Shopify email templates are powerful tools for merchants who want to deliver exceptional customer experiences while reinforcing their brand identity. It should be noted that we will be talking about Shopify email marketing and transactional emails. These post purchase emails allow you to automate customer communications, ensuring buyers stay informed and engaged throughout their purchasing journey and into the post-purchase experience.
By reviewing and using these Shopify order notification email examples, you can elevate them beyond basic notifications to become valuable touch points that deepen customer relationships and boost sales. In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about Shopify email templates, from their default functionalities to advanced customization options using third-party apps.
What Are Shopify Email Templates?
Shopify email templates are pre-designed notifications sent to customers at critical points in their purchase journey. These emails keep customers updated, reduce confusion, and ensure that your brand remains top-of-mind.
Key Types of Shopify Email Notifications
Shopify’s default email templates cover various scenarios, including:
- Order Confirmation Email: Sent immediately after a purchase to confirm details like the order number, items purchased, and total cost.
- Shipping Emails: Notify customers when their orders are dispatched, often including tracking information.
- Delivery Confirmations: Let customers know their package has arrived safely.
- Abandoned Checkout Reminders: Encourage customers to return and complete purchases they left in their carts.
- Refund Notifications: Inform customers about successful refunds for returned or canceled orders.
- Account Creation Welcome Emails: Greet customers who sign up for an account, offering a warm introduction to your store.
These default templates are fully functional out of the box, but they often lack the personalized and branded touch that makes an email truly impactful.
Customizing Shopify Email Templates
While Shopify’s default email templates are useful, customizing them allows you to create a consistent brand experience and communicate more effectively with your audience. Here's an example of what a customizing an email within the Shopify platform would look like:
How to Customize Email Templates in Shopify
- Log in to Shopify Admin: Navigate to your store’s Settings.
- Access Notification Settings: Click on Notifications to see the available email templates.
- Select the Template to Edit: Choose the email template you want to modify, such as the order confirmation or shipping update.
- Edit the Template: Use Shopify’s built-in editor to make basic changes, or dive into the HTML and CSS for advanced customization.
- Preview and Test: Always preview your updates and send test emails to ensure everything looks as intended.
Customization Tips
- Add Your Logo and Brand Colors: Make the email visually consistent with your website.
- Include Dynamic Fields: Use Shopify’s variables (e.g., customer name, order details) to personalize emails.
- Optimize for Mobile: Ensure your templates are responsive and look great on smaller screens.
It should be noticed that this is where a Shopify merchant's ability to customize their Shopify emails ends, but there are a lot of other options. So, let's talk about beyond putting your logo in your Shopify emails and bringing in third party apps to drive revenue up and support costs down.
Advanced Email Templates with Third-Party Apps
For merchants seeking even greater flexibility and functionality, third-party apps like Malomo can take your Shopify email templates to the next level. In contrast to the example above, below is an example of what a fully branded email and tracking page would look like with a third-party app:
Why is customizing transactional email good for ecommerce brands?
- Full Branding Control: Apps like Malomo let you create beautifully designed emails that match your brand’s aesthetic, ensuring a cohesive experience across all touchpoints. You can also create a fully branded tracking page, so you don't send customers to a boring carrier page.
- Enhanced Personalization: Insert tailored product recommendations, upsell messages, or discount codes directly into transactional emails and order tracking.
- Rich Analytics: Gain insights into shipment tracking performance, problem orders, and revenue generated from order tracking to improve your communication and carrier strategy.
- Seamless Automation: Connect all your favorite apps into the order tracking experience to drive down support tickets while impressing your customers.
Malomo also empowers merchants to turn mundane transactional emails into marketing opportunities. By including cross-sells, loyalty program information, or social media links in these updates, you can keep customers engaged and drive repeat purchases.
Best Practices for Shopify Email Templates
- Keep It On-Brand: Your emails should visually and tonally align with your website and overall branding.
- Be Clear and Concise: Customers value straightforward and transparent communication. Avoid clutter and focus on key details.
- Personalize Whenever Possible: Use customer names, order details, and tailored recommendations to make emails feel unique.
- Include a Call-to-Action (CTA): Encourage customers to take action, whether it’s reviewing their order, checking out new arrivals, or sharing their purchase on social media.
- Test Across Devices: Ensure emails are responsive and display correctly on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
Why Invest in Better Shopify Email Templates?
Customizing your Shopify email templates goes beyond aesthetics—it’s a smart business strategy. Thoughtfully designed emails:
- Drive Revenue: Strategic CTAs and personalized recommendations can inspire repeat purchases.
- Decrease Support Tickets: When you take it upon yourself to automate proactive order updates, your customers won't feel the need to inbound to your team to ask where their package is (a.k.a WISMO tickets)
- Build Trust: Clear and professional emails reassure customers their orders are in good hands.
- Reinforce Your Brand: Consistent branding across touchpoints helps customers recognize and remember you.
- Improve Engagement: Beautiful, functional emails are more likely to be read and appreciated.
Whether you stick with Shopify’s default templates, customize them a little bit through Shopify, or leverage a tool like Malomo, optimizing your email notifications is essential for any growing eCommerce business.
Ready to Elevate Your Shopify Emails?
Take your Shopify email templates from functional to phenomenal by integrating your branding, adding a personal touch, and using advanced tools to optimize performance. For more inspiration, explore how Malomo can transform your order notifications into a key growth channel. Start your free trial of Malomo now!
Want to keep learning? Check out these related resources...
- 6 Shipping Notification Best Practices to Reduce Costs and Increase Sales
- How SMS shipping updates improve the customer experience
- Eight Creative Ideas to Beef Up Your Transactional Emails
- How To Communicate Delivery Delays To Customers
- 9 Best Practices for Ecommerce Order Confirmation Emails
- 6 Revenue-Generating Order Status Emails You May be Missing
- Create Order Confirmation Email Klaviyo
- Take your SMS strategy up a notch with Klaviyo & Malomo
