The increasing complexity of e-commerce, especially on platforms like Shopify, has amplified the need for specialized roles in email operations. Sending emails isn't just about crafting compelling messages anymore, it's about ensuring they consistently reach the inbox.
An email operations role at Shopify involves a blend of technical expertise, strategic planning, and a deep understanding of email deliverability. It's about maintaining the health of the email program, from transactional notifications to promotional campaigns.
This role is crucial for businesses relying on email to drive sales, engage customers, and provide critical updates, particularly in a high-volume environment such as a Shopify merchant's operations.
Understanding the email operations landscape at Shopify
The email landscape within Shopify is multifaceted, encompassing both built-in functionalities like Shopify Email and integrations with various third-party Email Service Providers (ESPs). Understanding how these systems interact is fundamental for anyone in an email operations role. Merchants often combine Shopify's native tools for simpler communications with more robust ESPs for advanced marketing automation and segmentation.
This role requires a comprehensive grasp of email flows, from abandoned cart reminders to post-purchase confirmations. Each email type has unique deliverability considerations and audience expectations. Ensuring smooth automation through tools like Shopify Flow is also a key aspect, as these automated emails are critical for customer experience and revenue generation.
It is also important to consider the various types of emails sent from a Shopify store, which can range from marketing promotions to essential transactional messages like order confirmations. Managing these distinct streams effectively is vital for maintaining sender reputation and ensuring each message lands where it's intended.
Key responsibilities of an email operations professional
Professionals in email operations at Shopify are often tasked with a broad range of responsibilities. This includes managing email marketing calendars, ensuring campaign launches are executed flawlessly, and overseeing the various automated flows. They need to track key performance indicators (KPIs) and analyze data to optimize email performance continually.
A core component of this role involves ensuring email authentication protocols are correctly configured. This includes setting up and maintaining SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Proper configuration is essential to prevent emails from being flagged as spam or rejected, directly impacting deliverability rates.
Maintaining clean email lists and segmenting audiences effectively are also crucial duties. This helps in targeting the right messages to the right recipients, which in turn improves engagement and reduces the likelihood of spam complaints or hitting spam traps. A clean list contributes significantly to overall sender reputation.
Troubleshooting deliverability issues is an ongoing task. This can involve investigating why your emails are going to spam, diagnosing DMARC verification failures, or addressing issues related to email blocklists (or blacklists). Being proactive in monitoring and resolving these issues is key to preventing widespread delivery problems.
Area
Responsibility
Campaign Management
Overseeing email marketing calendars, campaign execution, and automated flows.
Technical Setup
Configuring and maintaining SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
List Hygiene
Cleaning and segmenting email lists to improve engagement and reduce spam complaints.
Deliverability
Monitoring and troubleshooting email delivery issues, including blocklist (or blacklist) management.
Analytics
Tracking KPIs and analyzing performance data to optimize email strategy.
Technical foundations and challenges
A significant part of the email operations role involves technical configurations. This includes managing DNS records for email authentication, ensuring proper setup for multiple email services, and understanding how third-party ESPs integrate with the Shopify platform. For example, knowing how SPF records and DKIM keys work with multiple services is critical.
Example SPF record for a Shopify store using multiple ESPsDNS
One common challenge is dealing with potential email fraud and spam. Shopify stores can be targets for scams, and understanding how to identify and mitigate such threats, as well as recognizing false compliance alerts, is a protective measure. It also involves knowing how to handle instances where your domain might appear on an email blacklist (or blocklist), impacting your sending ability.
Another area of complexity is the distinction between marketing and transactional emails. These often have different sending paths and deliverability requirements. Determining whether operational emails should be sent from a marketing subdomain or a transactional subdomain is a strategic decision that directly impacts sender reputation and inbox placement.
Additionally, managing email suppression lists and understanding the implications of role-based email addresses (like info@ or support@) for deliverability are vital for maintaining a healthy sending ecosystem. Incorrect handling of these can lead to bounces or blocklisting.
Implementing DMARC for Shopify
Establishing a strong DMARC policy is a fundamental best practice for Shopify store owners to protect their brand and improve email deliverability. A robust DMARC setup helps prevent email impersonation and ensures that only authorized senders can use your domain. You can learn more about the best practice for setting up DMARC for Shopify users.
