Pet Copywriter Lori

Imagine hopping in your car, typing a random location into your GPS, and just driving. No idea where you’re going. No real reason why. Just motion. That’s what sending emails without a clear goal looks like. Driving in circles.

When it comes to email marketing, it’s a little worse than getting lost. You might end up with some sales… or you might burn out your list and your budget before you get anything.

Email marketing can be one of the most profitable tools in your business — but only when it’s aligned with a clear, specific objective. Otherwise, you’re just “checking the box” and hoping something sticks.

In this article, we’ll help you define your #1 email marketing goal, explain why it matters more than you think, and show you how to use that goal to shape your strategy, content, and results.

The 3 Costliest Email Marketing Mistakes (And the Goal That Would Fix Them)

Ever feel like you’re doing everything right with your emails… but getting nothing back?

You show up. You hit “send.” You even watch the open rates climb. But then—

No sales.
No replies.
No loyalty.
No growth.

Chances are, it’s not your writing. It’s not your timing. It’s not even your offer.

The real problem? You’re missing a goal that drives every decision.

Let’s break down the three biggest signs your emails aren’t working — and the goal that would fix each one.

1. You’re Not Making Sales (Even with Discounts or Promotions)

Pain Point: You’re sending out promos, coupon codes, even limited-time offers… and still, your audience barely clicks.

What’s missing: A clear, conversion-driven goal to drive sales.

Why it matters: Sales emails aren’t just about shouting “buy now.” They need the right strategy behind them — from product storytelling to urgency to segmenting buyers from browsers. Without a goal to sell, your emails feel like noise, not value.

Fix this: Understand why your customers buy, and how you can relate to that. 

2. Customers Buy Once and Disappear

Pain Point: You’ve done the hard work of getting that first sale… but there’s no second one. No repeat buyers. No customer loyalty. And a minimal customer lifetime value.

What’s missing: A retention-based goal to increase repeat purchases and lifetime value.

Why it matters: If your emails stop after the first sale, you’re leaving money on the table. Repeat customers are easier to sell to, more profitable, and more likely to refer others. But you need a plan to keep them engaged long after the first order.

Fix this: Set a goal to Increase Retention. Focus your emails on onboarding, surprise-and-delight moments, education, and product discovery. You have to stay front and center as their #1 choice.

3. Your List Isn’t Engaging or Clicking — Just Sitting There

Pain Point: You’ve built a list, but your subscribers aren’t opening, clicking, or caring.

What’s missing: The right target audience.

Why it matters: Not every lead is right for your offer. And if your not exactly what they are looking for you’ll never make a sale. Think about it, you’ll never sell dog treats to someone who’s allergic to dogs. 

Fix this: Focus on a goal to Build The RIGHT Audience. Create valuable, relevant content that builds authority, connection, and curiosity with the people who are actually going to buy. 

Pro Tip: Not sure who your target audience is? Check out my handy Target Audience Worksheet. Grab your copy.

How to Choose the Right Goal for Your E-Commerce Business

Here’s the truth:
You can’t chase three rabbits and expect to catch one.

Trying to drive sales, build trust, and increase retention all at once is the fastest way to burn out your list — and yourself.

The secret? Choose one primary goal based on your business stage. Let that goal shape your strategy for the next 90 days. Once it’s working, you can switch to another. After you get the hang of it, they will start to overlap.

Here’s how to find the right focus for where you are now:

If you’re still trying to get consistent orders…

You’re likely in startup or early growth mode. Maybe your traffic is steady, but conversions are inconsistent. You need cash flow — fast.

Your #1 goal: Drive Sales

Why:
Before anything else, you need proof of concept. Sales = validation. Focus on emails that highlight your bestsellers, create urgency, and make buying easy.

What to avoid:
Don’t get lost in “building trust” just yet. First, target people who are already ready to buy. Then you can build deeper relationships.

If you’re making sales but losing momentum…

You’ve had a few launches. You’ve got customers. But people aren’t coming back. You feel stuck restarting from scratch every month.

Your #1 goal: Increase Retention

Why:
Retention is the difference between a hobby and a business. Repeat customers = predictable revenue. Focus your emails on post-purchase care, new product discovery, and loyalty-building.

What to avoid:
Don’t keep blasting sales promos to new subscribers only. Start nurturing the people who’ve already said “yes” — they’re your low-hanging fruit.

If you’ve got traffic but few conversions…

You’re growing your list through ads, social, pop-ups, but no one’s clicking “buy.” Your audience isn’t quite right.

Your #1 goal: Start targeting the right people

Why:
Because the wrong people will never be your right customer. Focus on building your list with your ideal customers.

What to avoid:
Blasting your ads out to “everyone”. 

PRO TIP:
Ask yourself:

“What’s the one thing that would move the needle most for my business in the next 90 days?”

That’s your goal.
Ignore the rest — for now.

How Your Goal Shapes Your Content, Design, and Frequency

Most e-commerce emails fail not because the product is bad, but because the strategy is scattered.

When you don’t have a clear goal, every email becomes a guessing game:

• “Should I write a story or push a product?”
  
