7 Ecommerce Marketing Automation Strategies to Scale Faster & Sell Smarter
Farewell Routine, Hello Future Growth!: Marketers typically spend 16 hours weekly on repetitive tasks. By automating these, they can focus on strategies to attract new customers and enhance personalized experiences.
Tech to the Rescue!: Ecommerce marketing automation streamlines tasks like emails and promotions, allowing businesses to engage efficiently and boost sales by targeting the right audience at the right time.
Email Automation—Your New Best Friend: Email marketing automation allows personalized campaigns without heavy manual effort, transforming subscribers into customers and brand advocates through targeted, data-driven communications.
Stop Nagging, Start Selling!: Automated reminders and targeted promotions, such as for abandoned carts, can re-engage customers, enhancing sales and reducing the need for manual interaction.
The Secret Sauce—Smart Software: Marketing automation performs routine tasks automatically. By reducing manual labor, businesses can save time and focus on more strategic initiatives that propel growth.
Did you know the average marketer spends a whopping 16 hours per week performing routine tasks? That’s two full workdays that could be spent on high-impact strategies to attract new customers and deliver personalized experiences.
With ecommerce marketing automation, you can change that dynamic. By automating repetitive tasks, your team can focus on what truly drives growth.
This guide covers essential strategies for automation, showing you how to save time, reduce labor costs, and launch more effective campaigns.
Need expert help selecting the right tool?
With one-on-one help, we guide you to your top software options. Narrow down your software search & make a confident choice.
Let’s dive in to see how marketing automation can transform your operations and free up your team for more strategic, value-driven work.
What is Ecommerce Marketing Automation?
Ecommerce marketing automation uses software to streamline and automate repetitive marketing tasks for online stores, such as email campaigns, customer segmentation, and personalized promotions.
This helps businesses engage customers efficiently, improve sales, and enhance customer experience by targeting the right audience at the right times.
For instance, with marketing automation, you can set up automated reminders for abandoned carts or deliver targeted promotions based on a customer’s browsing history.
These automated interactions help you re-engage shoppers and drive higher sales without the need for manual intervention.
Let’s look at the various types of marketing automations a little closer.
5 Types of Ecommerce Marketing Automations
Marketing automation refers to any type of software that performs routine tasks.
Although humans have to set up the software and provide input for each task, they don’t have to monitor the software while it’s performing a routine activity. As a result, automation saves time.
Marketing automation refers to any type of software that performs routine tasks.
Although humans have to set up the software and provide input for each task, they don’t have to monitor the software while it’s performing a routine activity.
As a result, automation saves time.
1. Email marketing automation
Some marketers spend a significant portion of their time on email campaigns.
It makes sense, as email is a powerful marketing channel that gives you direct access to your subscribers and customers.
You know, the people that opted in to get your emails.
Get it wrong and you’ll end up with spam flags and a pile of unsubscribes. Get it right and you can not only convert subscribers into customers, but customers into brand evangelists.
Behind your email marketing software is a CRM that should have the customer data you need to create smart segments that will be the basis for your email campaigns.
List segmentation, copywriting, email design, and other tasks are important, but they’re also time-consuming.
Email marketing software tools can automate the most routine aspects of email campaigns, enabling you to send personalized emails based on the data you have on the customer—purchase history, geography, sites pages they visited, etc.
Check out our top picks for email marketing platforms to make this process super simple:
Your drip sequences—welcome emails, abandoned cart recovery attempts, post-purchase follow-ups, and re-engagement campaigns—can do their own thing with automation.
This gives hardworking marketing professionals more time for other activities that’ll move the needle.
Ready to send emails that sell? Start with these ecommerce email marketing courses and learn how to build, automate, and optimize campaigns like a pro. Then, get inspired with these ecommerce email marketing examples that truly rock.
2. Automated workflows
Automated workflows can save your team from spending hours on repetitive, time-consuming tasks—like scheduling, updating customer profiles, or processing orders.
By setting up automated workflows, you streamline these processes so that your team can focus on more impactful, revenue-driving activities.
Consider something as simple as scheduling an appointment.
Normally, you’d go back and forth over email, waiting for the right time to align. It’s even more difficult when the meeting includes more than two people.
Now imagine if a tool could handle all of this, offering available times and syncing calendars instantly—no more missed opportunities or time wasted.
Marketing automation software can manage all kinds of workflows based on rules that you set, from onboarding new customers to updating inventory or even handling customer service requests.
With rules and triggers in place, these workflows can run on autopilot, reducing manual work and improving efficiency across your operations.
