Common WooCommerce Email Customisation Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Customising WooCommerce emails is crucial for improving customer experience, reinforcing brand identity, and increasing conversions. However, many store owners make mistakes when customising these emails, which can result in poor engagement, lost sales, or even compliance issues. In this article, we’ll explore common WooCommerce email customisation mistakes and how to fix them to ensure your emails are effective and professional.

1. Using a Generic Email Design

Mistake:

WooCommerce default emails look plain and lack branding. If you don’t customise the design, your emails may appear unprofessional and fail to reinforce your brand identity.

Fix:

Use an email customiser plugin such as YayMail, Kadence WooCommerce Email Designer, or ThemeHigh Email Customizer.

Add your logo, brand colours, and fonts to make emails visually appealing and aligned with your brand.

Ensure the layout is clear, with a well-structured hierarchy for easy readability.

2. Ignoring Mobile Responsiveness

Mistake:

Many customers check emails on their mobile devices. If your emails aren’t mobile-friendly, they may appear broken or unreadable, leading to poor engagement.

Fix:

Choose a responsive email template that adjusts to different screen sizes.

Keep the layout simple and avoid excessive images that may not display correctly on mobile.

Use large buttons for CTAs so they’re easy to tap.

Test your emails on multiple devices before sending them.

3. Overloading Emails with Text

Mistake:

Long, text-heavy emails can overwhelm customers and reduce readability.

Fix:

Keep the content concise and to the point.

Use bullet points to break down information.

Highlight important details like order status, shipping information, or offers using bold or different font colours.

4. Lack of Personalisation

Mistake:

Sending generic emails without any customer-specific details can make them feel impersonal and reduce engagement.

Fix:

Use dynamic content to personalise emails with customer names, order details, and recommended products.

Implement shortcodes such as:

{{customer_name}} – Inserts the customer's name.

{{order_total}} – Displays the total order amount.

{{tracking_number}} – Shows tracking details.

Segment your customers and tailor emails based on their shopping behaviour.

5. Weak or Missing Call-to-Action (CTA)

Mistake:

If your email doesn’t have a clear CTA, customers may not take the desired action (e.g., tracking their order, leaving a review, or making another purchase).

Fix:

Add a clear and prominent CTA button (e.g., “Track Your Order,” “Shop Again,” “Leave a Review”).

Use contrasting colours to make the button stand out.

Keep CTA text short and action-oriented, such as “Get 10% Off Now” or “Shop New Arrivals.”

6. Not Testing Emails Before Sending

Mistake:

Failing to test emails can result in formatting issues, broken links, or missing content.

Fix:

Use the WooCommerce email preview feature or an email testing tool.

Check emails on different devices and email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.).

Send a test email to yourself before automating them for customers.

7. Missing Important Information

Mistake:

If your emails lack key details, customers may get confused, leading to unnecessary queries or frustration.

Fix:

Ensure your emails contain:

Order details (items purchased, prices, and payment method)

Estimated delivery date

Customer support contact information

Return/refund policies (if applicable)

8. Ignoring Abandoned Cart Emails

Mistake:

Many store owners neglect to send abandoned cart emails, missing out on potential sales.

Fix:

Use WooCommerce Follow-Ups or AutomateWoo to automate abandoned cart reminders.

Offer an incentive like a discount or free shipping to encourage checkout completion.

Send a series of follow-ups, such as:

Reminder email (after a few hours)

Discount offer (after 24 hours)

Final reminder (after 48 hours)

9. Failing to Comply with Email Regulations

Mistake:

Sending marketing emails without proper consent can lead to legal issues.

Fix:

Ensure compliance with GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and other email regulations.

Obtain explicit customer consent before sending marketing emails.

Include a visible unsubscribe link in all promotional emails.

Avoid misleading subject lines and ensure transparency in communication.

10. Not Tracking Email Performance

Mistake:

If you don’t track the performance of your WooCommerce emails, you won’t know what’s working and what needs improvement.

Fix:

Use tools like Google Analytics, Mailchimp, or Klaviyo to monitor email open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.

Conduct A/B testing on subject lines, CTA buttons, and design elements to improve engagement.

Analyse customer feedback and optimise emails accordingly.

Conclusion

Avoiding these common WooCommerce email customisation mistakes can significantly improve customer engagement, enhance your brand image, and boost sales. By focusing on branding, mobile-friendliness, personalisation, testing, and compliance, you can ensure that your emails provide real value to customers and encourage them to take action.

Start optimising your WooCommerce emails today and create a seamless, high-converting email experience!

Would you like help setting up an automated email sequence or choosing the right email customiser plugin? Let us know in the comments!