Simple email mistakes can cost you customers and potential business. As you develop your email marketing strategy, it’s essential to consider who you’re sending your emails to, why you’re sending them, and when it makes the most sense to send them. How you frame your content, from the subject line to the length and calls to action (CTAs), will impact whether readers open your emails, read through them, and convert. To cover all the email best practices, it helps to know what pitfalls to watch out for.
Learn about 20 mistakes to avoid when crafting your email writing, from using your personal email address to buying email addresses, and more, so you can boost customer engagement and sales.
20 email mistakes to avoid
- Using a personal email address
- Buying an email list
- Sending long emails
- Using unclear subject lines
- Making unclear calls to action
- Using the wrong brand tone
- Sending generic emails
- Making spelling and grammatical errors
- Using jargon and acronyms
- Employing a cluttered design
- Not optimizing for mobile
- Forgetting about accessibility
- Not previewing emails
- Ignoring privacy regulations
- Using spam words
- Failing to allow opting out
- Sending too many emails
- Sending too few emails
- Sending the wrong email
- Manually sending every email
Numerous studies have shown that the return on investment (ROI) of email is consistently higher than that of other marketing channels. That said, it’s easy to get lost in the crowd of the more than 300 billion emails sent daily. Worse, if readers think your emails are spam, they’re going to ignore and block them entirely.
Here are the mistakes to avoid when crafting and sending emails, with insights from Shopify merchants who have got it right:
1. Using a personal email address
Using a personal email address like yourname@gmail.com rather than a dedicated business email address, like info@fitnessbusiness.com, looks unprofessional. Customers may ignore your message, or worse, they may mark your emails as spam. Personal email addresses lack credibility, which can hurt your brand and leave your messages unread.
Start by creating an email using your business’s web domain. Common business email addresses include contact@business.com, sales@business.com, support@business.com, and general@business.com. You could create multiple addresses for different customer needs.
Keep the handle simple and memorable to communicate with customers. This helps you build trust as well as separate your business operations from your personal life.
2. Buying an email list
Purchasing an email list might sound like a fast way to build up your subscribers, but it’s highly discouraged. Bought lists are often filled with invalid emails or people who have never consented to hearing from your brand. This increases the chance of recipients sending your emails to spam and can hurt your email deliverability or how often your emails go to inboxes rather than spam.
Build your email list organically, instead. Use tools like sign-up forms and give people an incentive to sign up, like a discount code. Use site pop-ups to ask for an email address in exchange for a discount, free guides, or tips. To confirm that people want to hear from your brand, you can use double opt-in. That’s when, after signing up for your emails, someone has to confirm their choice by clicking a link sent to their inbox.
3. Sending long emails
Sending overly long emails can overwhelm readers and discourage them from finishing your message. When an email is packed with too much information, the main point gets lost, leading to lower engagement and fewer click-throughs.
For marketing emails, it’s helpful to stick to one topic per email, like a restock announcement or the start of a sale. When it comes to one-on-one emails, like customer service or emailing investors, the “five-sentence rule” can be a helpful framework. Developed by entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki, this rule says you should get your point across in five sentences or fewer. Explain who you are in a sentence or two and quickly communicate what you want out of the exchange.
4. Using unclear subject lines
A survey from ZeroBounce found that 43% of people open their emails based on the subject line. This is enough to give this seemingly small part of your emails some weight. Generic subject lines like “Newsletter #44” don’t give readers any information about what’s inside. Misleading or sensational newsletter subject lines like “You won’t believe this!” might get an open, but could hurt your reputation if the content doesn’t live up to the hype.
Before you get to the subject line, it helps to write your email first, so you know what information you need to condense. Aim for concise language with relevant details that deliver on their promise. An ideal length is between three and six words or under 50 characters. This helps ensure that you have a clear subject line that doesn’t get cut off on mobile devices.
5. Making unclear calls to action
If your readers finish your email but aren’t sure what to do next, the message has failed its primary purpose. An unclear or hard-to-see call to action (CTA), such as a long, hyperlinked sentence or a vague “Click here” button, can confuse readers and dilute the impact of your message.
Use concise, high-energy action words that pave a clear path for a specific goal. Direct phrases like “Buy now,” or “Sign up here,” outline the next step in the reader’s experience.
