10 of the best eCommerce email subject lines that drive clicks
When you’re writing an email for customers, there are lots of different elements you need to think about. The main body of text, the greeting, the call-to-action at the end…
Another element you need to consider? The subject line.
The subject line is the first thing email recipients see, and it can be what encourages them to keep reading. In fact, 64% of people will open an email based on what the subject line is all about!
As an eCommerce marketing agency, we have lots of experience in writing subject lines that make people want to engage and buy from brands.
We’ve put together ten different types of email subject lines you can use to ensure any eCommerce email marketing campaigns you send are a huge success. Want to know more about writing killer email subject lines? Check out this guide!
Article topics
- The personalised subject line
- The subject line that provides an offer
- The urgent subject line
- The simple subject line
- The subject line that sparks curiosity
- The social proof subject line
- The subject line that uses numbers
- The subject line that asks a question
- The subject line which makes readers feel like a VIP
- The subject line that wins back your customers
- Email subject line FAQ
The personalised subject line
A personalised subject line contains information that’s targeted to the individual recipient, whether that’s their name or something they’ve purchased.
Why it works: Personalised subject lines make people pay attention; it feels like you’ve created content that’s especially for them.
Email recipients are 26% more likely to open emails with personalised subject lines, increasing the odds of them acting on your email.
Top tip: While adding a customer’s first name to your subject line is one of the easiest ways to personalise it, there are other ways you can personalise your subject line too.
For example, you can mention the area they live in, the business they work for, or even the products they have bought.
The subject line that provides an offer
This subject line gets straight to the point and tells the recipient what you’re offering. It’s ideal if you’re showcasing a promotion or launching a new product on your eCommerce store.
Why it works: The average person gets around 120 emails a day, so you need to stand out if you don’t want your email to get ignored. Promoting your deal in the subject line is a great way to get your email recipients to read on.
Top tip: If you want to provide more information about your offer, take advantage of preview text. This is an additional line of text that appears next to the subject line in recipients’ inboxes.
The urgent subject line
The urgent subject line promotes the ‘fear of missing out,’ or FOMO, enticing readers to take action instantly.
Why it works: Sometimes people may spot your email and make a reminder to come back to it later. The problem with this is that they may get distracted or simply just forget.
Inspiring urgency drives immediate results, with FOMO-driven subject lines increasing an email’s open rate by 22%.
Top tip: While implying a sense of urgency in your email subject lines can encourage customers to check you out, it’s best to use it sparingly. Overusing FOMO can make your emails feel inauthentic and make recipients feel pressured.
The simple subject line
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel with subject lines. Sometimes the simplest, most easy-to-understand email subject lines can deliver optimal results.
Why it works: These short-but-sweet subject lines are more likely to be read in their entirety, especially on a mobile phone where longer subject lines may be cut off.
They also tell the recipient what they can expect if they click through, building up trust and showing that you’re an authentic and credible brand.
Top tip: With simple subject lines, you need to make every word count. Power words, which evoke strong emotions in recipients, are great to use.
The subject line that sparks curiosity
The subject lines that we’ve looked at so far value simplicity and clarity. However, a more vague subject line can sometimes work in your favour too.
Why it works: These types of email subject lines pique a recipient’s interest, making them want to read the email to find out more.
Take the subject line above. It refers to a story in the email about children ditching traditional piggy banks in favour of financial apps.
Top tip: While this subject line allows you to be a bit more ambiguous, make sure it still relates to something in your email. Otherwise you run the risk of confusing or even frustrating your readers.
The social proof subject line
This email subject line uses the power of social proof, evidence that other people have bought and enjoyed the products you sell.
Why it works: People naturally look to others to decide what to do. For example, reading online reviews before buying a product.
Adding social proof to your email subject line is an extension of this. It shows customers who may be unsure about your product why they should consider it and why they should trust you.
There are lots of different ways you can add social proof to your subject line. You can showcase how many five-star reviews you have, mention an award you’ve won, or, like the example above, how many people have bought your product.
Top tip: Try and put your social proof at the very start of your email subject line. That way, recipients will easily see it, and there’s no risk of it being cut off on a mobile device.
The subject line that uses numbers
As we’ve already seen, the best email subject lines are the ones that stand out and are easy to read at a glance. If you want to grab a recipient’s attention, using a number in your subject line is a good way to do this.
