3 Things I Learned After Sending 1,000,000 Emails for eCommerce Brands

After sending over 1,000,000 emails for eCommerce brands, here are the 3 truths that changed how we scale retention.

Emails for ecommerce are still one of the highest-ROI channels in the game. But after sending over 1 million of them for brands across every niche you can think of, I’ve noticed something.

It’s not just about what you send. It’s about how you approach email altogether.

If you’re an eCommerce founder trying to scale profitably, these three lessons will help you shift from email as a channel to email as an asset. Let’s dive in.

1. Your Deliverability Is the Ceiling on Your Results

Here’s a hard truth most brands overlook. The best design, copy, and strategy won’t matter if your emails don’t get seen.

Deliverability is not just about technical setup. It’s about building long-term trust with inbox providers by treating subscribers with respect.

That means:

Regularly cleaning your list
Using exclusion segments to avoid sending too often
Not buying data or cold-emailing people who didn’t opt in

Your sender reputation is like your credit score. Once it drops, it takes time to recover—and until it does, your performance is capped.

📊 Stat to know: According to Validity’s 2024 Email Benchmark Report, only 79 percent of emails on average reach the inbox. That’s a 21 percent loss before the email is even opened.

2. The Offer Matters More Than the Email

Too many brands rely on email to generate sales from thin air. But unless your offer is strong, even the best email won’t save it.

This doesn’t mean blasting discounts every week. In fact, doing so can reduce perceived value and train customers to wait.

Instead, think in terms of value:

Educate customers on the why behind a product
Share useful content or tools related to your product
Make promotions timely, not just transactional

Think of your emails like someone knocking on a door. If you show up empty-handed, don’t be surprised when nobody answers.

3. Where You Get Subscribers Determines How Well Email Performs

Not all leads are equal.

We once sent the same campaign to two segments:

One group signed up from a product comparison blog
The other joined through a social media giveaway

The first group drove 4x more revenue. Why? Because intent matters.

People who find you through search or high-quality content are looking for a solution. People who join for a giveaway often forget your brand the next day.

If your list is mostly built through low-intent tactics, your open and click rates will reflect it.

To fix this:

Focus on post-purchase, high-intent opt-ins
Use landing pages that attract curious, not just freebie-seeking, visitors
Don’t obsess over list size—obsess over quality

🧠 Customer psychology insight: The more effort someone puts into signing up, the more invested they are. Higher intent leads equal higher email ROI.

Key Takeaways for Emails for eCommerce

Clean your list and avoid sending too frequently to protect deliverability
Build emails around value, not just sales or discounts
Focus on the quality of your leads, not just quantity

Great eCommerce emails aren’t about volume — they’re about value, strategy, and precision. Shawfire Media helps you craft email systems that protect deliverability, nurture real connections, and drive consistent sales.

Want to turn your emails into a reliable revenue engine?

Partner with Shawfire Media to scale your eCommerce email performance.

Get Your Free Audit today!