How To Write A Welcome Email: 10 Best Practices To Follow

First impressions are everything and, when it comes to the best welcome emails, you only get one chance to do it well! 

Not only are first impressions important for human relationships, but they are also crucial to setting the tone for your clients. 

Welcome emails, and your overall welcome email campaign (or welcome series), should be well-timed and carefully crafted to cater to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with prospective customers. 

In this post, we will be covering exactly how to succeed in making a favorable first impression by sending a perfect welcome email from your business.

What is a welcome email?

It’s all in the name! A welcome email is a warm welcome message sent to new customers after signing up for your newsletter, subscription service, or product, with the purpose of introducing them to your service or your brand, brand story, and more. 

The initial welcome email gives new clients or new subscribers a glimpse of what they’re getting into, by telling them what your business is all about and what you have to offer them as subscribers or loyal customers.

To learn more about different types of transactional emails and associated best practices, explore our latest posts.

A great way to search for the best welcome email examples is in your own inbox. Open your inbox and search for the words, “welcome to” or something similar, then browse through the welcome emails to find the ones that appeal to you. 

For instance, here’s an engaging welcome email, and one of the best welcome email examples, from my own inbox:

How to write a welcome email to a new client

1. Welcome email timing is everything

A welcome email reaches customers at a time when they expect to hear from you, making them more likely to be opened. 

To learn more about how to write a perfect 3-email welcome sequence, watch Alex Cattoni's video below.

When signing up for your service, customers expect to get an immediate confirmation of having done so, and it's customary for all businesses and services to send a welcome email to new clients or subscribers. 

If that confirmation or welcome message is delayed, they might start to wonder whether they did something wrong or your system isn’t working right. This is why your welcome emails should be triggered and sent immediately after sign-up.

Mailer To Go is a simple, secure, and scalable automated email delivery service that can help you send well-timed welcome emails and other email marketing messages. Find out more and give it a try now by clicking on this link.

2. Use the right sender address for welcome emails

You need to think about who you want to send your welcome email from. Whoever has signed at the bottom of the welcome email should also be its sender. 

Whether it’s the CEO, the account manager, the entire company, or the support team, just make sure to send the welcome message from their exact address. 

Also, always remember, you shouldn’t send your new subscriber welcome email from a no-reply address. Instead, you should show that you’d actually be happy to hear back from customers because, among other things, this gives the welcome message a more personal touch.

Explore our latest posts and discover which subdomains to use to send different types of emails.

3. Write the best subject lines for welcome emails

The welcome email subject line is the very first thing the customers and new subscribers see when they receive your welcome message, and it can determine whether or not your welcome email will even be opened. 

An effective subject line for an emailed welcome message should reflect your brand’s intentions as clearly as possible, and should successfully grab the subscribers’ attention. 

A simple “Welcome to <insert product name here>!” can definitely do the trick, but if you're sending a welcome email as part of the onboarding process, you will likely need to include an action prompt in the message, and you should mention it in the subject line of the welcome email. 

Users may be required to perform an action such as confirming their email or completing a survey, and you should mention this necessary action in the welcome email subject line.

Likewise, if there are different journeys for differing user segments, you may want to mention that requirement in the welcome email subject line as well. Just remember to keep it short and to the point.

These are essential factors when it comes to email welcome series best practices.

4. Write personal welcome emails

Everyone likes to feel special, and that is exactly how your welcome email should make your new customers and email subscribers feel. 

A welcome email with a personalized greeting is much more likely to be read, so be sure to use your customer’s name to achieve that effect. Doesn’t “Hey, <your actual name>” feel much nicer than “Hey there”? 

Furthermore, if you already know a thing or two about this customer just from the email marketing or newsletter sign-up page, you may want to use that information in your welcome email as well, to provide the user with valued welcome content that’s specifically tailored to their needs.

5. Remember to introduce yourself

After you’ve decided on the right time to send your subscriber or client welcome email, chosen the optimal subject line for your welcome email, and referred to your customer by name, it’s time to introduce yourself. 

Start by telling your customers about your company and your unique value proposition, or how you stand out from the competition.

6. Tell customers what’s in it for them

Next, it’s time to ensure your readers know the benefits that your product or service has to offer new subscribers and customers, or even a new employee. Whether you send this as part of your initial welcome message or as one in a welcome email sequence, it should set expectations and inform them of what comes next.

Is the email for new contacts that just started their trials? Tell them when the trial ends (preferably, tell them what date exactly. Don’t use a relative “your trial ends in 7 days” as some users will read it 3 days after you sent it), and what happens when it does. 