Why it works: Numbers make your email subject lines stand out. Subject lines with numbers have up to 57% better open rates.
Numbers can also help manage expectations – recipients know exactly what they will see in your email, boosting trust in your business.
Top tip: From a grammatical perspective, you’re meant to spell out numbers from one to ten. However, in an email subject line, it’s perfectly acceptable to use numbers – this not only saves valuable space, but makes your subject line easier to read.
The subject line that asks a question
Earlier we looked at personalising your subject line, crafting a message that speaks directly to the recipient.
Asking a question works in a similar way, creating a dynamic email subject line.
Why it works: People love talking about themselves, and asking a question in your subject line encourages them to engage. It’s an especially valuable tactic if you understand your email recipient’s pain points and can ask them a question about a problem they need to solve.
Top tip: When you ask a question, make sure it’s one that your target audience can say yes to. If you ask a question, and there’s the risk they may answer in the negative, they may decide not to read on.
The subject line which makes readers feel like a VIP
We enjoy being treated like a celebrity, whether that’s getting a freebie with our shopping or receiving early access to our favourite products. You can use your email subject line to tempt recipients to click into your email and take advantage of a very exclusive deal.
Why it works: These types of subject lines, where you praise your customers and provide a teaser of what’s on offer, are great for engagement and building brand loyalty.
Plus, it’s easier to encourage existing customers to buy from your store than new customers, meaning more revenue!
Top tip: Use segmentation, where you divide your email marketing list into groups, to identify and market to your best customers.
For example, the ones who buy from you most frequently, or interact with your emails the most.
The subject line that wins back your customers
There may be times when a customer stops buying from your eCommerce store for a variety of reasons. This subject line encourages them to re-engage with your business and buy your products again.
Why it works: This email subject line reminds customers that you’re still around, urging them to check out your emails and rebuild your relationship. Your subject line must be reflective of your brand, so recipients know the email has come from you at a glance.
These types of emails also help you. You can use them to identify and remove customers who don’t engage with you from your email list, increasing engagement and lowering your bounce rates.
Top tip: An emotional subject line works well here, as you can use it to get a lapsed customer’s attention.
Show your customer why you’re sad that they don’t engage with you anymore, or how happy they can be by reconnecting with your brand.
Email subject line FAQ
How long should an email subject line be?
It’s best to keep your email subject line as short as possible – about 50 characters including spaces.
This is because long subject lines get cut off on mobile. Even if customers check out your subject line on a desktop device, a short subject line is easier to understand.
Can I use emojis in subject lines?
You can! In the past, using emojis in emails was frowned upon, but they’re far more acceptable in the modern day.
If you do choose to use emails, consider the following:
- The industry you work in and who you’re sending your emails to. Some target audiences are more receptive to emojis than others
- Where you’re sending your emails to. Different emojis have different meanings depending on the country or region. As an example, the angel emoji (👼) means innocence in the West, but is a sign of death in China, often used as a threat
- Your sender reputation. If your company has a poor sender reputation, excessive use of emojis may increase the chance of your email landing in spam
How can I tell if my email subject line works?
The key metric to keep an eye on to determine if your email subject lines are working is open rate. A high email open rate means that people are looking at your subject line and reading the email because of it.
What’s the ideal open rate? It depends on your industry, but in our experience, anything above 40% is good-going.
However, it’s important to take your email open rate with a pinch of salt.
Some privacy tools, like Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection, automatically preload email content. This may mean that an email may be marked as opened, even if the recipient hasn’t looked at it. As a result, your email open rate may skew higher than expected.
Compare your open rate with other metrics like your click-through rate and conversion rate to gauge whether your subject line is on track.
Conversely, you need to make sure your email subject line isn’t annoying users. A high unsubscribe rate can be a sign that recipients don’t like your subject line, or your email in general.
Xigen: Your eCommerce email specialist
Writing an email subject line can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. The key is understanding your target audience and creating subject lines that provide value to their day. Let us leave you with one final tip when it comes to refining your subject line – use A/B testing. Most email marketing tools provide A/B testing tools as standard.
You can use them to try two different subject lines and see which one your customers respond best to.
Need more help with your email campaigns? We’re the email marketing experts. Our skilled team will craft high-quality emails that your customers love, leading to more clicks, more shares, and most importantly, more sales.
Get in touch today, and let’s transform how you send emails as an online store.
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