• “Do I send once a week or every day?”
  
• “What’s the right thing to say?”
  

You second-guess every decision. You hesitate to hit send.
And your list? They can feel it.

But once you choose your #1 goal, it’s like flipping on the headlights. Suddenly, everything gets clearer — from what to say to how often to say it.

Here’s how your goal gives you direction in 3 key areas:

Your Content: What You Say

If your goal is to drive sales:
Your content should create urgency, highlight product benefits, and make it stupid-simple to buy. Think: product spotlights, bundles, limited-time offers, cart reminders.

If your goal is retention:
Content should celebrate your customers and keep them engaged. Think: “how to use” tips, sneak peeks, loyalty rewards, restock notices, surprise bonuses.

If your goal is trust-building:
Now you’re in nurture mode. Your content should educate, entertain, or inspire. Think: brand story, customer success stories, product origin details, or free value-first tips.

Your Design: How It Feels

Your goal should also shape the look of your emails.

Sales-driven?
Use bold visuals, clear CTAs (“Buy Now,” “Claim Offer”), and minimal distractions. Your design should move the eye toward the button.

Retention-focused?
Keep it personal. Include names, UGC, photos of people using your product, and friendly language. You want to feel like a concierge, not a sales machine.

Trust-building?
Focus on storytelling layouts. Simple, clean emails with warm copy, lifestyle photos, and relatable headlines will keep them reading (and remembering you).

Your Frequency: When You Send

This is where most brands panic — “Am I emailing too much?!” And you’d be surprised to hear that you often should be sending more. (But we’ll get to that another time.)

If your goal is sales:
You should email more often — 2–4x per week. During a promo or product drop, you can easily double that. Visibility drives action.

If your goal is retention:
1–2 emails per week is perfect. You’re staying top-of-mind without overwhelming your best buyers.

If your goal is nurturing trust:
Consistency matters more than frequency. One high-quality email every 7–10 days builds momentum without burnout. But you will want to keep in touch so you don’t land in spam or become forgotten. 

Real-World Wins — One Goal, One Strategy, Big Results

Talk is cheap. Let’s look at what happens when e-commerce brands stop guessing and start focusing.

Each of these businesses had one clear goal — and because of that, their emails didn’t just get opened… they got results.

Goal: Drive Sales

Brand: Healthy Pup Co. — a new dog treat brand

The challenge:
Sales were slow. Instagram was buzzing, but the email list? Crickets.

The shift:
They chose one goal: drive first-time sales.
We created a three-email welcome series focused on their best-selling treat, paired with urgency-based subject lines and a clear CTA.

The result:
✅ 212% boost in orders in 3 days
✅ 34% email click-through rate
✅ 60% of customers were first-time buyers

Why it worked:
No fluff. No distractions. Just one goal, one product, one irresistible offer.

Goal: Increase Retention

Brand: Glow Naturals — a skincare brand for sensitive skin

The challenge:
Customers were buying once… then ghosting. Repeat purchase rate was under 10%.

The shift:
They focused on retention. We built a post-purchase email series with product education, a skin care routine guide, and a refill reminder on day 27.

The result:
✅ Repeat purchase rate jumped to 32%
✅ Fewer support emails (thanks to the “how to use” guide)
✅ Refill email converted at 18%

Why it worked:
They didn’t try to sell more — they helped more. And in return, their customers came back.

Goal: Build Trust & Nurture Leads

Brand: KindNest — a boutique babywearing store

The challenge:
Email list was growing, but no one was buying. Lots of window shoppers, few conversions.

The shift:
They chose one goal: build the right audience. We started to target parents who were already into holistic and natural forward parenting. And made a welcome sequence that nurtured their ideals.

The result:
✅ 51% open rate across the welcome series
✅ 400% increase in “add to cart” behavior
✅ 1 in 4 readers purchased within 30 days

Why it worked:
No discounts. No pressure. Just the right audience and heartfelt guidance. It built connection, and trust sold the product.

Conclusion: Clarity = Cashflow (And Confusion Costs You)

Most e-commerce businesses don’t fail because of bad products.
They fail because they send aimless emails with no real purpose — and no plan.

But now you know better.

You’ve seen how one clear goal shapes everything:
👉 What to say
👉 How often to email
👉 What results you get

You’ve seen real brands make real money — not by doing everything, but by doing the right thing at the right time.

So here’s your challenge:

Pick ONE email goal. Commit to it for 90 days. Track your results.

Not five goals. Not “whatever feels right.”
Just one — and go all in.

Want to Skip the Guesswork?

If your goal is on this list…
I’ve already done the hard part for you.

The Made-For-You Welcome Sequence
A high-converting, pre-written email series designed to hit your goals:
✅ Warm up cold leads
✅ Build brand trust
✅ Drive that first (and second) sale

No staring at a blank screen. No wondering what to write.
Just plug it into your favorite email provider and watch it work.

👉 Click here to get your Welcome Sequence now.
Because clarity doesn’t just feel good — it pays.

P.S. Want just a little help improving your email marketing? Make sure you join The Conversion Pulse! Subscribe now!