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What Makes a Great Welcome Email?

Updated: May 27, 2025

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In marketing, first impressions can be everything. This is certainly true for email marketing; your first point of contact should represent the best of your business and keep subscribers engaged from the outset.

How is this achieved? You start with a welcome email.

A good welcome email sets the tone for your brand and builds trust early, making subscribers more likely to be receptive to future emails. What’s more: in 2025, platforms like Klaviyo can automate these emails, ensuring your customers get a great experience without you having to lift a finger.

This post from Adhesion breaks down the key building blocks of the welcome email and why it’s an essential part of your EDM strategy.


Why Welcome Emails Matter

Welcome emails are your chance to introduce your brand, set expectations, and offer immediate value such as discounts, freebies, or stories. They let you expand upon the content you’ve provided on your website or through your social media, speaking directly to users in a manner that’s highly personal.

According to 2025 benchmarking data, welcome emails have almost 4x the click rate of regular email campaigns, as well as a higher open rate. As the second-highest converting flow (after abandoned cart automations), they’re particularly valuable for ecommerce businesses wanting to drum up incentive to buy.


The Key Ingredients of a Great Welcome Email

  • Strong subject line: Make it clear, inviting, and on-brand.

  • Personalised greeting: Use dynamic fields to customise your emails with the first name of your subscribers.

  • Brief brand story: Reaffirm what drives your business, why you exist and what makes you different from others.

  • Value offer: Consider offering a discount code, free download, or other benefit to your email list.

  • Clear CTA: Entice readers with links such as “Shop now” / “Learn more” / “Follow us” etc.

  • Mobile-friendly, well-designed layout: Most emails in 2025 are viewed on mobile, so optimisation for different screen sizes is crucial.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Taking too much of a sales tone right away
    As this is only your first email, keeping your language light and natural – focus on the subscriber and the value you want to provide for them; you don’t want your emails to start off overly promotional or spammy.
  • Sending too late
    Subscribers typically want immediate proof that their sign-up was successful. The welcome email is your first opportunity to fulfil their expectations, so sending too late (or not at all) fails to keep your brand top of mind.
  • Not delivering on a promised incentive
    Whether it’s a discount code or simply a promise of regular communication, make sure you follow through on your offers. Your emails serve as a representation of your brand, so maintaining a standard of reliability is crucial.
  • Forgetting to set up follow-up emails
    Consider extending your welcome email into a welcome series – a group of around three emails that expand on your brand story and offerings, providing more opportunities to convert whilst cementing your business firmly in the mind of the subscriber.

Consider Using Klaviyo

As a certified Klaviyo partner, Adhesion is familiar with all facets of the platform and how it can make your emails run not just smoothly, but smarter.

Key features of Klaviyo include:

  • A built-in welcome flow template.
  • Automations that immediately send to new subscribers.
  • A drag-and-drop email builder with options for A/B testing.
  • Flows that can branch based on behaviour (e.g. click vs no click).

Klaviyo not only manages your subscriber list, it provides sales data – letting you know exactly what value your business is gaining from your email marketing. With integrations between other platforms such as Meta and Shopify, you’ll be taking your email strategy into the future.


Conclusion

While it’s a little different in 2025 than it was in the past, email marketing is stronger than ever. The welcome email serves as the foundation of your email strategy, letting you integrate new customers into your brand community and form a direct channel for future communications.

Take this opportunity to audit your current welcome experience: email content, sending frequency, as well as sign-up forms. Are you providing enough incentive for users to subscribe?

Once you’ve taken these steps, you’ll be on track for creating a compelling email strategy from start to finish.

Need help setting up your welcome flow? Contact Adhesion today; no matter the platform, we’ll ensure you make a lasting first impression.

Don't just take our word for it. See what our customers have to say:

  • "We have been working with Ricki-lee from Adhesion with our online marketing for a while now and I can tell you she is full of great ideas for getting people interested and contacting our business. In fact, Ricki-lee is now a very important part of our team, and I can't recommend her, and the team behind her, highly enough."

      Kevin Downing   June 2025

  • "I've really enjoyed working with Jen and Ryan from Adhesion! They've been very responsive and knowledgeable and have gone out of their way to help when I've needed campaigns setup in short notice. Highly recommend the team at Adhesion!!!"

      Karthik Hariharan   May 2025

  • "Very efficient in getting a result."