Here are our top picks for ecommerce marketing automation tools that make managing workflows a breeze:
3. Customer analytics
Ecommerce platforms make it easy to collect data from customers, but there’s no point in having that data if you do nothing with it.
Customer analytics tools make it easier to turn raw data into useful information, helping you make better decisions. No need to pore through thousands of cells of data when the robots can do it for you (and more effectively).
For example, ecommerce analytics software can help you assess the customer experience, calculate your conversion rate, determine how many people on your email list open your messages, and much more.
We like software, so of course, we have a top 10 list of awesome ecommerce analytics software you should check out for a clearer and more actionable view of your data:
This data analysis waterfalls down into your other marketing functions, enabling you to segment your customers, develop personalized marketing campaigns for them, and improve your marketing outreach.
4. Landing page funnels
A landing page is a unique page that visitors "land" on when they follow a link to your website. This could be via search, social, paid ads, emails, or referrals.
Landing pages should be a key component of your marketing strategy.
Using a segmented approach, these landing pages are built to target a specific type of shopper and drive them toward a subscription form or product page.
These pages create a reliable funnel for capturing potential customer data via newsletter subscriptions.
By seeing their browsing data from your site, you’ll be able to segment subscribers for personalized email campaigns and even dynamic on-site merchandising.
You can't really use your ecommerce platform in an effective way to design and manage landing pages for your multiple campaigns. That's why landing page builders exist.
There are tons of options out there for this powerful marketing tactic, but we've identified our 10 top picks for you to check out:
5. Conversational marketing
Customer service may technically be a different department than marketing, but there’s nothing like a great customer service experience to make customers keep coming back.
While real life customer support people are key for conversational marketing, chatbots are the genius automated version of live chat that keeps their workload at a manageable volume.
You see them everywhere now. Little cutesy avatars in the lower right corner of the website begging for you to try out their logic tree of automated conversation.
And, they work.
It’s reported that chatbots are responsible for increasing sales by 67% on average, with 26% of all sales beginning with a chatbot convo.
They excel not only at customer acquisition, but customer retention as well, giving them the immediate support they need when they need it.
To really provide the best experience here, you need great customer service tools that enable easy communication with customers in need, via live chat, email, social media, and more.
As you might expect, we did the research and found the best customer service software for ecommerce brands, and here's the top 10 picks:
Ecommerce Marketing Automation Trends to Watch
Marketing is never static; it’s a bit of a moving target. As technology evolves, so do the ways we connect with customers. Here’s a look at the automation trends that are likely to change the game for ecommerce in 2025:
Hyper-personalization through AI
In 2025, your customers are going to feel like you’ve read their minds (in a non-creepy way).
With AI-driven hyper-personalization, you’ll be able to send customers the exact recommendations, offers, and content they’re looking for—before they even realize it themselves.
Thanks to algorithms that analyze behavior and purchase patterns, every email, notification, and promo will feel tailor-made, which means happier customers and a whole lot more conversions.
AI-driven hyper-personalization can elevate customer experiences, but marketers must tread carefully.
Consumers value tailored interactions, yet disengage quickly if their privacy feels compromised. Striking the right balance—personalization with boundaries—is how you build trust and loyalty.
Authentic messaging is also key—AI-generated content should enhance creativity, not feel robotic, enabling faster, more engaging campaigns while keeping the human touch central.
Advanced AI-powered chatbots
Remember the days of setting up complicated logic trees to get a chatbot to work halfway decently? Those days are numbered.
AI-powered chatbots can now access all your brand’s FAQs, product info, and support documentation to respond to customers naturally (and even sound human!).
They’re ready to handle questions, process orders, and maybe even give a little pep talk—so your team can focus on the big stuff.
Integration of voice commerce
With people “talking” to their devices more than ever, voice commerce is about to be a big player.
Customers can simply ask Alexa to reorder their favorite coffee, check their order status, or browse for new products. Brands that get voice-ready will stand out by making it easy for customers to shop or interact using just their voice, no typing required.
Talk about a hands-free shopping experience!
Emphasis on sustainability
Customers today care about the planet, and they’re looking for brands that do, too.
In 2025, automation will help businesses deliver “green” campaigns without the constant juggling act.
Whether it’s highlighting your eco-friendly packaging, sustainable products, or carbon-neutral shipping options, automated campaigns let you show off your brand’s commitment to sustainability.
Because nothing says loyalty like shared values—and maybe a biodegradable shipping box.
Augmented reality (AR) shopping experiences
Imagine your customers being able to see your products in their living room (or backyard) before they even add them to their cart.
