Module 10

Email, SMS and messaging

17 lessons, 71 stepsOne instruction at a time, each with the result to expect. Tick steps as you go; Helix remembers.

Outcome: automatic emails (flows) that earn money every day, and a steady email plan that does not tire your list. Plus text and chat messages where they help.

Related SOPs: 13 Email and SMS flows, 14 List growth and campaigns

In plain words

Stage: Convert (turn visits into sales). Every lesson below is tagged with its stage; see Attract, Convert, Grow.

What it is: Emails and texts that send themselves when someone does something, plus regular newsletters.

Why it matters: Your list is free to reach. Good automatic emails earn money every day while you sleep.

Do this:

  1. Turn on the welcome, abandoned checkout and thank-you emails first.
  2. Send a helpful email to your list once or twice a week.
  3. Check sales from email each week and fix the weakest flow.

Words to know:

  • Flow: An email or text series that sends by itself when something happens, like a new sign-up.
  • Abandoned checkout: When someone starts checkout but does not finish. A reminder email can bring them back.
  • Segment: A smaller group of your list, like people who bought in the last 90 days.
  • Campaign email: A one-off email you send to your list, like a new arrival announcement.

All words are explained in the glossary.

Lesson 10.1: Sign-up formsConvert

In short

A sign-up form (often a pop-up ) asks visitors for their email or phone number.

Do this now

Step 1: Pick one reward. Dollars off ($10 off) works if your orders are big, and percent off (10% off) if they are small.

Why this matters

A sign-up form (often a pop-up) asks visitors for their email or phone number. It feeds every flow and campaign you send. As a rule of thumb, a good form signs up 3 to 10 of every 100 people who see it. A weak one wastes your traffic.

Step 1 of 60 of 6 done

Pick one reward. Dollars off ($10 off) works if your orders are big, and percent off (10% off) if they are small. Or try a free gift, early access or a prize draw.

Expected result

Your form has one clear reason to sign up.

Good to know

Sign-up reward and form rules:

  • Count the cost. A 15% code on a $60 order costs you $9, but only when someone buys. Work out what the reward costs for each new buyer, not each sign-up.
  • Prize draws grow lists fast, but fewer of those people buy. Check sales from those sign-ups before you run another.
  • Match the form to the page. Show a different form (or offer) on different pages, or to people from different ads. Most email apps can target by page address or ad link.
  • Before a sale, swap the reward. Two to three weeks before, change the form to "Get early access" so people join for the sale.
  • Test one offer against another for 2 weeks. Give each offer its own welcome email so everyone gets the code they were promised. Pick the winner by sales and profit, not just sign-ups.

Lesson 10.2: The five core flows and extrasConvert

In short

A flow is a series of emails or texts that sends itself when someone does something.

Do this now

Step 1: Set up the Welcome flow, triggered when someone joins your list.

Why this matters

A flow is a series of emails or texts that sends itself when someone does something. Five core flows earn money every day without you lifting a finger. Timings are in SOP 13.

Step 1 of 60 of 6 done

Set up the Welcome flow, triggered when someone joins your list.

Expected result

New subscribers get your first email within minutes.

Tips

Flow
An email or text series that sends by itself when something happens, like a new sign-up.

Lesson 10.3: Writing emails that get clicksConvert

In short

Emails that get clicks feel personal and have one clear job.

Do this now

Step 1: Alternate plain-text style emails from the founder (images are fine) with designed emails.

Why this matters

Emails that get clicks feel personal and have one clear job. Mixing plain founder emails with designed ones keeps your list interested.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Alternate plain-text style emails from the founder (images are fine) with designed emails.

Expected result

Your next four campaigns include at least one founder-style email.

Lesson 10.4: SegmentsGrow

In short

A segment is a group of people on your list who share something.

Do this now

Step 1: In your email app, make groups.

Why this matters

A segment is a group of people on your list who share something. Sending to the right segment keeps emails out of spam folders and makes each message more useful.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

In your email app, make groups. Use people who engaged in the last 30, 60 and 90 days, buyers, repeat buyers and VIPs.

Expected result

The segments show live counts.

Lesson 10.5: Campaign cadence and ideasGrow

In short

A campaign email is a one-off email to your list, like a newsletter.

Do this now

Step 1: Start with 2 campaign emails a month.

Why this matters

A campaign email is a one-off email to your list, like a newsletter. Cadence means how often you send. Building up slowly keeps your list healthy while you learn what they like.

Step 1 of 20 of 2 done

Start with 2 campaign emails a month. Move to weekly after a month, then 2 to 4 a week if people keep opening.

Expected result

You have a written send schedule.

Tips

Campaign
The top level in an ad account. It holds the goal, like getting sales.
Campaign email
A one-off email you send to your list, like a new arrival announcement.

Lesson 10.6: Reviewing performanceConvert

In short

Monthly reviews show where emails leak money.