      Oksana Fediuk   May 2025

  • "We've been with Adhesion for a couple of years now, and they've consistently provided prompt and reliable support. Thanks a lot team for your expert advice and exceptional service throughout this time. Our Google Ads have been performing much better in recent months, thanks to your hard work and dedication. Our recent experiences with Ricki-Lee and Jennifer have been fantastic—it’s such a relief to know that we can be in contact anytime we need. It truly feels personal. Thanks again, ladies! 😊"

      Sandeep Nagpal   May 2025

  • "I have been with Adhesion for a couple of years and I am very confident that they are working in my best interest. Peter Volkov communicates well with me and picks up concepts about my business quickly. I am doing well in my business as a result of Adhesion's commitment to their client. I previously had an unfortunate experience of working with a large company who promised the world, charged the earth and delivered nothing of value. The difference now is outstanding."

      Karen @ Child Behaviour Service   April 2025

  • "Peter has done a great job running my google ads - highly recommended."

      Alex Patten   April 2025

  • "Working with Adhesion I have found them to not only be very helpful but also reasonable and fair on pricing"

      Rita Patel-Kumar   April 2025

  • "After years of watching clients get burned by faceless agencies and one-person marketers who vanish overnight, finding Phillippa at Adhesion felt like a revelation."

      Alex Mann   April 2025

  • "Ricki-Lee was an amazing account manager. Always pro-active and looking for improvements to my campaign. Would highly recommend!"

      Chris   April 2025

  • "A huge thank you to Adhesion, and especially to Ricki-lee, for being an absolute rockstar with my ad campaigns! From the very start, she’s been incredibly responsive—always quick to answer any questions and on top of everything to make sure my ads are running smoothly. I love how creative she is, the way she puts the ads together is just perfect! She continuously monitors and optimizes them, making sure they perform at their best. If you're looking for someone who truly cares about your success and delivers amazing results, Ricki-lee is the one!"

      Picnique Queenstown   February 2025

  • "I've had the pleasure of working with the Adhesion team for years, and they have consistently provided professional and valuable services. The entire team is fantastic to work with, and Courteney, in particular, stands out for her attentiveness and responsiveness. Her keen attention to detail and dedication to delivering top-quality service have greatly benefited our projects. I highly recommend Adhesion for their expertise, reliability, and outstanding customer support."

      Frank Krieger   January 2025

  • "Adhesion, Jen & Court have taken our online marketing strategy from strength to strength over the many years we have been using them for Gordon Harris. Courteney is an absolute star! Their knowledge is deep and broad, keeping us up to date with the latest opportunities to make our campaigns work better. Highly recommend."

      Laura Budd   January 2025

  • "I worked with Reuben @ Adhesion through a previous business which was sold and a new start up business of mine. Very prompt at setting up new campaigns, sorting issues and implementing changes. Nothing was ever an issue and all campaigns delivered acceptable results. Would recommend to any small business owner looking for a more personal agency."

      Kyle Simpson   December 2024

  • "We love working with the team at Adhesion, they did an outstanding job with our website—The Lodge at 58 North. Not only did they understand our unique needs as small business owners, but they also perfectly blended creativity and functionality, crafting a site that captures the spirit of our lodge while providing an intuitive, user-friendly experience for our guests. The team's attention to detail and expertise brought our vision to life, showcasing our lodge's unique charm and commitment to authentic experiences.The whole team is professional, highly responsive, and genuinely invested in our success—making us feel supported every step of the way. The result is a beautiful, functional website that reflects our lodge and makes it easy for visitors to explore, book, and get excited about their stay.We highly recommend the Adhesion Team—it's a joy to work with them!"

      Administrative Assistant   October 2024

  • "I would like to say that Reuben Nel from Adhesion has been of excellent assistance with our google words campaign. He has excellent knowledge and insight and could communicate that in an easy and understandable way. I would certainly recommend Reuben to you"

      Leave Calendar   October 2024

  • "We've been working with Courteney from Adhesion for a year now and it's one of the best business decisions we've made. The growth in online sales, as well as in-store referrals, is testament to Courteney’s expertise. Her communication is superb, she offers practical advice, and nothing is a problem. Highly recommend!"

      Velo Ronny's Bicycle Store   September 2024

  • "I have been using adhesion for about 2 months now and my ads and revenue has increased significantly, not too mention there customer service is 5 star. I will carry on working with this company and Rueben Thank you for great work. I highly recommend after using many different agency’s over the last 2 years in NZ and AU. Thanks Again James Roberts SPORTZONE"

      James   August 2024

Don't just take our word for it. See what our customers have to say:

"We have been working with Ricki-lee from Adhesion with our online marketing for a while now and I can tell you she is full of great ideas for getting people interested and contacting our business. In fact, Ricki-lee is now a very important part of our team, and I can't recommend her, and the team behind her, highly enough."
  Kevin Downing   June 2025

