Email Automation Made Easy: Must-Have Workflows for Handmade eCommerce Stores
Published
26 May, 2025
4 min read
Running a handmade eCommerce business is demanding. Between creating products, managing orders, updating your website, and engaging on social media, it’s easy for customer communication to fall through the cracks. That’s where email automation comes in. It’s like hiring a virtual assistant who works 24/7 — nurturing leads, welcoming new customers, and driving repeat sales without extra effort from you.
If you’re not using email automation yet, you’re leaving money on the table. In this guide, we’ll break down the essential email workflows every handmade eCommerce store should have, plus tips to set them up painlessly.
Handmade businesses thrive on personal connections. While automation might sound impersonal, it actually helps you stay consistently connected with your customers at the right moments. It ensures no one’s left hanging, increases customer retention, and boosts sales — all while saving you time.
Plus, email marketing remains one of the highest ROI marketing channels out there, often delivering $36 for every $1 spent. Combine that with automation, and you’ve got a sales-driving machine.
What it is: A sequence of emails sent automatically to new subscribers when they join your list.
Why you need it: First impressions matter. A welcome series sets the tone for your brand, introduces your products, and encourages first-time purchases.
What to include:
Pro tip: Space these emails out over a week to build familiarity.
What it is: An email (or series) triggered when someone adds items to their cart but doesn’t complete the purchase.
Why you need it: Cart abandonment rates hover around 70%. A simple reminder can recover a big chunk of those lost sales.
What to include:
Timing tip: Send the first reminder 1 hour after abandonment, and a follow-up 24 hours later.
What it is: A thank-you email (or series) sent after a customer makes a purchase.
Why you need it: Keeps the relationship alive and encourages repeat purchases.
What to include:
What it is: An automated message sent to subscribers or customers who haven’t opened emails or purchased in a while.
Why you need it: It’s cheaper to re-engage old subscribers than to find new ones.
What to include:
Pro tip: If they don’t open after a couple of emails, consider cleaning them from your list to improve deliverability.
What it is: A personalized email sent on a subscriber’s birthday or the anniversary of their first purchase.
Why you need it: Personal touches like this can dramatically boost customer loyalty.
What to include:
Bonus idea: If you can’t collect birthdays, use a “Handmade Anniversary” — mark one year since their first order.
What it is: An automated email asking customers to leave a review after receiving their order.
Why you need it: Positive reviews build trust and drive new sales.
What to include:
Timing tip: Send it about 7-10 days after delivery to give them time to use the product.
You don’t need to be a tech whiz to set this up. Platforms like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Omnisend, and MailerLite are beginner-friendly and often have pre-built templates for these workflows. Start with your welcome series and abandoned cart emails first — they’ll give you the fastest return. Then, layer in the others over time.
Key tip: Always keep your brand’s voice authentic and warm. Handmade brands succeed because of their human touch — make sure that comes through in your emails.
Email automation isn’t about removing the personal element from your business — it’s about ensuring no opportunity slips through the cracks while you focus on your craft. With these simple but powerful workflows, you’ll build stronger customer relationships, recover lost sales, and turn casual shoppers into loyal fans.
Set them up once, tweak as you go, and let them quietly work their magic in the background while you keep creating.