Do this now

Step 1: Open your email app's reports.

Why this matters

Monthly reviews show where emails leak money. Fixing the weakest step first gives the biggest gain for the least work.

Step 1 of 20 of 2 done

Open your email app's reports. Write down last month's flow and campaign numbers shown in the table below.

Expected result

You have one line of numbers for flows and one for campaigns.

Tips

Flow
An email or text series that sends by itself when something happens, like a new sign-up.
Campaign
The top level in an ad account. It holds the goal, like getting sales.

Good to know

A rule-of-thumb guide, not a promise. Some email apps open emails automatically for privacy, which inflates open rates, so trust clicks and sales more. The spam complaint line is Google's (Lesson 10.8).

Open rate Click rate Other
Flows Above 30% About 5 to 6% Revenue per recipient going up
Campaigns Above 30% About 1.5 to 2% Unsubscribes under 0.3%, spam complaints under 0.1%

Lesson 10.7: How to run a fair email split testConvert

In short

Email A/B tests show what your list responds to.

Do this now

Step 1: Write a hypothesis (your guess), for example "a question in the subject line gets more opens".

Why this matters

Email A/B tests show what your list responds to. One change, two big enough groups and a written guess make results trustworthy.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Write a hypothesis (your guess), for example "a question in the subject line gets more opens".

Expected result

The test has a written guess.

Lesson 10.8: DeliverabilityConvert

In short

Deliverability means your emails reach the inbox, not spam.

Do this now

Step 1: Open your email app's domain settings.

Why this matters

Deliverability means your emails reach the inbox, not spam. Without it, the best email in the world earns nothing. Most of it is one-time setup.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Open your email app's domain settings. Follow the guide to add SPF, DKIM and DMARC records at your domain host. These settings prove your emails really come from you.

Expected result

The email app shows your sending domain as verified or authenticated. Gmail and Yahoo require SPF, DKIM and DMARC from bulk senders. Gmail counts 5,000 or more emails a day as bulk (see Google: email sender guidelines).

Tips

Domain
Your store's web address, like yourbrand.com.

Lesson 10.9: Platform costsGrow

In short

Email platforms often charge by the number of people (profiles) on your list.

Do this now

Step 1: Suppress or remove people who have not opened or clicked in 180 days.

Why this matters

Email platforms often charge by the number of people (profiles) on your list. Many tools bill on active profiles, and suppressed profiles often do not count. Check your tool's pricing page. Cleaning the list saves money and improves deliverability at the same time.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Suppress or remove people who have not opened or clicked in 180 days.

Expected result

Your billable profile count drops.

Lesson 10.10: SMSConvert

In short

Text messages get read fast but cost more than email.

Do this now

Step 1: Add a text step in the welcome flow and checkout reminder.

Why this matters

Text messages get read fast but cost more than email. Used for big moments only, they earn well; used every day, they drive unsubscribes.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Add a text step in the welcome flow and checkout reminder. It is for people who did not act on the email.

Expected result

SMS only goes out where email did not work.

Tips

Flow
An email or text series that sends by itself when something happens, like a new sign-up.

Lesson 10.11: WhatsApp and chat commerceConvert

In short

WhatsApp and similar chat apps work well where your customers already use them.

Do this now

Step 1: Set up WhatsApp Business and only message people who opted in.

Why this matters

WhatsApp and similar chat apps work well where your customers already use them. They are great for VIPs and for pricey products people want to ask about first. The free WhatsApp Business app suits one-to-one chats. Promotions at scale need the WhatsApp Business Platform, usually through your email or SMS app.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Set up WhatsApp Business and only message people who opted in.

Expected result

You have an opted-in WhatsApp list.

Lesson 10.12: LoyaltyGrow

In short

A loyalty program rewards people who buy again.

Do this now

Step 1: Check your repeat purchase rate (the share of customers who bought more than once) in Shopify Analytics > Reports > Customer cohort analysis .

Why this matters

A loyalty program rewards people who buy again. It only pays off when enough customers already come back, and it must be measured by repeat purchases, not points.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Check your repeat purchase rate (the share of customers who bought more than once) in Shopify Analytics > Reports > Customer cohort analysis. As a rule of thumb, start loyalty only if over about 15 to 20% of customers already buy again.

Expected result

You know whether loyalty is worth it yet.

Lesson 10.13: Sale email and SMS scheduleConvert

In short

Big sales live or die on email and SMS.

Do this now

Step 1: Before the sale, build your early-access list.

Why this matters

Big sales live or die on email and SMS. A fixed schedule from tease to thank-you makes sure every phase gets a message, and nobody gets spammed.

Step 1 of 50 of 5 done

Before the sale, build your early-access list.

  1. Two weeks before, turn on an "early access" sign-up form.
  2. Each week, send one teaser email to that list.

Expected result

Your early-access list is growing.

