E-commerce marketing automation – how to automate campaigns and increase conversion?
Dla biznesu
7 November 2025
Advertising is extremely important in online commerce. Relevance wins, i.e. showing the right offer to the right person at the right time and on the right channel. This is what e-commerce marketing automation is all about. It is a coordinated set of processes that combine customer data, business rules and algorithms to automatically launch campaigns, thereby maximising revenue. Below, we have compiled a practical overview of the basics of tools, scenarios and personalisation methods. All with an emphasis on how to realistically increase conversion, rather than just bombarding the customer with a mass of unnecessary messages.
E-commerce marketing automation – basics and benefits for online shops
First of all, it is worth taking a look at what marketing automation in e-commerce actually is. It can be imagined as an orchestra that plays a specific melody when a specific thing happens. It is an architecture consisting of four interlocking blocks.
First, we have data, which is the fuel for the entire system. This is information about your customers and their behaviour. You will learn what they bought, what they viewed in the shop, how much they spend and what their preferences are, for example, whether they prefer delivery to a collection point or to their home.
Next, we have triggers, which are events that initiate an action. The system observes what the customer is doing. It is worth imagining this based on a few scenarios:
- The customer adds a product to their basket, but then does not complete the purchase and closes the browser window. An email is then sent to them informing them that they have abandoned their basket.
- The customer receives a newsletter by e-mail. It contains a promotion that interests them. The customer clicks on it, and the system suggests similar products that they may also like.
- The customer receives their parcel. As soon as the courier confirms in the system that it has been collected, an email is sent to the customer asking them to rate the entire delivery process.
In addition to data and triggers, we have a third piece of the puzzle: rules and models, which are the entire brain of the system. The role of the system is to decide what to do next. It has several options and can:
- Segmentation, i.e. dividing customers into groups such as "new", "regular" or "VIP".
- Scoring, or customer assessment. For example, a customer who spends more may receive an attractive promotion.
- Prediction, i.e. predicting what the customer will do next. If the system suspects that the customer is about to abandon their purchase, it may be worth retaining them with a discount.
The previous processes are complemented by channel orchestration, i.e. how to meet the customer halfway. The system will choose the best way to communicate with the customer: via text message, e-mail, web push (pop-up notifications in the browser) or online advertising, using remarketing on Facebook or another channel.
Why does it work? Primarily because of higher conversions, more accurate recommendations, increased loyalty, lower customer acquisition costs, and scalability.
Marketing automation – tools supporting sales in e-commerce
Emails are still one of the most effective sales channels. By automating this section, you can create welcome cycles, abandoned basket reminders, or purchase recommendations tailored to what the customer has previously bought. These scenarios run in the background; the system knows when to send a message, increasing the chance of completing the transaction. .
Remarketing and retargeting are equally effective. These are dynamic advertisements based on data from your shop, which help you regain customers who viewed a product but did not complete the purchase. Thanks to integration with marketing automation, advertisements on Google or social media can be automatically tailored to the user's browsing history. This makes campaigns precise and effective.
Push notifications and text messages are another way to communicate with customers. They are useful for informing customers about deliveries, promotions or limited-time offers. Contrary to appearances, this is a quite effective form of communication with customers; many of them respond to messages that appear in real time, without having to check their e-mail.
Automation of email and remarketing campaigns
With e-mails, the system sends messages at the right time, e.g., a welcome message after registration, a reminder about an abandoned shopping basket, a thank you for a purchase, or a suggestion for additional products. This means you don't have to do it manually, and the customer receives a personalised message exactly when they need it.
In remarketing, automation means that if a customer viewed a product but did not purchase it, they will later see an advertisement for that exact item on Google, Facebook or Instagram. It's simple and effective because it reminds them of your offer and increases the chance that they will return to the shop.
Personalising offers with e-commerce marketing automation
Personalisation is not just about adding a name to the subject line of an email. It is about tailoring the offer, the argumentation and the order of content to the person and the situation. How can you do this effectively? First and foremost, your segmentation must be based on value and intention. It is about showing the customer what really interests them, e.g. their favourite brands, sizes or price ranges.
On the website, you can add a section such as "for you" or "recently viewed". In emails and text messages, include dynamic blocks with suggestions: new products, bestsellers, or products similar to those the customer has viewed.
Remember that not every customer buys for the same reason. For some, fast delivery will be important, while others will value free returns or customer reviews. Your message should address the most common barrier in a given situation.
Maintain healthy moderation and transparency in everything you do. Do not overwhelm your customers with too many messages. It is better to send fewer, but more relevant ones. Also, ensure that customers can easily change their preferences or unsubscribe from the list.
Direct discount coupons to those customers who may actually need an incentive. For loyal customers, early access to a new collection works better than a price reduction. This way, personalisation really increases conversion, because the customer feels that the shop knows them and makes shopping easier, instead of flooding them with a mass of random messages.
These mistakes are worth avoiding
As we have already mentioned, excessive communication does more harm than good. If you bombard your customers with emails or text messages, they will quickly unsubscribe. Also, avoid recommending products that you do not have in stock. Promoting items that are unavailable or take a long time to deliver will discourage customers. The system must be linked to stock levels.
Bear in mind that although price reductions work, they are only effective in the short term. Before you decide to promote a particular product, test other methods, such as customer reviews, fast delivery or limited quantities.
Avoid advertising products that are frequently returned. The most commonly returned items generate huge costs. Promote what customers really keep.
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