That’s the beauty of AR.
In 2025, more brands will use AR-powered visuals to let customers “try before they buy,” whether it’s a sofa or a pair of glasses.
And by automating AR prompts in product pages and campaigns, you’re just a click away from helping them feel confident in their purchase. Fewer returns, more happy customers—win-win.
Expansion of social commerce
As social platforms double down on in-app shopping features, ecommerce brands are sliding right in.
In 2025, customers will be able to discover, shop, and check out without ever leaving their favorite social app.
By automating campaigns that drive customers to shop directly on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, you’re meeting your audience where they hang out and giving them the smoothest path to purchase.
Adoption of predictive analytics
Think of predictive analytics as your brand’s crystal ball.
By analyzing past behaviors and trends, you can predict what customers will want next season, next month, or even next week.
This means optimized inventory, fewer out-of-stock items, and a much better chance of getting the right products in front of the right people. It’s like giving your business a sixth sense for customer needs, and it’ll make your marketing campaigns feel intuitive.
The adoption of AI in marketing automation is a significant trend, using predictive analytics to forecast customer behaviors and automate complex decisions.
This streamlines marketing efforts and enhances customer interactions by providing more customized experiences.
Enhanced mobile commerce (M-commerce)
Everyone’s glued to their phones, so it’s no wonder mobile commerce is on the rise. In 2025, the focus will be on delivering an A+ mobile experience—think lightning-fast load times, mobile-optimized layouts, and super-smooth navigation.
Add in some automated, mobile-specific campaigns to hit them where they are, and you’ve got a recipe for engagement and conversions in the palm of their hand.
4 Benefits of Marketing Automation Software for Ecommerce
Using marketing automation software comes with a lot of perks for ecommerce businesses. Sure, time savings is the big one, but it doesn’t stop there.
These tools can also help drive revenue, boost order values, and create a smooth, memorable experience for customers. Here’s how:
1. Reduces human error
Imagine having to send thousands of welcome emails by hand—yikes!
With that much manual work, mistakes are bound to happen. Marketing automation software takes care of these repetitive tasks for you, reducing the chances of slip-ups and costly errors.
Say goodbye to typos and missed emails, and let automation handle the details flawlessly.
2. Increases average order value
Think of your CRM as a goldmine of data, just waiting to help you boost your average order value (AOV) and customer lifetime value (CLV).
With the right automation, you can identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities and suggest add-ons during checkout—automatically!
When customers are prompted to add that extra item to their cart, it drives up their order value. Keep this going across your customer base, and you’ll see a steady rise in both AOV and CLV.
3. Provides better customer insights
In ecommerce, understanding your customer is everything.
Marketing automation tools give you a clearer picture of what they want, where they shop, and when they’re most likely to hit “Buy.”
These insights are a game-changer for multichannel marketing, allowing you to focus on the channels that matter most to your customers and skip the rest.
One big trend in ecommerce marketing automation I’ve noticed is the integration of omnichannel marketing automation solutions that enable real-time and seamless synchronization of marketing efforts across multiple channels—like email, website, and social media.
This allows many brands to deliver consistent and cohesive messaging to existing and prospective customers regardless of the channel they interact with, leading to improved user engagement, conversion rates, and customer loyalty.
You can also use these insights to create content that will really resonate with them, amplifying your content marketing impact and growing traffic.
4. Saves time and boosts efficiency
Let’s be real—time savings are one of the biggest wins with marketing automation.
Depending on the tools you use, you could save a few hours a week per employee, or maybe even more.
In fact, Salesforce reports that users of its marketing cloud save an average of 20 to 40 hours each month! That’s time you can reinvest into creative strategy, campaign planning, and other activities that actually grow the business.
7 Ecommerce Marketing Automation Strategies to Simplify Selling
Marketing automation can do wonders for streamlining your digital marketing efforts and boosting sales, all while building long-term customer loyalty.
Here are some smart ways to put automation to work and grow your business:
1. Welcome potential customers
When a new customer places an order or a subscriber signs up for your email list, don’t leave them hanging!
A warm, automated welcome email can make them feel valued right from the start—and prevent them from forgetting about your brand (we wouldn’t want that!).
These welcome emails, along with onboarding messages, set the stage for a great relationship and get customers excited to hear from you.
With automated campaigns, you can set these messages on autopilot, ensuring each new subscriber gets a personalized greeting.
And if you have different customer segments, no problem—you can tailor your welcome sequences to fit each group’s unique needs and interests, building rapport from day one.
