Why I Stopped Using "Best Practice" Onboarding Email Channels (And What Actually Worked)

Last year, I was brought in to fix a Shopify client's abandoned cart recovery system. What started as a simple email template update turned into a complete rethink of how we communicate with customers during critical moments.

The client had been using the standard "professional" abandoned cart emails you see everywhere—clean templates, product grids, "COMPLETE YOUR ORDER NOW" buttons. You know the drill. But something felt off when I opened their existing template. It looked exactly like every other e-commerce store's emails.

That's when I realized we had a bigger problem: everyone is using the same "best practice" channels and approaches for onboarding emails, making them all sound like robots.

Instead of just updating colors and fonts, I completely reimagined their approach. The result? We didn't just recover more abandoned carts—we started getting replies from customers asking questions, sharing feedback, and actually engaging with the business.

Here's what you'll learn from my experiment:

• Why conventional email channels often fail to create real connections
• The specific channel mix that doubled our email engagement rates
• How treating emails like personal conversations changes everything
• When to break the rules of "professional" email marketing
• The channel strategy that works for both SaaS and e-commerce

This isn't about adding more email sequences. It's about choosing the right channels and treating them like human conversations instead of automated broadcasts.

Walk into any marketing conference or scroll through any "email marketing best practices" guide, and you'll hear the same advice repeated like gospel:

1. Segment your email lists based on user behavior and demographics
2. Use marketing automation platforms like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or HubSpot for everything
3. Create drip sequences with 5-7 touch points over 2 weeks
4. A/B test subject lines and send times for optimization
5. Use professional email templates with branded headers and footers

The logic makes sense on paper. These platforms give you detailed analytics, beautiful templates, and the ability to automate everything. Most agencies and consultants recommend this approach because it's scalable, measurable, and looks professional in client reports.

But here's what nobody talks about: when everyone follows the same playbook, every email starts looking and feeling the same. Your "personalized" onboarding sequence ends up in the same mental bucket as every other automated email your customers receive.

The real problem isn't the tools—it's that we've optimized for metrics over genuine connection. We measure open rates and click-through rates, but we've forgotten that the goal is to build relationships with real people who have real problems.

In a world where everyone is automating everything, the most powerful differentiator isn't better automation—it's being more human. Sometimes the best channel strategy is the one that doesn't scale perfectly but creates authentic connections.

The Shopify client came to me with what seemed like a straightforward request: update their abandoned cart emails to match their new brand guidelines. Simple enough—new colors, new fonts, maybe tweak the copy a bit.

But when I opened their existing template, I had one of those moments where something just clicks. Here was this perfectly crafted e-commerce email template with a product grid, discount codes, and urgent CTAs. It looked professional, followed all the best practices, and was completely forgettable.

The client mentioned during our conversation that they were having issues with payment validation—customers were struggling with the double authentication requirements, especially on mobile. Rather than ignore this "technical issue," I saw an opportunity.

What if instead of hiding behind automated emails, we actually addressed the real problems customers were facing?

I proposed something that made my client uncomfortable: ditch the traditional e-commerce template entirely. Instead of sending emails that looked like they came from "CustomerService@store.com," what if they came from a real person who actually cared about solving problems?

The client was skeptical. "This goes against everything we know about email marketing," they said. And they were right—it did go against conventional wisdom. But that was exactly the point.

Most businesses get stuck optimizing the wrong things. They test subject lines and button colors while ignoring the fundamental question: does this email feel like it's from a human being who actually wants to help?

Instead of focusing on which automation platform to use or how many drip sequences to create, I started thinking about which channels would make customers feel like they were talking to a real person, not a marketing machine.

Here's exactly what I did to transform their onboarding email strategy, and how you can apply the same approach:

Step 1: Choose Channels Based on Human Connection, Not Metrics

Instead of defaulting to standard marketing automation, I evaluated each channel based on one question: "Does this feel like a real conversation?" Here's the channel mix that worked:

• Personal email accounts (not generic company emails) for initial onboarding
• Newsletter-style formats instead of template-heavy designs
• Direct reply capability that actually goes to someone who can help
• SMS for urgent issues (but only when customers opt in)

Step 2: Redesign Email Format Like Personal Notes

I completely scrapped the corporate email template and created something that felt like a personal note from the business owner. The new format included:

• First-person writing ("I" instead of "we")
• Conversational subject lines: "You had started your order..." instead of "Complete your purchase!"
• Newsletter-style layout with personal photo
• Actual problem-solving content, not just sales pitches

Step 3: Address Real Problems in Onboarding

Instead of generic "welcome to our platform" content, I included a 3-point troubleshooting section for common onboarding issues:

1. Payment authentication timing out? Try again with your bank app already open
2. Card declined? Double-check your billing ZIP code matches exactly
3. Still having issues? Just reply to this email—I'll help you personally

Step 4: Make Every Channel Two-Way

The biggest change was making communication genuinely two-way. Every onboarding email ended with "Just reply if you have any questions" and actually delivered responses to someone who could help. This transformed onboarding from a broadcast into a conversation.

Step 5: Test Channel Performance on Engagement, Not Just Opens

Instead of optimizing for traditional email metrics, I tracked:

• Reply rates and question quality
• Time to first action in the product
• Customer satisfaction scores
• Actual problem resolution

The result wasn't just better metrics—it was a completely different relationship with customers. People started replying with questions, feedback, and even compliments about the service.

The impact went way beyond what we expected. Within the first month of implementing this channel strategy:

Engagement metrics transformed: Instead of the typical 2-3% reply rate on automated emails, we started seeing 15-20% of recipients actually responding with questions or feedback. More importantly, people were engaging with the business instead of just consuming marketing content.

Customer support became proactive: Because the emails addressed real problems upfront, we caught issues before they became major frustrations. Customers appreciated that someone had actually thought about their potential problems.

Onboarding completion improved: When people hit roadblocks, they knew exactly how to get help. The personal touch reduced abandonment during critical setup steps.

But the most interesting result was unexpected: customers started sharing specific feedback about product features and pain points. The onboarding emails became a valuable feedback collection channel, giving the client insights they never had before.

Some people completed their purchases after getting personalized help. Others shared specific technical issues that helped improve the checkout process for everyone. A few even became vocal advocates for the brand because of the experience.

The personal approach didn't just recover revenue—it created a feedback loop that made the entire customer experience better.

Here are the key lessons learned from treating onboarding emails like conversations instead of broadcasts:

1. Channel choice matters less than channel personality: It's not about which platform you use—it's about how human you sound on that platform.
2. Address real problems, not imaginary ones: Skip the generic "welcome aboard" content and tackle the actual friction points people face during onboarding.
3. Two-way beats one-way every time: When customers can actually reply and get help, they're more likely to engage with your onboarding process.
4. Personal always outperforms professional: In a world of automated everything, sounding like a real person is your biggest competitive advantage.
5. Break the rules when they're not working: If everyone in your industry does email the same way, that's your opportunity to do it differently.
6. Measure what matters: Open rates are vanity metrics. Reply rates and problem resolution are success metrics.
7. Scale human connection, not just automation: The goal isn't to automate everything—it's to automate the right things while keeping the human elements intact.

The biggest takeaway? In an age of AI and automation, being genuinely helpful and human is your most powerful channel strategy.