Blueprint for a Perfect Welcome Email

Ari Gillam — December 14, 2016 Follow @arigillam

Whether they filled out a landing page or subscribed to your blog and newsletter, a stranger coming to your website and sharing their contact info is worthy of celebration! This first-time digital handshake is ultimately where the online relationship begins, so if you’re running a business, a non-profit or a community for ideas, you should take this opportunity to send a welcome email with a warm message of thanks. There’s no one way to write a good welcome email, so while you should certainly tailor these tips to your audience, here are our three fundamentals for a perfect greeting.

Clean Design

Like your website itself, the welcome email should be clear in its purpose and visually tidy. This is like your first date, so you don’t want to come on too strong with an overwhelmingly complicated layout that feels busy.

The email doesn’t need to be a carbon copy of your website, but it should mirror the branding as a whole. Beyond your logo, if you have a consistent color scheme and font that’s part of your digital brand, it should be incorporated in the email as well for a consistent experience across different mediums.

Easily Digested Content

As tools to design emails have improved, some people fall into the trap of spending more time on the visuals than the content within. A good welcome email should offer sincere thanks and provide personalization so as to feel less automated. If we know their name, or the context of their arrival based on the landing page or section of the site they “converted” on, use this information to cater to their interests.

Beyond the thank-you, it’s essential that you provide information that’s valuable to them. This could be an intro to you or the company, tips on using your product or engaging with your service, or even more information on your mission. Above all, it’s a first impression and great chance to begin building trust in your brand.

Warm Call-to-Action

Just as if a guest had been invited into your home for the first time, it’s not enough to simply welcome them, but a good host will help them with their coat and encourage them to settle in.

Remember, this is only the start of the relationship so provide a prompt, warm CTA that will motivate them to further engage. Encourage them to reply to the email with questions, or provide links to helpful info back on the site.

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