Regularly monitoring DMARC reports is essential to identify potential issues and ensure alignment across all sending platforms, whether it is Shopify's native email feature or a third-party ESP like Klaviyo.
Optimizing email deliverability for Shopify stores
Optimizing email deliverability is at the heart of an email operations role. This involves continuous monitoring of email performance, actively engaging with postmaster tools like Google Postmaster Tools, and implementing best practices for email authentication. A deep dive into why your emails are going to spam is often part of the job.
Developing strategies to improve sender reputation is also a key area. This includes managing bounce rates, monitoring spam complaints, and ensuring email content adheres to anti-spam guidelines. Understanding the implications of being on various email blocklists (or blacklists) is critical for timely remediation.
Marketing emails
These are promotional messages aimed at driving sales, announcing new products, or engaging customers with brand content.
Sending strategy: Often sent in bulk to segmented lists, requiring careful management of sender reputation.
Engagement metrics: High importance on open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates.
Deliverability impact: More susceptible to spam filters and blocklists (or blacklists) due to higher volume and potentially lower engagement from some recipients.
Subdomain choice: Best sent from a dedicated marketing subdomain, like marketing.yourdomain.com, to isolate reputation.
Transactional emails
These are essential, non-promotional messages triggered by specific user actions, such as order confirmations, shipping updates, or password resets.
Sending strategy: Typically triggered individually, demanding high reliability and speed of delivery.
Engagement metrics: Focus on immediate delivery and clarity, with less emphasis on traditional marketing KPIs.
Deliverability impact: Critical for customer experience, often given higher priority by ISPs, but still require proper authentication.
Subdomain choice: Should be sent from a distinct transactional subdomain, like mail.yourdomain.com, to protect their critical delivery path.
Automation plays a huge role in scaling email operations for Shopify merchants. Implementing smart workflows for customer journeys, segmenting audiences based on behavior, and personalizing content can significantly boost engagement and deliverability. Regular auditing of these automated flows ensures they remain effective and compliant.
Staying informed about industry changes and ISP requirements is non-negotiable. Email deliverability is an ever-evolving field, with new regulations and best practices emerging regularly. Professionals in this role must continuously adapt their strategies to maintain high inbox placement rates.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Actively monitor DMARC reports to identify authentication issues quickly and ensure email legitimacy.
Segment email lists based on engagement and purchase history for more targeted and effective campaigns.
Regularly audit automated email flows (e.g., abandoned carts, welcome series) to ensure they are optimized and error-free.
Common pitfalls
Neglecting to clean inactive subscribers from lists, leading to higher bounce rates and spam complaints.
Sending inconsistent email volumes, which can negatively impact sender reputation with ISPs.
Ignoring DMARC reports, missing critical insights into email authentication failures and potential spoofing.
Expert tips
Use a dedicated subdomain for marketing emails to protect the reputation of your transactional email sending.
Leverage Shopify Flow for custom automation, but always test new flows thoroughly before live deployment.
Consider the implications of different Email Service Providers (ESPs) on your overall email deliverability strategy.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says: The email operations landscape is constantly changing, making continuous learning and adaptation essential for success in new roles.
2024-06-06 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says: Landing a critical role at a large platform like Shopify immediately highlights the intense demand for skilled email operations professionals in the market.
2024-06-06 - Email Geeks
The evolving journey of an email operations professional
An email operations role at Shopify is dynamic and crucial for any e-commerce business seeking to maximize its email channel's effectiveness. It demands a blend of technical prowess, strategic thinking, and a keen eye on deliverability metrics, making it one of the most exciting job titles in email deliverability.
As the digital commerce landscape continues to evolve, so too will the complexities of email. Professionals in this field will remain indispensable, navigating the nuances of technology and policy to ensure messages reach their intended audience.
Klaviyo.
Shopify is dynamic and crucial for any e-commerce business seeking to maximize its email channel's effectiveness. It demands a blend of technical prowess, strategic thinking, and a keen eye on deliverability metrics, making it one of the most exciting job titles in email deliverability.