"I've really enjoyed working with Jen and Ryan from Adhesion! They've been very responsive and knowledgeable and have gone out of their way to help when I've needed campaigns setup in short notice. Highly recommend the team at Adhesion!!!"
  Karthik Hariharan   May 2025

"Very efficient in getting a result."
  Oksana Fediuk   May 2025

"We've been with Adhesion for a couple of years now, and they've consistently provided prompt and reliable support. Thanks a lot team for your expert advice and exceptional service throughout this time. Our Google Ads have been performing much better in recent months, thanks to your hard work and dedication. Our recent experiences with Ricki-Lee and Jennifer have been fantastic—it’s such a relief to know that we can be in contact anytime we need. It truly feels personal. Thanks again, ladies! 😊"
  Sandeep Nagpal   May 2025

"I have been with Adhesion for a couple of years and I am very confident that they are working in my best interest. Peter Volkov communicates well with me and picks up concepts about my business quickly. I am doing well in my business as a result of Adhesion's commitment to their client. I previously had an unfortunate experience of working with a large company who promised the world, charged the earth and delivered nothing of value. The difference now is outstanding."
  Karen @ Child Behaviour Service   April 2025

"Peter has done a great job running my google ads - highly recommended."
  Alex Patten   April 2025

"Working with Adhesion I have found them to not only be very helpful but also reasonable and fair on pricing"
  Rita Patel-Kumar   April 2025

"After years of watching clients get burned by faceless agencies and one-person marketers who vanish overnight, finding Phillippa at Adhesion felt like a revelation."
  Alex Mann   April 2025

"Ricki-Lee was an amazing account manager. Always pro-active and looking for improvements to my campaign. Would highly recommend!"
  Chris   April 2025

"A huge thank you to Adhesion, and especially to Ricki-lee, for being an absolute rockstar with my ad campaigns! From the very start, she’s been incredibly responsive—always quick to answer any questions and on top of everything to make sure my ads are running smoothly. I love how creative she is, the way she puts the ads together is just perfect! She continuously monitors and optimizes them, making sure they perform at their best. If you're looking for someone who truly cares about your success and delivers amazing results, Ricki-lee is the one!"
  Picnique Queenstown   February 2025

"I've had the pleasure of working with the Adhesion team for years, and they have consistently provided professional and valuable services. The entire team is fantastic to work with, and Courteney, in particular, stands out for her attentiveness and responsiveness. Her keen attention to detail and dedication to delivering top-quality service have greatly benefited our projects. I highly recommend Adhesion for their expertise, reliability, and outstanding customer support."
  Frank Krieger   January 2025

"Adhesion, Jen & Court have taken our online marketing strategy from strength to strength over the many years we have been using them for Gordon Harris. Courteney is an absolute star! Their knowledge is deep and broad, keeping us up to date with the latest opportunities to make our campaigns work better. Highly recommend."
  Laura Budd   January 2025

"I worked with Reuben @ Adhesion through a previous business which was sold and a new start up business of mine. Very prompt at setting up new campaigns, sorting issues and implementing changes. Nothing was ever an issue and all campaigns delivered acceptable results. Would recommend to any small business owner looking for a more personal agency."
  Kyle Simpson   December 2024

"We love working with the team at Adhesion, they did an outstanding job with our website—The Lodge at 58 North. Not only did they understand our unique needs as small business owners, but they also perfectly blended creativity and functionality, crafting a site that captures the spirit of our lodge while providing an intuitive, user-friendly experience for our guests. The team's attention to detail and expertise brought our vision to life, showcasing our lodge's unique charm and commitment to authentic experiences.The whole team is professional, highly responsive, and genuinely invested in our success—making us feel supported every step of the way. The result is a beautiful, functional website that reflects our lodge and makes it easy for visitors to explore, book, and get excited about their stay.We highly recommend the Adhesion Team—it's a joy to work with them!"
  Administrative Assistant   October 2024

"I would like to say that Reuben Nel from Adhesion has been of excellent assistance with our google words campaign. He has excellent knowledge and insight and could communicate that in an easy and understandable way. I would certainly recommend Reuben to you"
  Leave Calendar   October 2024

"We've been working with Courteney from Adhesion for a year now and it's one of the best business decisions we've made. The growth in online sales, as well as in-store referrals, is testament to Courteney’s expertise. Her communication is superb, she offers practical advice, and nothing is a problem. Highly recommend!"
  Velo Ronny's Bicycle Store   September 2024

"I have been using adhesion for about 2 months now and my ads and revenue has increased significantly, not too mention there customer service is 5 star. I will carry on working with this company and Rueben Thank you for great work. I highly recommend after using many different agency’s over the last 2 years in NZ and AU. Thanks Again James Roberts SPORTZONE"
  James   August 2024

See all Google Reviews for Adhesion