You’d never show up to a home and start replacing the windows without checking in with the homeowner and introducing the crew (or at least part of the crew). Why would you show up in someone’s email inbox without the same level of courtesy? Find out more about the etiquette and power of the welcome email below.

What Is a Welcome Email?

A welcome email is the first email that arrives after someone signs up for a newsletter, downloads an offer, makes a purchase, or does anything else that involves agreeing to receive marketing emails.

Typically, the welcome email should come as soon as possible after the person signs up—definitely within the first 24 hours. Don’t worry, you don’t have to sit on the sign-up list and send these emails manually. Any email marketing tool—paid or free—worth using has options for automating welcome emails.

The primary purposes of welcome emails include:

• Thanking someone for signing up or making a purchase and welcoming them as a customer or subscriber.
• Providing any necessary instructions or information to help the consumer move further into your sales funnel, such as a link to find out more about products or for downloading a free ebook.
• Acknowledging that you received their request and that they’ve been added to the list.

Home Improvement Marketing Uses for Welcome Emails

But welcome emails are more than a display of good manners. They can also be a powerful marketing tool. Here are a few ways home improvement businesses might use welcome emails to drive conversions and sales:

• Include a few product images and links. Add a few well-placed product images to draw someone’s attention further into the welcome email and get them to click through to your website. If possible, make this dynamic, custom content using smart email automations. For example, if someone signed up to download a guide to window décor, ensure the email includes pictures of gorgeous window dressings in the wild.
• Have a limited-time welcome offer. Create urgency by offering your new potential client a discount that’s good for a few days or weeks. Make sure to communicate that it’s an exclusive welcome offer.

Answer an important question. Build trust and demonstrate expertise by including content that answers a question you think might be important to someone just coming to your newsletter or products.