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You’ve probably heard that an email is equivalent to talking directly to your customer.
That’s why how to create an email list should be a no-brainer if you run an online store.
But so many people are doing it wrong that it may seem like social media offers better outreach than email marketing.
However, an email list gives you the best chances of segmenting your audience.
It’s no wonder email marketing has a high return on investment of $36 for every dollar spent. Many marketers report an average open rate of 46 – 50% and a click-through rate of 2.6 – 3%, according to HubSpot.
Growing your email list should not be a brain-racking experience. You don’t need 100 strategies for your online store.
Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t have time to write guest blog posts and create lead magnets.
With this email list-building guide, you can grow your email list from zero. Let’s go.
What is An Email List?
An email list is simply a list of email addresses you collect from your online retail store visitors and customers. The email list allows you to send email marketing campaigns and is stored within an email service provider.
When users opt-in to your email list, they are doing so for various reasons, such as:
- getting updates about your company;
- receiving relevant offers;
- learning more about your store or company;
- claiming a discount code;
- and more.
Why Should You Build an Email List?
Is it because everyone is doing it?
Well, yes and no.
An email list is not always the solution for great marketing and bigger sales, but it can play a crucial role.
Imagine having a direct line to the people who already love your brand or want to know more about your brand. Remember that not everyone who visits your e-commerce store is ready to buy from you.
An email list lets you speak to them without social media algorithms standing in the way. It’s like sending an invitation to their personal space, where distractions fade.
When your prospects are at different stages of the buying journey, an email list can help your brand go from creating awareness to persuading them until they are at the buying stage of the marketing funnel.
Every email you send is a chance to build trust and keep them coming back.
It’s your most valuable marketing asset – and it’s all yours. Let’s dig into the best strategies for building an email list from scratch and do it right.
How to Build an Email List from Scratch
While there are countless ways of building an email list, these strategies are rinse and repeat. They are the same ones used by top e-commerce stores, so you can be sure that they are tested and proven to offer the best results.
1. Offer a Discount
Quite obvious, right?
Not so fast.
A discount to your visitors is a fine line between visitors who always expect a discount and those who need a discount so they don’t move on to your competitor.
That’s why a discount is a balancing act of offering a discount to a particular segment of your customers, such as new visitors.
That’s what American Eagle has done. It offers 10% off for new subscribers to its email list.
American Eagle knows new visitors are less likely to buy on their first visit. When visitors subscribe to their email list, they can capture them further based on the items they are looking at.
Further Reading:
- Segmentation Strategies for E-Commerce
- Targeting Rules to Capture the Right Visitors With Relevant Information
- How to design a high-converting pop-up
- Writing persuasive copy for your E-Commerce pop-up
2. Offer a Page-Specific Discount
Aside from new visitors, you can target visitors on a specific page, such as the checkout page.
You know that moment when someone adds items to their cart but doesn’t hit “buy”? What if you could give them the nudge they need right when they’re about to leave?
By targeting visitors who land on your checkout page, you can offer them a small incentive to complete their order.
Imagine a pop-up that says, “Wait! Here’s 10% off, drop your email, and the discount is yours.”
Not only do you boost conversions, but you also build your email list for future marketing.
That’s what this online retailer did.
This pop-up comes at the right time. Just at checkout.
It’s a win-win: a sale today and a direct line to their inbox tomorrow. All with a simple, timely offer right when it counts the most.
3. Offer a Page-Specific Discount Based on Basket Size
Ever wish you would increase your customer’s order value without coming off as salesy?
It’s a LOT easier when you nudge them using a page-specific pop-up for a discount based on their basket size.
Let’s say a customer adds a pair of gloves to their cart.
A pop-up that says,
“You are one pair away from a free pair of gloves. Add one more pair to get the third one for free. Enter your email to claim it.”
You’re giving your customers a reason to spend more while building your email list, and your visitors will feel rewarded for it.
Editor’s Note
Want to add pop-ups to your eCommerce store? Get instant access to 100+ proven and tested pop-up templates.
Flick through our Pop-up Gallery
4. Use Quizzes to Your Advantage
Ever wonder why quizzes and surveys are super effective for building an email list?
Imagine giving your visitors a fun, engaging quiz or survey that feels like a conversation rather than a sales pitch. People love to know about themselves. A survey is engaging, and people will want to be rewarded with their results after providing their email addresses.
This is how Tweezerman does it with its “Which Tweezer is right for you quiz.”
It’s a friendly way to learn about your customers while offering value, and they feel in control every step of the way.