Tips

Lesson 10.14: Plain-text emails that feel personalConvert

In short

Designed emails look like ads.

Do this now

Step 1: Pick one email in a flow to test.

Why this matters

Designed emails look like ads. A short plain email looks like a note from a person. Plain emails often get more replies and can land in the main inbox more often.

Step 1 of 50 of 5 done

Pick one email in a flow to test. A good first choice is the second welcome email or the abandoned checkout email.

Expected result

You know which email you will change.

Tips

Flow
An email or text series that sends by itself when something happens, like a new sign-up.
Abandoned checkout
When someone starts checkout but does not finish. A reminder email can bring them back.

Lesson 10.15: Ask shoppers what they want, then use the answersConvert

In short

When a shopper tells you what they need, you can send them the right products instead of guessing.

Do this now

Step 1: Pick one question that splits your customers into groups.

Why this matters

When a shopper tells you what they need, you can send them the right products instead of guessing. Answers given on purpose are more useful than clicks. They also make every email feel like it was written for that person.

Step 1 of 60 of 6 done

Pick one question that splits your customers into groups. For example: "What is your skin type?", "Who are you shopping for?" or "Which size is your dog?"

Expected result

One question with 3 to 5 simple answers.

Lesson 10.16: Wake up your quieter subscribers before a big saleConvert

In short

In a big sale you want to reach more of your list.

Do this now

Step 1: In your email app, make four groups based on the last time someone opened or clicked one of your emails: the last 30 days, 60 days, 90 days and 180 days.

Why this matters

In a big sale you want to reach more of your list. But if you suddenly email people who have ignored you for months, inbox providers like Gmail can start sending all your emails to spam. Waking those people up slowly, a few weeks early, lets you reach more of them safely.

Step 1 of 70 of 7 done

In your email app, make four groups based on the last time someone opened or clicked one of your emails: the last 30 days, 60 days, 90 days and 180 days. Add people who joined in the last 15 days to the 30-day group, because they have not had time to open yet.

Expected result

Four groups, each showing how many people are in it.

Good to know

Group When to email
Opened or clicked in 90 days Every normal email
Opened or clicked in 91 to 180 days Wake-up emails before a sale, then the biggest sale days
Sleeping (180+ days, 5+ emails, no opens or clicks) Goodbye flow only

Lesson 10.17: Do your customers come back? Plan around itGrow

In short

Some stores sell things people buy again and again, like coffee or skincare.

Do this now

Step 1: In Shopify, open Analytics > Reports and find the customer cohort report.

Why this matters

Some stores sell things people buy again and again, like coffee or skincare. Others sell things people buy once, like a sofa. How often your customers come back should change how much you pay for a new customer, how often you run sales and which emails you send.

Step 1 of 60 of 6 done

In Shopify, open Analytics > Reports and find the customer cohort report. Write down two numbers: the share of customers who bought again within 12 months, and how many days it usually takes them to buy the second time.

Expected result

Two numbers, for example "22% come back, usually after about 45 days".

Good to know

Low repeat (under about 20%) High repeat (over about 30%)
Most you pay for a new customer First-order profit First-order profit plus proven repeat profit
Sales Fewer, bigger, for new buyers VIP early access and small list-only events
Key emails Thank-you, how-to, reviews, gifts for friends Reorder reminder timed to the usual gap
Cross-sells Accessories that go with the first buy Refills, bundles and subscriptions

Self-check

  1. What is a micro-commitment form?
  2. Which segment gets most campaign emails?
  3. When does a loyalty program make sense?
  4. How fast should you grow sends when warming up a new account?
Answers
  1. A form that starts with an easy one-click question before asking for an email or phone number.
  2. Engaged subscribers.
  3. When more than about 15 to 20% of customers already buy again.
  4. Each send to about 1.5 times as many people as the last one, engaged people first.

Words to know in this module

Abandoned checkout
When someone starts checkout but does not finish. A reminder email can bring them back.
Flow
An email or text series that sends by itself when something happens, like a new sign-up.
Segment
A smaller group of your list, like people who bought in the last 90 days.
Campaign
The top level in an ad account. It holds the goal, like getting sales.
Campaign email
A one-off email you send to your list, like a new arrival announcement.
Pop-up
A box on your site that asks visitors for their email, often with a small reward.
Theme
The design template for your Shopify store. It controls how every page looks.
Profit
Usually means contribution profit: what is left from sales after product cost, shipping, payment fees, discounts, refunds and ads. Net profit also takes off fixed costs.
Landing page
The page someone lands on after clicking an ad.
Revenue
The money customers paid for orders. Helix uses net sales: after discounts and refunds, without GST or VAT. It is not what you keep.
Domain
Your store's web address, like yourbrand.com.
Margin
The share of each sale you keep after product cost. A $100 sale with $40 product cost is a 60% margin.
All words to know