2. Re-engage inactive customers
Sometimes customers drift away—life gets busy, or they may have just forgotten about your amazing products.
That’s where re-engagement emails or SMS campaigns come in, giving you one last shot to bring them back to your site.
Think of this as your “we miss you” message.
Whether it’s a special discount or a freebie offer, this campaign is all about sparking their interest again.
And if they don’t bite? No hard feelings! Just tidy up your CRM and focus on the customers who are genuinely interested. It’s a win-win: you’ll avoid sending out emails that look like spam, and your list will be all the healthier for it.
3. Recover lost sales with abandoned cart messages
We’ve all been there: someone fills their cart with $500 worth of products, and then… crickets. But don’t worry—that sale isn’t necessarily lost. There’s still a chance.
With a multichannel approach, you can reach out to remind them about the items left behind and nudge them to complete the purchase.
Automated abandoned cart recovery campaigns can include more than just emails.
Try SMS reminders, on-site pop-ups when they revisit, push notifications, or even retargeting ads on social media.
These touchpoints work together to gently remind customers of their interest, with each channel increasing the likelihood of recovery.
Even better, many cart abandonment tools allow you to personalize these messages based on the items in their cart, enticing them with a special offer or emphasizing scarcity (“Only a few left in stock!”).
With the right abandoned cart strategy in place, you’re set to turn those “maybes” into “yes, I need this!”
Yes, we've got opinions about cart abandonment software. And, yes, we've got a top 10 list for you:
4. Offer personalized promotions
Once you’ve got more than a handful of customers, keeping track of everyone’s unique preferences can feel impossible.
But with a solid CRM and automation, you have the data (and tools) to offer promotions that actually matter to each customer.
Because, let’s face it—no one needs another generic “20% off” email.
Automation lets you create drip campaigns tailored to individual shopping habits, past purchases, and browsing history.
You can automatically serve up the kind of promotions that resonate: maybe a discount on that sweater they’ve been eyeing or an exclusive offer on a product that complements their recent purchase.
Personalized promotions not only make customers feel understood but also keep them engaged with your brand—and coming back for more.
As I mentioned, you need a great CRM to build the foundation of your automation empire. Let's get this over with—here's the 10 best ecommerce CRMs you should really consider:
5. Alert them with it's back in stock
Few things are more disappointing than finding the perfect item… only to see that dreaded “out of stock” message. Total bummer.
But there’s good news: brands can set up an automated “back in stock” alert, so customers get notified the moment it’s available again.
This way, they’re first in line, and you’re set to make some quick sales as soon as inventory is replenished.
With inventory management software and automation, it’s a simple yet powerful setup.
As soon as the item is restocked, the system triggers an alert to all those eager customers who signed up. This kind of timely, relevant notification not only boosts sales but also builds loyalty by showing customers you’ve got their back—even when stock is tight!
6. Automate your chats with bots
Customers always have questions, but let’s be honest—many of them are pretty similar.
Instead of having a real person respond to “What’s your return policy?” for the hundredth time, enter the FAQ page.
Even then, there are things that escape the static nature of the best FAQ page.
That’s where chatbots come in. With just a bit of initial setup, you can build a chatbot that’s ready to handle those repetitive questions and direct customers to the exact info they need.
It’s like having a support agent who’s available 24/7, doesn’t need coffee breaks, and answers instantly!
And thanks to AI advancements, today’s chatbots can do more than follow rigid logic trees.
With natural language processing and AI, they’re getting better at understanding customer intent, even with complex or unique questions.
That means chatbots are now a powerful first line of support, helping customers get quick answers and freeing up your human agents for the more complex stuff.
7. Optimize that checkout, friend
The checkout is where it all comes together—the last step before that sale is officially yours. So, optimizing this stage can be a massive win for your conversions.
For starters, use checkout to deliver personalized upsell and cross-sell recommendations.
If a customer’s grabbing a laptop, why not suggest a protective sleeve or a wireless mouse? These relevant add-ons can give your AOV a nice boost as they head for the finish line.
But checkout optimization isn’t just about upselling; it’s also about making things easy for your customers.
If they’re a returning shopper, automated checkout can fill in their info and even their payment details (if they’ve opted in), speeding things up and reducing friction.
And if they came via a discount code in an email or SMS, auto-apply that code at checkout, so they don’t have to dig around to find it.
By removing obstacles and making the process smooth and personalized, you can turn a “maybe” into a confident “yes!”
