Email Marketing Myths Shopify Owners Need to Stop Believing (If They Want to Make Money)
If email feels like an afterthought in your Shopify biz, it’s because you’re clinging to outdated advice from 2014 marketers—or worse, your cousin who “knows digital stuff.”
You’ve heard the myths:
“Email only works if you have a massive list.”
“Pop-ups annoy people.”
“Nobody reads emails anymore.”
“Just post more on Instagram—it’s free!”
And you know what those beliefs have earned you?
👉 A stagnant list.
👉 Random emails that get ignored.
👉 Missed sales from people who would’ve bought—if you showed up in their inbox.
This post is here to slap those myths out of your marketing and replace them with facts that actually make you money.
Myth #1: More Subscribers = More Sales
Wrong. Bigger list ≠ better results.
Here’s what actually matters:
Quality over quantity
Buyer intent over giveaway junkies
Smart segmentation over one-size-fits-none
A 5,000-person list built off discounts and giveaways won’t touch the ROI of a 500-person list built on relevance and trust.
📌 Do this instead:
Use high-converting pop-ups with a real incentive
Create lead magnets that attract buyers, not freebie hunters
Segment early: tag subscribers based on behavior (Klaviyo makes this easy—here’s the link affiliate link)
Myth #2: Email Is Dead
You know what’s dead?
Depending on algorithms for sales.
Email is owned. It’s direct. It converts—when it’s done right.
🧠 Reality check:
Email drives up to 30% of revenue for top Shopify stores
It doesn’t require dancing on Reels or waiting for reach
It’s how you build a profitable, predictable marketing channel
Email isn’t dead. Your strategy is.
Myth #3: Pop-Ups Are Annoying
Bad pop-ups are annoying. Good ones are revenue machines.
❌ “Sign up for our newsletter.”
✅ “Want 10% off your first order? We’ll email it to you.”
👉 Use these tips to fix yours:
Exit-intent triggers work best
Use buyer-focused language, not boring copy
Offer a lead magnet that’s actually useful
Myth #4: You Have to Manually Send Every Email
Stop overcomplicating things. You’re not being “personal”—you’re burning time.
If you haven’t set up automations in Klaviyo, you’re:
Losing money
Missing follow-up sales
Running a store that reacts instead of leads
⚙️ Set up these now:
Welcome Flow
Abandoned Cart Flow
Post-Purchase Flow
📥 Want the full list? Grab the Free Guide to 11 Automated Klaviyo Flows every Shopify store needs.
Myth #5: You Need a Huge List Before Email Marketing "Matters"
This one’s responsible for more missed revenue than bad subject lines.
Here’s the mindset:
“I’ll start taking email seriously once I hit 1,000 subscribers.”
Cool. And how exactly do you plan to get there if you’re not nurturing the ones you already have?
👎 Waiting = wasting opportunities.
The truth is, your first 100 subscribers can be more valuable than your first 1,000—if you treat them like buyers instead of placeholders.
📌 Start now:
Send campaigns regularly (even to a small list)
Focus on connection over perfection
Track revenue per recipient—not just vanity metrics
Myth #6: Sending More Emails = More Sales
Let’s kill this “volume = value” myth right now.
More emails won’t save bad strategy. If your emails aren’t relevant, strategic, or well-segmented, blasting them more often won’t make up for it.
📉 What happens when you send more bad emails:
Unsubscribes go up
Open rates tank
You train your list to ignore you
✅ What to do instead:
Use segmentation: buyers ≠ browsers
Make subject lines actually worth clicking
Alternate promos with helpful, relationship-building content
👉 Better ≠ more. Better = smarter.
Let’s Burn These Beliefs for Good
🧨 Myth: More subscribers = more money
✅ Truth: More qualified subscribers = more money
🧨 Myth: Email is dead
✅ Truth: Email is still the most profitable digital channel—when done right
🧨 Myth: Pop-ups don’t work
✅ Truth: Bad pop-ups don’t. Good ones print money.
🧨 Myth: You have to send every email manually
✅ Truth: Automations free up your time and make you money while you sleep
🧨 Myth: You need a huge list to get started
✅ Truth: Small, engaged lists often outperform bloated ones
🧨 Myth: More emails = more sales
✅ Truth: Better strategy > higher frequency
Your Move: Keep Guessing or Start Converting
You don’t need another myth. You need a method.
📌 If you're done winging your emails and want to turn your list into your most consistent revenue channel...
🔥 Join The Profitable Inbox today and get:
Email strategy without the overwhelm
Done-for-you flows, templates, and lead magnets
Support from someone who actually gets Shopify + Klaviyo
Let’s make email work for you—not stress you out.