- Welcome email #1 earns about $4.50 per person, while emails #2 to #5 earn about $0.10 each, about 30x less.
- One wellness brand's welcome email #1 made $2,160 from 50 deliveries in one month, about $43 every time it was sent.
- Keep your welcome email series short. The later emails exist to back up email #1, not to tell your whole brand story.
- Split the series for people who've already bought and people who haven't. They need different first emails.
How much does each email in a welcome email series earn?
When I pooled data from 4 consumable brands, the welcome flow told a very lopsided story.
- Email #1: about $4.50 per person.
- Emails #2 to #5: about $0.10 per person, each.
That's about 30x. The first email isn't slightly better than the rest. It's a different category of email.
One wellness brand shows it in a single account. Its welcome email #1 made $2,160 from 50 deliveries in one month. That's about $43 every time it went out.
It makes sense when you think about the moment. Someone just gave you their email on purpose. They're on your site, or they just left it, and they're waiting for whatever you promised them. That window doesn't stay open long.
What should go in welcome email #1?
Treat email #1 like one of the most important emails in your account, because it probably is. Here's what I'd put in it.
- The thing you promised, right at the top. If the popup offered a code, the code goes first. Don't make people scroll for it.
- One clear next step. One CTA destination, usually your best seller or a starter bundle. Every extra link splits attention.
- A trust bar. Reviews, ratings, press, or whatever proof you've got, close to the button.
- A quick reason to pick you. One or two lines on what makes the product worth it. Not your founding story in four paragraphs.
- A subject line that says what's inside. I start under 50 characters, with preview text around 80 to 100 characters. No fake "Re:" or "Fwd:".
Build it 600px wide so it reads cleanly on a phone. Send it right away, not after a delay. And before it goes live, click every link and use the code yourself. If email #1 is broken, the rest of the flow can't save it.
How many emails should a welcome email series have?
Fewer than you think. Keep welcome short.
The data is the reason. If emails #2 to #5 are each earning about $0.10 per person, piling on emails #6, #7 and #8 isn't where your next dollar comes from. Your time is better spent making email #1 better, or building the flows that keep earning late, like cart and winback.
Here's how I'd set it up as a starting point:
- Email #1, sent immediately: the offer, one product, proof, one button.
- Email #2, a day or two later: answer the biggest question people have before buying. How it tastes, how it works, how fast it ships.
- Email #3: more proof. Reviews, before-and-afters if you have them, what customers actually say.
- Email #4, optional: a last reminder before the offer expires, if your offer expires.
Every one of those emails still asks for the sale. Content warms people up, but somebody has to ask. One wellness brand ran a month of all-educational campaigns with no offer, and campaign revenue went from $3,146 to $110. That was campaigns, not welcome, but the lesson carries over. Pair every helpful email with a reason to buy.
Should customers and non-customers get the same welcome series?
No. Every flow I build has separate paths for customers and for people who haven't bought yet, and welcome is where it matters most.
Think about who ends up in your welcome flow. Most are new to you. But some already bought, then signed up later, maybe for a different reason. If they get "Here's 10% off your first order," that email is wrong for them.
Here's how I'd split it:
- Non-customers: the full first-order path above. Offer, best seller, proof.
- Customers: skip the first-order pitch. Thank them, point them to what to try next, and let them move into your post-purchase and reorder flows.
Also make sure anyone who places an order leaves the welcome flow. Getting "still thinking about it?" the day after you bought is a bad look.
What I'd skip in a welcome email series
A few things I'd cut:
- The long brand story series. Five emails about your founding journey with no ask. Put a line of it in email #1 and move on.
- A buried discount code. If you promised it, lead with it.
- Too many links. One destination per email.
- No exit when someone buys. Set a flow filter so buyers stop getting welcome emails.
None of this is complicated. It's just easy to set up once and never look at again.
Where these numbers come from
The welcome numbers come from pooled data across 4 consumable brands, 2,897 campaigns and $17.7M in email revenue. It's a small sample, so treat it as directional. The wellness brand numbers are from a single brand.
FAQ
How many emails should be in a welcome email series?
Keep it short. I'd start with three, and add a fourth only if you have an expiring offer to remind people about. In my pooled data, emails #2 to #5 earned about $0.10 per person each, so more emails isn't where the money is.
When should the first welcome email send?
Right away. The person just signed up, and that's when they're paying the most attention. A delay just gives them time to forget why they signed up.
Should my welcome email include a discount?
If your popup promised one, yes, and it should be the first thing they see. If you don't use a discount, give them a different reason to buy now, like a starter bundle or your best seller with strong reviews.
What's a good welcome email series for a consumable brand?
Email #1 with the offer, one product and proof. Then one or two emails that answer the main buying question and show reviews. Every email should still ask for the sale.
Should past customers get the welcome series?
Not the same one. Split your welcome flow so customers skip the first-order pitch and get pointed to what to try next. Make sure anyone who orders exits the flow.
Founder of Bardown Digital, a Chicago-based Klaviyo email and retention agency for Shopify brands. He's worked with brands doing $500K to $100M a year, with $100M+ in email-attributed revenue across them.