For example, if you’re marketing a summer sale, a CTA like “Shop sale now” is clear and punchy compared to “Visit our website to check out the sale.” A clear CTA promises a specific result and outlines the benefit to the reader, reducing friction in the decision-making process.
6. Using the wrong brand tone
While the term “read the room” was first used around 1861, it’s more relevant today, than ever. The success of your email relies on your ability to match the tone of your message to the right audience. Using an overly casual brand tone with an investor could impact your credibility. While an overly corporate tone in a marketing email can feel inauthentic. Whether you are writing to a coworker, a customer, or a stakeholder, the wrong tone can lead to misunderstandings or, worse, coming off as out of touch.
Defining your brand voice can help you write with a consistent personality, but considering your audience and message carefully helps you adjust your tone accordingly. For example, you might be a wellness brand whose brand voice is a science-backed expert. In a newsletter with tips for aging skin, you use a positive, supportive tone, highlighting the benefits of the ingredients in your products. In a letter to potential distributors, your tone may be more professional and to the point, though your overall brand voice remains the same.
7. Sending generic emails
Sending generic messages or newsletters to your entire subscriber list might be time-efficient, but emails that don’t address the specific needs and interests of your readers can miss the mark and cause them to unsubscribe. With today’s crowded inboxes, adding personalization to your emails helps you stand out and connect with your audience.
Email tools like Shopify Messaging or Klaviyo can help you segment your audience based on their behavior, location, or past purchases. Then, you can more easily craft your message based on the data. For example, a furniture brand might send product recommendations that complement recent purchases.
When it comes to individual emails, take that research and personalization further. Julianne Fraser, president and CEO of digital brand marketing consultancy agency Dialogue, relies on this when pitching potential creators to collaborate with. To cut through generic sales pitches, she suggests sending a personalized note.
“There’s so much value in making that one-to-one connection with creators. Take your time to research them and answer why you want to align with them,” she explains. “Rather than blasting a thousand people, if you do that really thoughtfully for 50, it builds momentum over time.”
8. Making spelling and grammatical errors
Using correct grammar and avoiding spelling mistakes goes a long way in all communication, including email. Typos and grammatical slips can quickly undermine professional communication, making you or your business appear careless or even suspicious. Grammatical mistakes, such as using “your” instead of “you’re,” distract readers and signal a lack of attention to detail that can alienate potential clients or customers.
Double-check your email thoroughly before you hit Send. One strategy is to proofread from the bottom up. This forces your brain to focus on grammar rather than the content of your email. AI writing tools like Grammarly or Rytr can also help catch subtle mistakes and suggest edits.
9. Using jargon and acronyms
While you might be entrenched in verbiage from your industry, your audience may not. Even if they are familiar with jargon, it’s best to err on the side of caution when using “insider” language.
Instead, send emails with easy-to-understand concepts and convey key points with clarity. Spell out acronyms or replace them with common terms to reduce the risk of confusing readers. For example, rather than saying “Up your ecommerce tech stack with the right API,” you can call out the benefit more simply: “Simplify your work by connecting the right apps to your ecommerce store.”
10. Employing a cluttered design
If your email uses too many images and design elements, it can be difficult to read and turn readers away.
Less is more when it comes to email design. Establish a clear visual hierarchy with a header, text blocks, and high-resolution images. Platforms like Shopify provide email templates that can simplify the design process and ensure your layout is aesthetically pleasing.
11. Not optimizing for mobile
While you may design your emails on a desktop, they’re often read on phones and tablets. If your images get cut off and your copy requires lots of scrolling and zooming in and out, readers may abandon your message.
Use responsive design templates that automatically adjust to different screen sizes. Make sure your CTA buttons are large and can be easily tapped with a thumb. Always test your email on different devices to see how the design responds.
12. Forgetting about accessibility
The World Health Organization estimates that 1.3 billion people in the world experience significant disability. Failure to comply with accessibility standards leaves this audience out, can damage your brand reputation, and can have legal consequences. Both the EU and the US have laws that require accessibility.
Use legible text and high contrast colors to help images and text stand out. For people with visual impairments, use image alt text for screen readers to read out loud. For example, if your email includes an image of shoes on a blue background, you would write out the description in alt text under it. This doesn’t show up on the actual design and is instead read by the screen reader.
13. Not previewing emails
Everything might appear to be working in the design phase, but the only way to know for sure is to send an email to yourself. In your email marketing audit, you might discover broken links, warped images, and other errors that can make your emails seem unprofessional.
