The build order, and why it matters
Flows compound, so sequence them by revenue per hour of build. Checkout abandonment pays for the whole programme in weeks. Loyalty tiers do not, however satisfying they are to design. We build in the order below and hold each flow to a target before moving on.
20-35%
Share of total revenue a mature email and SMS programme should drive
~50%
Of that revenue should come from automated flows, not campaigns
7
Flows that account for nearly all of it
1. Abandoned checkout
The highest revenue per recipient of any automation, because intent is at its peak. Three messages inside 24 hours: a reminder at one hour with the cart contents and nothing else, an SMS at roughly six hours, and a final email the next morning that handles the real objection, usually delivery cost, returns or sizing.
- No discount on message one. You are reminding, not bribing.
- Show the exact items, image included, with a one-tap return to a pre-filled checkout.
- Put the delivery and returns promise in the body, not the footer.
- Exclude anyone who has since purchased, and cap frequency across all flows.
2. Browse and cart abandonment
Lower intent, far higher volume. Two to three messages over 48 hours, triggered on repeat product views or an add to cart without checkout start. The job here is merchandising: show the viewed product, then two alternatives and the reviews. Keep it segmented by product category so the copy is not generic.
3. Welcome series
The flow that touches the most people and sets the tone for everything after. Four emails across ten days: deliver the promise immediately, then proof and product education, then the main objection, then a soft incentive reminder with a preference prompt so you learn what they want.
A welcome series that opens with 20% off teaches every new subscriber that your prices are negotiable. You will pay for that discount forever.
4. Post-purchase and replenishment
Repeat rate is where profit lives, because the acquisition cost is already sunk. Three to four messages timed to the product cycle: order reassurance, a how-to-get-the-best-from-it message, a review request once they have actually used it, and a replenishment nudge timed to the real consumption window rather than a generic 30 days.
Cross-sell without being irritating
Recommend the accessory to the product they bought, not the category bestseller. One recommendation, clearly reasoned, converts better than a grid of six.
5. Win-back
Set the lapse window from your own repeat-purchase data, not a default. Three messages: a value-led reminder of what has changed since they bought, a social-proof message, then a time-bound incentive. This is consistently the cheapest revenue in the account, because these people already trusted you once.
6. VIP and loyalty
Your top decile of customers should never receive the same discount ladder as a cold subscriber. Tier on spend and frequency, then give early access, restocks and genuinely useful perks instead of price cuts. It protects margin and it is the single easiest way to lift average order value without buying more traffic.
7. Back in stock and price drop
Small in volume, brilliant in conversion. SMS first because the window is short, email as the follow-up with alternatives. Make the sign-up visible on every out-of-stock variant, and suppress anyone who bought the item elsewhere in the meantime.
Benchmarks and the hygiene nobody enjoys
Abandoned checkout
- Shape we build
- 3 messages over 24 hours, SMS on touch 2
- What it is really for
- Highest revenue per recipient of any flow
Browse and cart
- Shape we build
- 2 to 3 messages over 48 hours
- What it is really for
- Highest volume, lower conversion rate
Welcome series
- Shape we build
- 4 emails over 10 days
- What it is really for
- Best place to set margin expectations
Post-purchase
- Shape we build
- 3 to 4 messages across the first cycle
- What it is really for
- Drives repeat rate, not first-order revenue
Win-back
- Shape we build
- 3 messages, triggered on lapse window
- What it is really for
- Cheapest reactivation you will ever run
VIP and loyalty
- Shape we build
- Ongoing, tier-triggered
- What it is really for
- Protects your best customers from discounting
Back in stock
- Shape we build
- 1 to 2 messages, SMS first
- What it is really for
- Near-instant conversion when stock lands
None of it works on an unauthenticated domain. Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC, warm new sending domains gradually, suppress long-term non-openers, and run a real preference centre so people downgrade frequency instead of reporting you. Deliverability is not a technical footnote, it is the difference between a flow that earns and a flow that files itself in spam.
We build and run this whole set inside Email & SMS, with a fixed number of flows and campaigns each month, from £800 a month plus VAT.
Questions we get asked
Which email flows make the most money?
In order of revenue per recipient: abandoned checkout, browse and cart abandonment, welcome series, post-purchase and replenishment, win-back, VIP and loyalty, and back-in-stock. Abandoned checkout usually earns the most per send, while the welcome series touches the most people.
How much of ecommerce revenue should email and SMS drive?
For an established store with a healthy list, 20 to 35% of total revenue through email and SMS combined is a realistic target, with roughly half of that coming from automated flows rather than campaigns. Below 15% almost always means the flows are missing or under-built.
Should SMS and email be in the same flow?
Yes, as one journey with channel logic rather than two parallel programmes. Use email for the detail and the merchandising, and SMS for the short, time-sensitive nudge, typically the second or third touch in checkout abandonment and back-in-stock. Never send both at the same minute.
How many emails should a welcome series have?
Between three and five. One immediate email that delivers the offer or promise, one covering proof and product education, one handling the main objection, and optionally an incentive reminder plus a segmentation prompt. Longer series rarely add revenue and cost you unsubscribes.
Do discount codes in flows damage margin?
They do when the discount is the default rather than the escalation. Send the first reminder with no discount, add the incentive only at the second or third touch, and cap it. In our accounts, delaying the code typically recovers most of the revenue at a materially better blended margin.
What deliverability work do flows need?
Authenticate the sending domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, warm a new sending domain gradually, suppress non-openers on a rolling window, and keep a real preference centre so people downgrade rather than mark you as spam. Flows to an unauthenticated domain are money in a spam folder.
Written by
Sam, co-founder, growth and paid media
Runs growth and paid media at Mesmerise Marketing. Ten years of paid and organic campaigns for challenger brands across DTC, B2B services and hospitality.
Meet the team
