Email and SMS

Email and text messages are the channels a store owns. Ads rent attention, while a subscriber list stays with you, which is why most stores put real effort into collecting addresses and numbers and sending them messages people want.

The tools in this category are built around store data. They sync customers, orders and browsing events, so you can send messages based on what someone did. The usual starting set is a welcome series, abandoned cart and checkout reminders, a post-purchase series and a win-back message for customers who haven't ordered in a while. Campaigns to segments, such as launches and sales, sit on top of those.

Most platforms now include AI help for drafting subject lines and messages, predicting the next order date and suggesting the best send time. Read every AI draft before it goes out. A wrong discount code or an invented product claim reaches your whole list at once.

SMS needs more care than email. In the US, marketing texts require prior express written consent, a clear way to opt out, and attention to sending hours, and other countries have their own rules. Keep a record of where and how each number was collected, and send texts less often than emails.

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8 AI e-commerce tools in email and sms

Klaviyo

Email and SMS marketing platform for online stores, with flows, segments and AI writing help.

  • Free plan or free version
  • Shopify app
  • Developer API

Omnisend

Email and SMS marketing for e-commerce, with prebuilt automations for carts, orders and welcome series.

  • Free plan or free version
  • Shopify app
  • Sends SMS

Attentive

SMS and email marketing platform for retail brands, focused on text message campaigns and sign-up forms.

  • Shopify app
  • Developer API
  • Sends SMS

Postscript

SMS marketing for Shopify stores, with list growth tools, automations and two-way texting.

  • Shopify app
  • Sends SMS

Mailchimp

by Intuit

Email marketing platform with store integrations, automations and AI help for writing campaigns.

  • Free plan or free version
  • Developer API
  • Writes copy, images or answers with AI

Drip

Email marketing for e-commerce stores, with segments and automated workflows based on shopper behavior.

Privy

Pop-ups, sign-up forms, email and SMS for small online stores, built around growing the list.

  • Shopify app

Brevo

Email, SMS and chat platform, formerly Sendinblue, with an e-commerce plugin and transactional email.

  • Free plan or free version
  • Developer API
  • Sends SMS

List growth comes before clever automation. A clear sign-up offer, a form that doesn't cover the whole page on mobile, and a checkout box for marketing consent build the list steadily. Avoid buying lists or importing addresses from other sources; it hurts deliverability and breaks consent rules in many places.

Deliverability is the quiet part of email. Set up your sending domain with the authentication records the tool asks for, warm up a new account with your most engaged subscribers, and keep complaint rates low. Mailbox providers such as Gmail and Yahoo now require these basics for bulk senders.

Plan how often you send before the busy season starts. Holiday campaigns, launches and flash sales can stack up quickly, and a subscriber who gets three emails and two texts in a day is likely to leave. A simple calendar of planned sends, with a cap per person per week, keeps the list healthy through peak periods.

Costs usually grow with list size and message volume, so remove contacts who never open, and segment rather than blasting everyone.

Questions about email and sms

Which automated emails should a new store set up first?

A welcome series for new subscribers, abandoned cart or checkout reminders, an order follow-up asking for a review, and a win-back message for past customers who have gone quiet.

Do I need separate tools for email and SMS?

Not always. Several tools here handle both, which keeps segments and consent in one place. Specialist SMS tools exist for stores that lean heavily on texting.

What consent do I need to send marketing texts?

In the US, prior express written consent with clear wording about recurring automated texts, plus an easy STOP opt-out. Check the rules in each country you send to before importing any list.

Can AI write my marketing emails?

It can draft them, and that saves time. Check facts, prices, codes and claims yourself, and keep your brand voice consistent rather than accepting whatever the first draft says.

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