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- Why Most Welcome Sequences Fail
Hey, Michael from AdSumo Digital here with another edition of the DTC Letters.
Ever look at your welcome sequence and wonder why it's not converting?
You're not alone.
Last month, we analyzed over a dozen e-commerce welcome flows across different niches. What we found was eye-opening:
Most brands are making the same critical mistakes with their welcome sequences and it's costing them thousands in lost revenue every month.
One of our clients was using a welcome flow that generated just $9,191 in monthly revenue.
After implementing our framework (which I'll share below), they saw that number jump to $17,217 - an 87% increase without spending an extra dollar on ads.
The thing is, when a welcome sequence works, it works incredibly well. We've seen flows go from contributing 22% of email revenue to over 45% - and that's just the beginning.
Today, I'm going to show you:
The most common welcome sequence mistakes we're seeing in 2025
Our proven welcome sequence framework that's generating $25K+ monthly for clients
Three A/B tests you should run immediately to boost performance
Let's jump in.
The Welcome Sequence Blind Spots
After reviewing dozens of e-commerce welcome sequences, I've seen three critical mistakes that keep showing up:
1. The "One and Done" Approach
Most brands send a single welcome email saying "thanks for subscribing" with a coupon code and then nothing else worth reading. They leave new subscribers in the dark until the next campaign blast.
This is equivalent to inviting someone to your house, opening the door, and then immediately walking away or pulling out your phone to doom scroll. Not a great first impression.
2. The Discount-Only Trap
When every email in your welcome sequence is "Use this code for 10% off" with increasing urgency, you're training subscribers to wait for discounts.
One of our clients was doing this and wondering why their margins were shrinking. We helped them shift to a value-first approach, and their average order value increased by 23%.
3. The Generic Experience
If your welcome emails could be sent by any brand in your industry, you're missing a massive opportunity to stand out.
We recently found that emails with strong brand personality and specific stories outperform generic welcome emails by 42% in click-through rates.
2025 is the year of being authentic and transparent with your brand’s messaging.
The High-Converting Welcome Sequence Framework
Here's the exact welcome sequence structure we're implementing for clients that's consistently outperforming the industry average:
Email #1: The Perfect First Impression (Day 0)
This isn't just a "thanks for joining" email. It's your chance to make subscribers feel like they've found their people.
The most successful welcome emails we've tested confirm the subscriber's purchase decision, reaffirm the brand's values, and give readers a dopamine hit - all while subtly seeding the next purchase.
Key Elements:
Strong brand voice that's impossible to ignore
A clear "why us" statement that differentiates you
Visual elements that reinforce your brand identity
A subtle next step (not necessarily a purchase)
Email #2: The Origin Story (Day 2)
Customers don't just want products; they want to believe your solution will finally solve their problem. Your origin story builds that belief.
One client saw their welcome flow conversion rate jump from 9.1% to 14.8% after we rewrote their second email to focus on their founder's personal struggle that led to creating the product.
Key Elements:
Authentic founder story
Problem identification that resonates
"Aha moment" that led to your solution
Emotional connection points
Email #3: Education Over Promotion (Day 4)
This is where most brands go wrong - they push for the sale too soon. Instead, provide genuine value that helps subscribers whether they buy or not.
Our best-performing clients use this email to build trust and position themselves as the expert in their field, which makes the eventual sale much easier.
Key Elements:
Actionable tip or insight related to your product category
Visual demonstration of value
No hard selling - just pure value
A subtle reference to how your product makes this easier
Now that you've built trust, it's time to show proof. But not just any testimonials - stories from skeptics who became believers.
We've found that reviews focusing on initial hesitation followed by positive surprise convert significantly better than straightforward praise.
Key Elements:
Real customer stories that address common objections
Before/after results when possible
Specific details rather than generic praise
Diverse testimonials that represent different customer segments
Email #5: The Solution Revelation (Day 8)
This is where you finally present your product as the solution - but positioned as a natural next step, not a desperate plea.
Key Elements:
Recap of the problem and why other solutions fail
Your unique mechanism/approach (your "secret sauce")
Clear, benefit-focused presentation of your product
Low-friction call to action
Welcome Sequence A/B Tests That Move The Needle
Based on our testing across multiple accounts, here are three A/B tests worth running immediately:
1. Subject Line Testing
We recently tested two welcome flow subject lines:
Original: "Welcome to REDACTED!" New: "Your Exclusive $40 Gift Awaits!"
The original outperformed with a 58.18% open rate vs. 54.26% for the discount-focused version.
Counterintuitive? Perhaps. But it proves that sometimes the straightforward approach works best for welcome emails. And shows that you’ll never know until you test it.
2. Email Length Testing
We tested a complete welcome email against a shortened version with just the hero section.
The original version won with a 4.89% click rate vs. 3.18% for the shortened version - despite the shortened version actually generating more immediate revenue.
Why did we still choose the lower-revenue version? Because we're playing the long game. Higher engagement builds a stronger relationship that pays dividends over time. The other version simply had a larger AOV, not more sales.
3. Content Structure Testing
For another client's welcome flow, we tested an email with a collection section against one without.
The version with the collection section generated $7,770 in revenue compared to $5,863 without it.
This reinforces what we've seen across accounts: giving new subscribers multiple options to explore increases engagement and conversion.
Real Results From Real Brands
Let me share some real results we've seen after implementing these welcome sequence principles:
For one client, their welcome flow drove $17,217 in monthly revenue. A significant portion of their $26,409 total flow email revenue.
Another client saw their flow revenue jump by 119.2% in a single month after we revamped their welcome sequence.
The best part? These improvements required no additional ad spend or traffic. Just better communication with the subscribers they already had.
Your Next Steps
If you're serious about improving your welcome sequence, here's what to do:
Audit your current flow: How many emails? What's the focus of each? Where are people dropping off?
Implement our framework: Start with these five core emails and expand from there.
Test constantly: At minimum, run A/B tests on your subject lines, email length, and content structure.
Monitor both immediate and long-term metrics: Don't just look at initial revenue - track how welcome flow subscribers perform over 90 days compared to others.
Remember, your welcome sequence isn't just about making that first sale. It's about setting the foundation for a customer relationship that could be worth thousands over their lifetime.
Your email list is a valuable asset - but only if you treat it like one.
Talk soon,
Michael
P.S. Want me to review your welcome sequence? Hit reply with "WELCOME AUDIT" and I'll show you exactly where you're leaving money on the table.
P.P.S - If you run an Ecom brand and want to have a 30 minute Growth Consultation Call, book a call here »
Email Of The Day
Brand:
Bite
Email Link:
Whats so great about this email?
Its hyper visual. The design hierarchy doesn’t even give you the opportunity to get bored of reading the email.
That’s what a great infographic layout and execution should feel like.
Visual hierarchy is key.
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