Email + Ads = Ecom Growth Formula: Why Your Shopify Store Needs Both to Win

In today’s competitive eCommerce world, getting traffic to your Shopify store is no longer enough. To build a thriving, profitable business, you need a full-funnel strategy that attracts, engages, and converts—not just clicks, but loyal customers.

That’s where the perfect duo comes in: Email Marketing + Paid Ads. While ads bring the traffic, email marketing turns those clicks into customers—and keeps them coming back.

In this post, we’ll break down why this combo is a game-changer for your Shopify store, how it fits into the modern customer journey, and how you can maximize ROI by syncing your campaigns like a pro.

🔍 The New Customer Journey: It’s Not Just Click and Buy

Gone are the days when a single ad was enough to convert. Today’s online shopper needs multiple interactions, consistent messaging, and personalized follow-ups. That’s why you need both paid ads to drive awareness and email marketing to build relationships and trust.

Here’s how the modern journey looks:

1. DISCOVER – A potential buyer sees your ad on Facebook, Instagram, or Google.

2. ENGAGE – They click but don’t buy right away.

3. CONSIDER – You capture their email with a discount, lead magnet, or exit intent popup.

4. NURTURE – You send targeted emails with reviews, benefits, and urgency.

5. CONVERT – They finally purchase—after multiple touchpoints.

6. RETAIN – You use post-purchase emails and retargeting ads to bring them back.

This is multi-touch marketing in action—and it’s how high-performing Shopify brands grow.

📥 Why Email Marketing Complements Your Paid Ad Spend

Think of paid ads as the wide net, and email as the relationship builder. Together, they deliver:

• Lower Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

• Higher Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

• Improved Conversion Rates

• Increased Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

Example: A cold Facebook ad drives a user to your site. They don’t buy but sign up for 10% off. You email them a product benefits guide + customer review. Three days later, you send a “last chance” discount. They buy. That sale happened because of ads + email working together.

🔄 Build Your List, Retarget Smarter

List-building is your email fuel. Every ad should have a secondary goal: capturing emails. Whether it’s a popup, quiz, lead magnet, or discount, you’re turning ad traffic into long-term marketing assets.

Once you’ve got their email, you can:

• Retarget based on behavior (viewed product, abandoned cart)

• Segment by ad source or interest

• Personalize their journey with flows like:

  • Welcome Series

  • Abandoned Cart Recovery

  • Browse Abandonment

  • Win-Back Campaigns

This means you’re not just renting attention with ads—you’re owning it with email.

💸 Maximize ROI with Coordinated Campaigns

If you’re running paid ads without email follow-up—or email campaigns without fresh ad traffic—you’re operating at half capacity.

Here’s how to sync campaigns for max results:

• Pre-launch Email + Teaser Ads: Build hype before a drop or promo.

• Ads → Email Funnel: Use click behavior to trigger custom email flows.

• Post-Purchase Ad Retargeting: Show complementary products or upsells.

• Re-engagement Campaigns: Target inactive subscribers via ads + reactivation emails.

This integrated strategy boosts your ROAS, reduces wasted ad spend, and helps you make the most of every dollar.

🛠️ Tools to Make It Work (Without the Headache)

To combine email and ads seamlessly, you can use:

• Klaviyo + Facebook/Instagram Ads: Sync email segments for lookalike and retargeting audiences.

• Shopify + Google Ads: Track buyer behavior for smart targeting.

• Postscript + SMS Ads: Layer SMS into your retargeting strategy.

• Zapier: Automate key actions across platforms.

✅ Conclusion: It's Not Either/Or—It’s Both

If you want to grow your Shopify store sustainably, relying on either email or ads alone is like running with one leg. Email and ads work better together—each fills in the gaps left by the other, creating a seamless, profitable customer journey.

From brand discovery to post-purchase loyalty, this strategy doesn’t just get you more clicks or opens—it builds real relationships that turn into long-term revenue.

💬 Need Help Syncing Email + Ads for Your Shopify Store?

At The Ecom Mentors, we specialize in building high-performance marketing systems for Shopify brands—combining the precision of paid ads with the power of email automation to drive real results.

Let’s talk about scaling your store the smart way. 🚀