In addition to sending yourself a test email, sign up for your email list to see what you’re sending out and what the experience is like. Can you understand your email flow? Sign up and test any automatic emails as well, such as when users subscribe, make a purchase, or reach out to customer service.
14. Ignoring privacy regulations
Failing to protect recipient privacy can lead to data breaches and possible legal issues. A common mistake is using carbon copy (CC) instead of blind carbon copy (BCC) when emailing large groups. This exposes private email addresses and can be a legal compliance issue.
15. Using spam words
Sending emails to fake email addresses or using trigger words like “free” or “guaranteed” can land you in someone’s spam folder. Being marked as spam too frequently damages your email reputation, which is a score that platforms like Gmail or Yahoo give you based on how trustworthy your emails are. The higher your score, the more likely your email is to go to the correct inbox destination.
To maintain your email reputation, ensure you have a high-quality email list with active, real addresses. Regularly go through your list and practice list hygiene to remove inactive addresses or subscribers who have stopped engaging with your emails. Build your list organically through email capture tools like pop-ups or sign-up forms.
16. Failing to allow opting out
Laws around email, such as Canada’s CAN-SPAM Act and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), require that subscribers can easily unsubscribe from your emails. Ensure there’s an unsubscribe option in all of your emails and honor the request in a timely manner.
17. Sending too many emails
Proper email etiquette entails not bombarding inboxes with email after email. If you’re flooding your subscribers or recipients with too many emails, your open rates, click-through rates, and subscriber numbers could take a hit. If you’re sending business emails, it may make you appear unprofessional.
Raquel Acosta, owner of online pottery shop Glaze Me Pretty, determines her email cadence with her own preferences in mind.
“I don’t like to be bombarded with daily marketing emails or even weekly,” she says on an episode of the Shopify Masters podcast.
Raquel takes a conscious approach, only sending two kinds of emails: a monthly newsletter with store updates and a 10% discount to customers who subscribe to the newsletter.
“I try to only reach out if I have something to show, something new, something to share, not just for the sake of, ‘Hey remember that I have these products,’” she says.
18. Sending too few emails
On the flip side, sending emails too infrequently can cause your audience to forget who you are. If you only reach out once every six months, subscribers might not recognize your name and mark your message as spam.
Establish a consistent cadence, whether it’s bi-weekly or monthly, so your brand stays top-of-mind. Use a content calendar to plan your outreach. Consistency builds trust and keeps your audience warmed up for relevant announcements.
Use follow-up emails to cement connections and build trust. Send a thank you email after meetings, and detail the next steps. For marketing messages, send follow-up emails after certain triggers, like purchases or after a customer service issue has been resolved.
19. Sending the wrong email
Sending an email to the wrong recipient can be embarrassing and land you in hot water. Double-check names and sender lists so you don’t accidentally send messages to the wrong person. Whether the wrong recipient is an entire office or the wrong set of customers, mistakes like these can be just as harmful as sending inappropriate messages and can hurt your reputation.
If you quickly notice the error on platforms like Gmail, you can click Undo before the pop-up disappears. However, if the error makes it through, apologize for the mistake and show that you take accountability for it.
20. Manually sending every email
Trying to send every marketing or transactional email by hand is time-consuming and difficult to scale as you grow. A manual approach also introduces opportunities for errors, like typing in incorrect email addresses or forgetting to send emails.
Set up automated email campaigns, like welcome series, abandoned cart reminders, and order confirmations. This can help ensure your customers get the right message at the right time, freeing you up to tend to more complex aspects of your business.
Email mistakes FAQ
What is the most common email mistake?
Some of the most common email mistakes people make are spelling and grammatical errors. Proofread your emails before sending, and use AI writing tools like Grammarly to help you streamline your writing.
What are common email etiquette mistakes?
Common etiquette mistakes include using the wrong tone with the wrong audience, like sending an overly casual email to a potential investor, or using a lighthearted tone about a serious subject.
What is the three-email rule?
The three-email rule states that if a topic requires more than three emails to resolve, the conversation would be more effective and efficient if moved to a phone call, video chat, or in-person meeting.
What is the five-sentence email rule?
The “five-sentence rule” is a framework entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki developed that suggests you get your point across in five sentences or fewer. Explain who you are in a sentence or two and communicate the request quickly.