5. Offer a Black Friday Specific Incentive
Black Friday is one of the busiest times of the year for e-commerce stores. In 2023 alone, Black Friday sales reached a staggering $9.8B. Thus, there’s a lot of coin to capitalize on.
With Black Friday coming, your customers are already hunting for the best deals.
What if you could give them early access to your most significant discounts for being part of your inner circle?
Invite them with a special message: “Want first dibs on our Black Friday deals? Drop your email and get exclusive access before anyone else.”
It feels like a VIP invitation, and who doesn’t love getting ahead of the crowd?
By offering this early-bird incentive, you’re building excitement and growing your email list for future sales.
It’s the perfect way to reward loyal shoppers and keep them returning for more!
6. Tweak Your Order Confirmation Page
After someone completes their purchase, they’re already in a great mood. Why not keep that momentum going?
The order confirmation page is perfect for adding your customer to your email list.
Offer them a little something extra like;
“Love what you just bought? Get first access to similar deals and exclusive offers by joining our list!”
It’s a simple tweak that feels natural because you’re already building trust with the sale.
You’re not just asking for an email. You’re offering them a VIP pass to future savings on the products they’re interested in.
It’s low pressure, high reward, and gives you a direct line to your most engaged customers.
7. Take Advantage of Out of Stock Products
Imagine your customer finds the perfect product, but it’s out of stock.
What now?
Instead of losing them, offer a personalized solution: “Can’t wait to get your hands on this? Leave your email, and we’ll let you know when it’s back in stock!”
It’s a friendly way of saying, “We’ve got you covered, and you’ll be the first to know.”
No need to search for alternatives. They can sit back and relax while you handle the rest.
Plus, you’re building an email list of people ready to buy, making future restocks even more successful!
8. A Good Lesson from the Contact Page
Imagine turning your contact page into a quiet powerhouse to grow your email list.
Most visitors consider the contact page a place to ask questions, but what if it could do more?
Let’s take inspiration from “Cotton Bureau”, a fashion brand that doesn’t miss an opportunity to connect with its audience.
On their contact page, they keep things simple; “Name,” “Email,” and “Message,” but just before hitting submit, there’s a subtle ask:
It’s a soft prompt that doesn’t interrupt the flow but offers visitors extra value.
Using this approach, you can turn curious visitors into loyal subscribers without pressure. It’s just a friendly invitation to stay in the loop!
9. Who Doesn’t Like Freebies?
Who doesn’t like free things? Businesses have giveaways to achieve something like growing an email list.
Picture this: visitors land on your site, and a sleek pop-up asks, “Want to win a [Prize]? Drop your email to enter!”
You get more sign-ups, and they get excited about winning something awesome.
The best part? It’s not disruptive. The pop-up is timed just right, grabbing their attention without interrupting their shopping.
Picking the right gift matters—choose something your audience really wants without making your site the place for freebie seekers.
For example, you could give away a gift card for users to redeem at your store or a selection of your products.
Three big wins: you grow your email list, keep them engaged, and boost your brand’s visibility through sharing.
10. Optimize your Footer Opt-In
Tired of the usual “Subscribe to our newsletter” line in your footer? It’s kind of boring because no one wakes up wanting more emails in their inbox, right?
Instead, offer something they can’t resist: “Sign up and get $10 off your first order.”
It’s personal, it’s valuable, and it gives visitors a real reason to opt-in.
By optimizing your footer with this incentive, you’re turning a boring ask into an irresistible offer.
Make your footer work harder for you, and turn casual browsers into loyal customers.
This is how you can tweak your footer opt-in to get more people to subscribe to your newsletter.
11. Notifications! Notifications! Ask Facebook. They Know Something that You Don’t
Imagine using the same irresistible pull as Facebook’s red notification badge on iPhone.
Facebook’s red notification badges are impossible to ignore, and you can’t click on them to disable them.
While annoying, notifications are incredibly powerful at getting people’s attention. They activate the brain’s dopamine pathways, making them quite addictive.
It’s no wonder businesses use the red notification badge, which makes it impossible for visitors to ignore.
You can place it next to a button saying, “New Offer Inside” or “Exclusive Discount Awaits!” This is how Beardbrand is taking advantage of the notifications button.
This subtle yet powerful visual cue will spark curiosity and have visitors clicking before they know it.
Once they click, invite them to sign up with their email to unlock the exclusive deal or offer. Granted, this method only works for curious people, not everyone.
Conclusion
There you have it, guys. These 11 email list-building strategies will get you started in curating the perfect email list for your e-commerce business.
And yes, you can rinse and repeat every single one of them.
