How to Write Killer E-commerce Email Subject Lines That Boost Open Rates

How to Write Killer E-commerce Email Subject Lines That Boost Open Rates

Your email subject line is the gateway to engagement. A well-crafted subject line can significantly increase your open rates, which in turn drives clicks and conversions. Learn how to write subject lines that stand out, grab attention, and get your emails

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction: Why Subject Lines Matter
  2. Key Elements of High-Performing Subject Lines
  3. Keep It Short and Sweet
  4. Create a Sense of Urgency or FOMO
  5. Use Personalization
  6. Ask Questions or Tease Value
  7. Use Emojis (But Sparingly)
  8. A/B Testing Your Subject Lines
  9. Why A/B Testing Matters
  10. What to Test
  11. Best Practices for A/B Testing
  12. Examples of Effective E-commerce Subject Lines
  13. Promotional Email Subject Lines
  14. Cart Abandonment Email Subject Lines
  15. Personalized and Targeted Subject Lines
  16. Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Subject Lines
  17. Conclusion

Introduction: Why Subject Lines Matter

Your email’s subject line is one of the most critical components of your entire email marketing strategy. Think about it: before your audience reads a single word of your carefully crafted email, they have to open it—and the subject line is the deciding factor.

According to Mailchimp, the average open rate across industries hovers around 21.33%, but effective subject lines can dramatically boost that figure. A killer subject line not only grabs attention, but it also entices the recipient to learn more. It’s the hook that either brings people into your content or loses them forever.

In this article, we’ll break down the anatomy of high-performing e-commerce email subject lines, dive into practical tips to improve open rates, and show you how to A/B test your subject lines for maximum results.

Key Elements of High-Performing Subject Lines

To consistently increase your email open rates, it’s important to understand what makes [[a subject line](email-benchmarks-by-industry.html)](how-to-build-and-segment-your-ecommerce-email-list-for-maximum-engagement) work. Let’s go over some key strategies to get you started.

Keep It Short and Sweet

Most email clients, especially on mobile devices, only display the first 30-50 characters of a subject line. That means brevity is crucial if you want your message to be fully visible.

Best Practices: - Aim for 50 characters or fewer. - Get straight to the point and eliminate unnecessary words. - Front-load the most important information.

Example:
- Bad: “Check Out Our Amazing New Summer Collection That Just Dropped!” - Good: “New Summer Collection Is Here 🌞”

Create a Sense of Urgency or FOMO

Adding urgency or scarcity to your subject lines encourages recipients to act quickly. Phrases like "limited time" or "last chance" create a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) and can push subscribers to open the email immediately.

Best Practices: - Use words like "today," "now," or "last chance" to create a sense of urgency. - Combine urgency with a clear benefit, like a discount or special offer.

Example:
- "Hurry! 24 Hours Left to Save 20%" - "Last Chance: 50% Off Ends Tonight!"

Use Personalization

Personalization has been shown to improve open rates significantly. Using a subscriber's name, referencing their past purchases, or suggesting products based on their browsing history can make the email feel more relevant.

Best Practices: - Include the recipient’s name in the subject line to add a personal touch. - Reference their past behavior, such as abandoned carts or recent purchases.

Example:
- "John, Don’t Miss Out on Your 10% Discount!" - "Jane, Your Cart Is Waiting for You 🚚"

Read more about the power of personalization from Campaign Monitor.

Ask Questions or Tease Value

A subject line that asks a question or hints at the content inside the email can pique curiosity and encourage recipients to open the message to find out more.

Best Practices: - Ask a question that addresses a pain point or taps into the reader’s curiosity. - Tease a valuable tip, offer, or piece of content within the email.

Example:
- "Looking for the Perfect Summer Outfit? ☀️" - "Want 25% Off? Here’s How You Can Get It!"

Use Emojis (But Sparingly)

Emojis can add visual interest to your subject lines and help your email stand out in a crowded inbox. However, they should be used sparingly and in the right context to avoid coming off as unprofessional.

Best Practices: - Use emojis to reinforce the message or add personality. - Don’t overload the subject line with too many emojis—one or two is enough. - Ensure that the emoji aligns with the tone and audience of your brand.

