Marketing emails get all the credit, but transactional emails are the ones that carry the day.

Transactional emails, also called operational or triggered emails, are personalized emails sent to a customer after a transaction with your online brand touchpoints.

These messages are a great way to stay in touch with your audience throughout their customer lifecycle. Here are a few you could start with:

1. Registration emails

Welcome emails are a staple for online businesses these days, and you’re missing a lot if you’re not sending them! This email is the first step towards building a long-term trusting relationship with your customer.

Double opt-in emails can also feature here. They are an excellent way for the user to confirm that the user has entered a valid email, which helps keep your database clean. Confirming their details also shows that you care about the security of their personal data.

Registration emails are a great place to include information that they might need, such as how to get back to you and links to your social media pages.

2. Password reset emails

Simple passwords no longer cut it in the modern internet environment. Passwords have to be made strong, and with that comes incredible odds that the password will be forgotten (78% of everyone, according to a study by HYPR!).

If your website has a portal for users to sign in, you’re certainly going to have to send password reset emails. Your users should get secure, timely instructions on how to reset their passwords. You can go the extra mile by including details like how to report unauthorized password requests and how to contact support in case of any arising issues.

3. Legal update emails

Transactional emails can also be used to inform users about legal changes that affect their interaction with your brand. Changes in your privacy policy and terms of service are some of the legal email updates you can send to your audience. These types of emails aren’t an exciting read, but they are essential and shouldn’t be skipped.

To make your legal update emails a bit easier to read, try to simplify the legalese and personalize it as much as possible. A quick summary of the information and a link to the full legal document should do if you don’t want to include all the updates in the email.

No matter the industry you’re in, incorporating transactional emails can give your brand the boost it needs to make a mark on the market.

4. Order confirmation and receipt emails

These emails confirm that the transaction has been received by the brand, along with all details of the purchase. These emails have a high open-rate (as high as 90% in some industries!), so these are a must-have.

Aside from confirming the order, these confirmation emails include details like shipping information, tracking links, and the purchase receipt. Order confirmation emails put your buyers at ease with the transaction and give them the information they need.

5. Feedback emails

Every business has room to improve. Asking for feedback from your customers is one of the best ways to improve your customer experience.

You have to ask for feedback in the proper context; otherwise, it will feel out of place and give lower returns. Some of the situations you can ask for feedback include after making a purchase, completing a trial period, or renewing a subscription. If the feedback survey is extensive, you can include an external link to where you’ll be collecting the information.

Transactional emails vs. marketing emails

Transactional emails are meant to ease the transaction process that the customer has initiated. They cannot be used to market the brand or generate revenue, or they will be classified as either marketing or promotional emails.

Email sending laws are different, depending on the country you’re in and where your audience resides. In most cases, however, transactional emails do not require permission from the customer since they initiated the transaction. On the other hand, you need to get explicit content from the customer before sending marketing emails. Since marketing emails need consent, there also has to be a clearly indicated option to unsubscribe. It is also better to have one in transactional emails.

Transactional emails are a great way to boost your brand’s engagement with your audience, build loyalty and increase sales. However, they don’t receive as much attention from marketers as they should. This list contains just a few that you can try right away to make a splash in your audience’s inbox!

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