The best way to do this is to automate your email campaigns so that all new users are ensured accurate insight in a consistent manner. It's all about setting expectations and shedding light on your service with personalized emails that enhance the customer experience.

Should they expect future emails or welcome messages from you throughout the trial or subscription? Are there ways for them to turbocharge the experience and accelerate time to value? Now’s the time to say how! 

Do you have a discount code for them to use on their first purchase? Do they need to invite others in order to gain more from your product? Are there any other helpful resources you can link?

What you say in your welcome messages all depends on the nature and details of your service, but it's all about boosting customer experience and subscriber's interest and making subscribers feel that they've made the right decision by signing up.

7. Add a welcome email call-to-action

A welcome email can be much more than a signup confirmation or a simple welcome message. It can be an opportunity to inspire readers to take further action, making it a vital part of your email marketing campaigns—even though it's not exactly a marketing email.

Of course, client action is the end goal of any email marketing strategy or email marketing campaign. By mentioning the action requirement in your subject line, and by including a CTA with the necessary links in your welcome messages, you'll seriously boost your chances of achieving that goal.

The odds of a welcome email being opened as well as read are in your favor, so use that to your advantage and include a call to action. For example, many welcome email examples include a time-limited discount code, which is a great way to speed up the process of the first purchase.

Use a clear, bold CTA button that is hard to miss, as this will result in higher click-through rates. To decide on an effective call-to-action you should be asking yourself “What is the first thing I want my customers to do?”. This is central to all successful email campaigns.

For example, at Mailer To Go, the first thing our customers have to do in order to send emails is to add a domain, for that reason, our call-to-action can be “Add a domain”. Another good example can be found in Slack’s welcome email: and it’s as simple as “Invite your co-workers to chat”.

8. Use a welcome email template 

One smart shortcut is to use a welcome email template that saves you time but still makes your new employees, customers, or sign-ups feel appreciated. 

If you're looking for a welcome email template, stock services like Envato have great welcome email templates for you to download. 

As you can see from This Example, any good welcome email template includes a few words to make your client feel appreciated—as well as a CTA! Just be sure to include an effective welcome email subject line, along with the other best practices outlined in this post.

9. Tell your customers why they are receiving this email

Your welcome email shouldn’t be a marketing email, but an informative, transactional email. When sending transactional emails, adding an opt-out button or unsubscribe link isn’t required (you can read more about it here), but you should certainly consider it. 

If the email is related to a subscription that clients may have signed up for by mistake, such as a newsletter, an unsubscribe button is essential. We also recommend mentioning the reason for your sending them at the bottom of all of your transactional emails. 

For example, most subscription list email templates include a line to this effect:

"You are receiving this email because you signed up for <company name>'s mailing list. To unsubscribe, click here."

As another example, you could add the following to the far bottom of your welcome email: 

“The reason you’re receiving this email is to ensure that you know that your email was used to sign up for our product. Don’t worry, we’re not gonna blast your email with spam but, if you signed up by accident, you can <Unscubsribe Here>”.

For more advice on how to write the perfect welcome email for your new customers or subscribers, Watch This Video from Sleeknote.

10. Use a reliable email service provider

If you're looking for the most efficient route for successful email marketing, and you wish to ensure that your welcome emails reach your potential customers’ inboxes, you should sign up for our simple, secure, scalable, and automated email delivery service, Mailer To Go.

Click here to give it a try and make a lasting first impression.

Frequently asked questions

What is a welcome email?

A welcome email is the first email you receive after signing up, subscribing, or submitting your email to an online store or service. It's a way for the company or service provider to greet new users and provide them with important information.

What should a welcome email include?

A welcome email should include the following elements:

• Show your appreciation: Remember the basics and thank your recipient.

• Offer a confirmation: Acknowledge that their purchase or sign-up is complete.

• Outline the body content: Explain what they can expect by opening the email.

• Keep it short and sweet: The email should be concise and to the point.

How can I make my welcome email engaging?

To make your welcome email engaging, use a warm friendly greeting as a welcome message. Reinforce the perks you offer in your email list. Send the welcome email promptly and create a sense of excitement about your brand or service.

How can I ensure my welcome email reflects my brand?

Keep your welcome emails on brand and a direct reflection of your website. Show enthusiasm and be inviting and encouraging with your language and tone.

What are some tips for crafting an excellent welcome email?

Here are some tips for crafting an excellent welcome email:

• Write an attention-grabbing subject line.

• Make new subscribers feel welcome.

• Introduce your brand or service in a friendly and engaging manner.

For a reliable and efficient way to send your welcome emails, consider using a transactional email service provider like Mailer To Go. It offers a range of features that can help you create and send effective welcome emails to your new subscribers or customers.