Example:
- "🎉 Big Savings Inside – 20% Off Everything!" - "New Arrivals Are Here 👗 Shop the Latest Trends Now"

A/B Testing Your Subject Lines

Why A/B Testing Matters

Even the best subject line strategies can’t guarantee success unless you test them with your specific audience. What works for one brand may not work for another. That’s why A/B testing (also known as split testing) is so valuable. It allows you to test different variations of a subject line and see which one resonates best with your audience.

What to Test

Here are some key elements to test in your subject lines: - Length: Test short vs. long subject lines to see which generates more opens. - Tone: Test casual vs. formal language. - Personalization: See how adding the subscriber's name impacts open rates. - Urgency: Test whether including urgency (e.g., “Today Only”) drives higher engagement. - Emojis: Compare subject lines with and without emojis to measure their impact.

Best Practices for A/B Testing

  • Test one element at a time: To get clear results, only change one variable in your subject lines (e.g., length or tone) at a time.
  • Test with a large enough sample size: Ensure you’re sending the test to a sufficiently large portion of your audience for statistically significant results.
  • Measure open rates: The main metric to measure for subject lines is the open rate. This tells you how many recipients opened your email based on the subject line.
  • Analyze and iterate: Use the results of your A/B tests to refine your subject line strategy over time.

Example:
Test two subject lines for a flash sale: - Subject Line A: "Flash Sale: 25% Off Everything!" - Subject Line B: "Hurry! Flash Sale Ends Today – 25% Off"

Run the A/B test and analyze which subject line produces a higher open rate.

Learn more about A/B testing best practices from HubSpot.

Examples of Effective E-commerce Subject Lines

Now that we’ve covered the strategies behind creating strong subject lines, let’s look at some examples of subject lines that work well across different types of e-commerce campaigns.

Promotional Email Subject Lines

Promotions are a staple of e-commerce email marketing, but the challenge is standing out in a crowded inbox. Here’s how you can craft subject lines that drive opens:

  • "50% Off Sitewide! Shop Our Summer Sale Now"
  • "Flash Sale! 40% Off for the Next 24 Hours"
  • "Just for You: Exclusive 30% Off Your Next Purchase"

Cart Abandonment Email Subject Lines

Cart abandonment emails are crucial for recovering lost sales. A compelling subject line can entice customers to come back and complete their purchase:

  • "You Left Something Behind – Come Back to Complete Your Order!"
  • "Your Cart Is Waiting 🛒 Complete Your Purchase Today"
  • "Forgot Something? Grab It Before It’s Gone!"

Personalized and Targeted Subject Lines

When you tailor subject lines to individual subscribers, they feel more relevant and personal. These are great for targeting specific segments of your audience:

  • "John, Don’t Forget to Use Your 10% Discount!"
  • "Samantha, Your Favorite Sneakers Are Back in Stock!"
  • "You’ll Love These New Arrivals, Sarah 👗"

Explore more examples of [personalized subject lines](the-power-of-automation-5-essential-ecommerce-email-workflows-you-need-to-set-up) from Klaviyo.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Subject Lines

Even the best strategies can be derailed by common mistakes. Avoid these pitfalls to ensure your subject lines are as effective as possible:

  1. Overpromising: Don’t make promises in your subject line that your email can’t keep. This leads to disappointment and unsubscribes.

Example to Avoid: "FREE Products Inside!" (when there are no free products in the email)

  1. Being Too Vague: While curiosity can work, subject lines that are too vague may leave recipients confused and uninterested.

Example to Avoid: "You Won’t Believe What’s Inside!"

  1. Overusing ALL CAPS: Capital letters can create a sense of urgency, but overusing them can come across as shouting and turn off recipients.

Example to Avoid: "HURRY! ACT NOW FOR BIG SAVINGS!!!"

  1. Using Too Many Emojis: Emojis can make your subject line stand out, but using too many can make it look unprofessional.

Example to Avoid: "🎉🎉🎉 HUGE SALE INSIDE 🎉🎉🎉"

Conclusion

Crafting effective e-commerce email subject lines is both an art and a science. The right subject line can make all the difference between an opened email and one that’s ignored or sent to the trash. By keeping subject lines concise, creating urgency, using personalization, and leveraging A/B testing, you can improve your email open rates and drive more sales.

Start implementing these strategies today and continually refine your approach based on the results you see. Remember, email marketing is an ongoing process, and there’s always room for improvement.

For further resources on email marketing and subject lines, check out: - Mailchimp’s guide to writing better subject lines - HubSpot’s email marketing best practices