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We all know that the basics of business is: WIIFM (What's In It For Me)

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This guide is essential for anyone looking to seamlessly integrate Canva with Shopify for enhanced product design. It provides a step-by-step process to connect your accounts, enabling easy access to your Shopify products within Canva. 

Perfect for entrepreneurs seeking to elevate their branding, this guide simplifies the connection process, ensuring you can focus on growing your business effectively.

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Have you ever considered starting your own business? Or do you have your own business?

You’re not alone. According to the latest U.S. Small Business Administration data, there are over 33 million small businesses in the United States today. With millions of entrepreneurs chasing their dreams, some will inevitably struggle or even fail.

I’ve worked alongside hundreds of small business owners, and I’ve seen it all—the wins, the setbacks, the pivots, and the burnout. But here’s what I believe: Failure doesn’t mean the end. It often sharpens your strategy, strengthens your resilience, and fuels future success. The key is learning how to move through it with clarity, support, and a plan.

According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, supported by industry insights, approximately 20% of small businesses fail within their first year, and about 33% close within two years. While these numbers have held steady over the past few years, new data specific to eCommerce reveals an even more sobering reality:

Over 80% of Shopify stores fail, most often due to a lack of strategic execution, technical overwhelm, and low conversions, rather than poor products.

Only 10% of Shopify stores reach six-figure annual revenue, highlighting the critical need for clarity, structure, and marketing expertise from the start. 

For new business owners, especially in the eCommerce space, the key to success isn’t just having a great idea—it’s about building smart, launching confidently, and making data-driven decisions early on.

If you're like most e-commerce store owners I work with, your relationship with email marketing is… complicated.

You know email delivers the highest ROI of any marketing channel—according to Campaign Monitor, email marketing generates $42 for every$1 spent. You've probably heard success stories of stores driving 30-40% of their revenue from email.

Yet when you look at your own email marketing efforts, you might feel like you're barely scratching the surface of what's possible. Between running your store, managing inventory, handling customer service, and trying to have some semblance of a personal life, comprehensive email marketing feels like a luxury you don't have time for.

Here's the good news: you don't need 15 different email automations to see significant results.

After working with hundreds of e-commerce store owners, I've identified the three automated email sequences that deliver 80% of the results with just 20% of the effort. These are the non-negotiable sequences that even the busiest store owners can—and should—implement.

In this guide, I'll show you exactly how to set up these three essential sequences, what to include in each one, and how to measure their effectiveness—all without requiring you to become an email marketing expert or hire a dedicated team.

If you’ve been wondering why your carefully crafted Shopify emails aren’t reaching your customers, you’re not alone. Many Shopify store owners run into this issue — they set up everything, send out campaigns, and then see disappointing open rates or no response.

So, why are your Shopify emails ending up in spam folders? And more importantly, how can you fix it?

Why Your Shopify Emails Might Be Landing in Spam

1. Using a Free Email Domain (like Gmail, Yahoo, etc.)
Sending store emails from an address like yourstore@gmail.com raises immediate red flags for spam filters. It looks unprofessional and is commonly linked to phishing or spam.

How to fix it: Use a branded domain email like hello@yourstore.com. Shopify offers alias emails when you register your domain, or you can set up hosted email through services like Google Workspace or Zoho.

2. Missing Email Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
Email providers such as Gmail and Outlook check for authentication records to verify that your emails are legitimate. Without these, your messages are more likely to be marked as spam.

How to fix it: Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records in your domain’s DNS settings. Shopify help docs or your domain host can walk you through it, or you can ask your tech support team to help.

3. Low Engagement Rates
When recipients don’t open, click, or interact with your emails, inbox providers start pushing future emails into spam folders.

How to fix it: Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive subscribers. Focus on sending more relevant, engaging content, and use segmentation so you’re not sending the same message to everyone.

4. Spammy Content or Design
Using all caps, excessive exclamation marks, or spam-triggering words like “BUY NOW” or “FREE $$$” can set off spam filters.

How to fix it: Write conversational, natural-sounding copy. Avoid overhyped or misleading language. You can also test your emails through tools like Mail Tester before sending.

5. No Unsubscribe Option
Not including an unsubscribe link is not only bad practice but also violates regulations like CAN-SPAM and GDPR.

How to fix it: Make sure every email includes a clear unsubscribe link. Shopify Email, Klaviyo, Omnisend, and similar platforms typically add this automatically.

6. Too Many Images, Not Enough Text
Emails that are made up of only images or only text can trigger spam filters. A healthy balance matters.

How to fix it: Combine text with visuals and always add alt text to images for better accessibility and email trust.

Tips to Improve Deliverability

• If you are using a new email domain, warm it up by sending to smaller segments first, then gradually increasing your send volume.

• Ask subscribers to add your email to their contacts or address book to help avoid future spam filtering.

• Monitor your sender reputation with tools like Postmark, GlockApps, or Google Postmaster Tools to identify issues early.

Bottom Line...

Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools you have to drive sales, but only if your emails actually reach your customers. By improving your sending practices, maintaining a healthy list, and following best practices, you can significantly increase your deliverability, boost open rates, and make sure your efforts pay off.

“A brand is a story that is always being told.”