Whether your ecommerce platform's shopping cart is up to snuff is up to you, but you can always use a shopping cart solution to make checkout a bit smoother. Check out our faves:
What Marketing Automations Does Your Ecommerce Store Need?
Before you invest in automation tools, take the time to figure out what features you need. It’s easier to find the right solution if you follow these steps.
1. Determine your business needs
If you have just a few employees, you may not require a tool that costs thousands of dollars.
Think about how many people will be using the software, what functionality you need the tool to have, and what you hope to accomplish by investing in automation.
It always helps to think about the pain points in your current process. What do you hate having to do that could be accomplished just as well (or better) by technology?
2. Do an initial search on software and reviews
Use Google, Bing, or Perplexity to search for the software that has the functions you need to nail your pain points.
Though, as search results have declined over the years, finding what you need may not be super easy. For example, if your search for “marketing automation software for ecommerce”, you might not immediately find our in-depth review of automation tools.
Which would be a real tragedy.
Once you know some names of tools you may use, check out review sites, such as Trustpilot and Google, to determine if most users are happy with their purchase.
3. Book a demo and try the software
If possible, don’t buy any automation tools until you have a chance to try them.
You may need to download a free trial or book a demo with the company. Try as many of the features as possible to figure out if the software has the functionality you require.
There are a few things you’ll want to look for in a marketing automation tool, so let’s get into that.
What to Look For in an Ecommerce Marketing Automation Platform
To help you narrow down your options, we put together this list of criteria for choosing an automation tool. Make sure it satisfies the criteria, because you need it to scale with your business.
1. User interface is easy to follow
Whether you’re doing A/B testing or analyzing customer data, the user interface must be intuitive.
An easy-to-use interface reduces the amount of time it takes to implement the software and get employees to use it regularly.
You don’t need to understand how everything works out of the gate, but if you find yourself turning red in frustration, it might not be the right fit.
2. Native integrations and unique features
Find out what makes the tool different from all the other tools on the market.
- Does it have email templates?
- Drag-and-drop design tools?
- Chatbots to help you provide better customer service?
- Do their popups really drive conversions?
- Does it integrate with the tools you already use and love?
- How well does it work with Shopify? With BigCommerce? With Adobe Commerce?
- Are the AI features just fluff to make you want to buy or are they additive?
The questions could go on and on, but make sure you are getting what you want out of the tool. There are plenty to choose from.
3. Customer support
The right automation solution should also come with real-time support from the developer. You shouldn’t be the only one providing stellar customer support.
If you need help setting up the software or using one of its features, you shouldn’t have to wait several days for answers.
You are the customer in this situation, so act like it. Be picky. You don’t want to be stuck with a product you can’t get support using. It really says so much about the company.
4. Set-up and onboarding
For best results, go with a company that provides a smooth set-up and onboarding experience.
The vendor should provide assistance with implementation and employee training to ensure that you get as many benefits as possible out of your new automation tool.
Many of these platforms come with a hefty price tag, so you should expect a great onboarding experience.
Even if you found the tool fairly intuitive to begin with, you might still be missing out on valuable features without the right set-up.
Comparing the Best Ecommerce Marketing Automation Tools
Automating your marketing will save you a ton of time, which you can then spend on other even more important brand building work.
We did the work of reviewing all the great tools out there in our in-depth guide on the best ecommerce marketing automation software.
We already showed you our top 10 picks (scroll up), but here's how they compare on various features:
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Salesforce Pardot | From $1250/month | Website |
| Omnisend | From $16/month | Website |
| HubSpot Marketing | From $800/month + $45/month for additional seats | Website |
| SimpleTexting | From $45/month | Website |
| Ahrefs | From $129/month | Website |
| EngageBay | From $12/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| ActiveCampaign | From $20/month | Website |
| Ortto | From $99/month | Website |
| Intercom | From $74/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Eloqua | Customized pricing upon request | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareKlaviyo stands out as a game-changer for ecommerce brands looking for impactful marketing automation tools.
It integrates seamlessly with platforms like Shopify, enhancing capabilities in segmentation and personalization, thus driving significant improvements in conversion rates and customer loyalty.
Automate Your Ecommerce Business Into Success
You can’t put your entire marketing strategy on autopilot, but you can use software to handle many routine tasks. And, you should!
Done right and with the right set of automation tools, you can cut out human error, speed up rote processes, and spend your time on more pressing matters to grow your store.
And, it’ll only get easier with advances in machine learning and AI. Get the robots to simplify your life, like they promised on the Jetsons!
To learn more about how marketing automation tools can benefit your business, sign up for our newsletter or read one of our how-to guides.
