Part of: Digital marketing
Ecommerce email marketing
Email is one of the few channels you own, because the list belongs to you, not a platform. It has two parts: campaigns you send on a date, and automations that send themselves when a customer does something.
How to choose
A quick comparison of the services in Email marketing.
| Service | What it is | Best for | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email campaigns | We plan and send the emails you choose to send on a date: launches, sales and newsletters. Each one has a reason to exist, goes to the right people and respects UK consent rules. It suits stores with a customer list and something worth saying to it regularly. We report what happened, including what email cannot prove. | Stores with a list of customers and something worth saying to them regularly, such as new products, seasonal offers or a newsletter. | Read more about Email campaigns |
| Email automation | We build the automated emails that send themselves when a customer does something: signs up, leaves a basket, buys or goes quiet. We map the flows to your customer journey, build the ones that earn their place and test them one change at a time. It suits stores with steady traffic and a list. We are cautious about the revenue figures. | Online stores with steady traffic and a growing list that want repeat orders without sending every email by hand. | Read more about Email automation |
Why email is different
With ads and search, a platform sits between you and your customer. With email, you hold the list. A change in an ad platform’s rules cannot take it away. That is why email is often the most reliable way to bring customers back, and why it is worth doing properly.
Campaigns and automation
- Campaigns are planned sends to some or all of your list, such as a launch, a sale or a newsletter. They need a calendar, a reason to send and sensible segments. See email campaigns.
- Automations are emails sent automatically after something happens, such as a sign-up, an abandoned basket or a first purchase. They take longer to set up and then keep working. See email automation.
If you are choosing between them, build the automations that match your customer journey first. Then add campaigns once there is a steady base to build on.
Growing the list
The quality of the list matters more than its size. Ask for sign-ups where people are already interested, say what they will receive, and make leaving easy. A smaller list of people who want to hear from you outperforms a larger one that does not, and it protects your sender reputation.
Deliverability basics
An email you send is only worth something if it reaches the inbox. Sender authentication, a clean list, steady sending patterns and emails people open all play a part. We check these before we write anything new. Since 2024, Gmail and Yahoo have required bulk senders to authenticate their domain, offer one-click unsubscribe and keep spam complaints low, and Microsoft followed for Outlook.com in 2025.
UK consent
In the UK, consent for marketing email is shaped by UK GDPR and PECR. We build sign-up and unsubscribe handling with this in mind, and we state what we do plainly. We are not lawyers, so if your situation is unusual, take legal advice.
How email works with other work
Email looks better when its design is good. Email layout design covers templates that read well everywhere. It looks better still when the sign-up forms and landing pages convert, which is where conversion rate optimisation comes in. To see what email really contributes, you need sound tracking and honest reporting, which is the job of data and analytics.
Each service in Email marketing
Email campaigns
We plan and send the emails you choose to send on a date: launches, sales and newsletters. Each one has a reason to exist, goes to the right people and respects UK consent rules. It suits stores with a customer list and something worth saying to it regularly. We report what happened, including what email cannot prove.
Email automation
We build the automated emails that send themselves when a customer does something: signs up, leaves a basket, buys or goes quiet. We map the flows to your customer journey, build the ones that earn their place and test them one change at a time. It suits stores with steady traffic and a list. We are cautious about the revenue figures.
How it works
Every project is different, so timings depend on its size and complexity. You get a realistic timeline in writing before work starts, and we never promise results by a date.
Step 1: Review
We look at your list, sign-up points, current emails and results, and note what is missing.
Step 2: Plan
We agree which automations to build first and what a sensible campaign calendar looks like.
Step 3: Build
We write, set up and test the emails, with consent and unsubscribe handling checked.
Step 4: Learn
We review results each month and change what the evidence supports.
Questions people ask
Should I start with campaigns or automations?
Usually automations, because they work every day without extra effort. A welcome series and an abandoned basket email are the common first steps. Campaigns then add the regular, timely sends on top.
How do I grow my email list?
By giving people a clear reason to sign up, and asking at sensible moments, such as on the site and at checkout. We do not recommend buying lists. They damage your reputation and break consent rules.
Why do some of my emails land in spam?
Common causes are poor sender set-up, low engagement, sending too often to people who do not open, and a damaged sender reputation. We check the set-up first, then how you send.
What do UK consent rules mean for email?
In short, marketing emails normally need the recipient's agreement or a narrow, documented exception, and every email must make it easy to unsubscribe. We set things up with this in mind, but we do not give legal advice.
Can you tell me how much revenue email brings in?
We can show what the email platform records, and we explain its limits. Email often gets credit for sales that would have happened anyway, so we are cautious about the figures and say so.
Do you design the emails too?
We can work with your designs, or use email layout design to create a modular template that suits your brand and works in every inbox.
Not sure which to choose?
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