your deliverability score is low, it won’t matter – because you’re not landing in the inbox.
Spam filters are ruthless. Especially on Gmail.
If your reputation is weak (too many bounces, spam complaints, or generic “spray-and-pray” campaigns), your open rates will tank no matter how good your copy is.
Fix this:
This isn’t a minor tech issue – it’s the foundation. You can’t improve email marketing if no one sees your emails. And that’s where Shawfire Media comes in, helping you strengthen deliverability, protect your sender reputation, and make sure every message lands where it matters: the inbox.
Most brands focus too much on what they want to say. Not what the customer needs to hear.
This leads to flat copy, weak CTAs, and generic messages.
The best emails speak to a desire, a problem, or a moment of doubt.
They use mirror language – phrases and questions customers are already thinking.
Think of your emails like a conversation with a friend, not a sales broadcast.
Fix this:
Customers buy when they feel seen, understood, and guided.
Let’s fix your email strategy and turn opens into sales.
Book your free audit with Shawfire Media today!
