The ultimate welcome flow checklist for small businesses on Shopify

Introduction to welcome flows

Your welcome flow is often the very first impression customers have of your brand. Get it right, and it can build trust, spark connection, and drive sales on autopilot. Get it wrong (or skip it entirely) and you risk being forgotten and wasting your opportunity to acquire new customers.

Here’s your step-by-step checklist to make sure your welcome flow is working hard for you:

Understand the purpose 

Your welcome flow isn’t just a quick hello and then leave them blank them, it’s the start of your relationship with a new subscriber. Think of it as your chance to explain who you are, why you matter, and why they should stick around.

✔️ Introduce yourself clearly

Don’t assume new subscribers already know you. You know everything about your brand and products, but they don't. Strip it back to the basics of what you're known for and think about what you'd tell a friend about your business the first time you meet them.

✔️ Build connection + trust 

Share your story, your values, and why your products exist. This part is so important because people do buy from people. And so often your target audience is exactly like you as a business owner. Tell people the deeper meaning behind your products and why you started your brand.

✔️ Drive sales (gently)

Not every email will convert, but the flow as a whole should lead to purchases. Usually the first email in your welcome flow will be the top performing (potentially of all flows) but just because later emails don't have such high conversions, it doesn't mean they aren't working as they're keeping you in the forefront of new customers minds. 

Planning the structure (your core emails)

It’s tempting to wing it, but having a plan makes your welcome flow so much more effective. A good structure balances story and sales so subscribers get to know you and see what you offer. It's got to lead people on a journey and this is how I'd suggest doing that: 

1️⃣ Email 1: The offer

• Deliver your discount or incentive (or a freebie/bonus if you don’t want to discount)
• Welcome them warmly and set expectations for what kind of emails they’ll receive.

2️⃣ Email 2: The story

• Share why you started your brand and what makes you different.
• Keep it personal, relatable, and human.

3️⃣ Email 3: The products

• Showcase your bestsellers or hero product.
• Use product images and clear CTAs to shop.

4️⃣ Email 4: The trust builder

• Add reviews, customer photos, or your brand’s USPs.
• Position your business as trustworthy and reliable.

4️⃣ Email 5: The reminder

• Remind them of their unused welcome discount.
• Show them products they may like and make them easy to shop from the email.

✨ Top tip: Alternate between sell → story → sell → story/trust so it doesn’t feel too pushy or too fluffy.

Consider your timings

How often you send welcome emails matters just as much as what you say in them. If you wait too long, people forget who you are. If you send them too quickly, they feel spammy.

✔️ Don’t rely on Klaviyo’s default settings (this can often be wayyy to long between emails)

✔️ Using short gaps (1–2 days) between emails for most small product businesses works best to keep new subscribers interested and engaged

✔️ Think of the flow as a journey, aim to complete it within a week so you don’t get forgotten

Make your emails look (+ sound) good

Even the best email ideas won’t land if your design is clunky or your copy is self-focused. Keep it short, customer-first, and easy to skim as most people will only spend a few seconds reading.

✔️ Use customer-focused language (“you’ll love this” vs “we love this”)

✔️ Keep emails short, scannable, with image + text balanced

✔️ Write curious subject lines and preview text (avoid “Our story” or “Our bestsellers”)

✔️ Always include one clear CTA, not a dozen!

Build in some smart tech

Your welcome flow should feel personal, not robotic. A few smart Klaviyo settings can make a big difference, like stopping sales emails once someone has already purchased.

✔️ Add conditional splits so buyers don’t keep getting “buy now” emails

✔️ Collect zero-party data (quizzes or “what are you interested in?” type questions work great)

✔️ Switch OFF “smart sending” so welcome emails always send, even if another email went out that day

Track + then improve

Your welcome flow isn’t “set and forget.” Like your website, it needs check-ins and tweaks to keep performing. Use your data as a guide and don’t be afraid to experiment.

✔️ Benchmark your welcome flow against Klaviyo averages: 55% open rate, 6% click rate, 2.38% conversion

✔️ Review performance (at least) quarterly. Refresh designs, update copy, swap in new products or images, keep it fresh and on-brand

✔️ Add extra emails into the flow if engagement is still strong (e.g. sizing guide, styling tips, social proof)

Avoid these common mistakes

Sometimes it’s easier to know what not to do. Avoid these pitfalls and you’ll instantly have a stronger flow than most small businesses:

❌ Only sending one welcome email
❌ Forgetting to deliver the promised discount/code
❌ Writing about yourself instead of what matters to your customer
❌ Dedicating an email just to “Follow us on Instagram"

👉 Final thought

Your welcome flow isn’t just a formality, it’s your best-performing automation. Treat it like the foundation of your email marketing system, and it’ll pay you back in loyal subscribers and repeat sales.

Want my winning welcome flow template so you can focus on the parts of your business you love? Check out Klaviyo Kickstart, my easy email course that helps you get your essential flows set up, correctly.