The Ultimate Pre-Order Email Sequences to Increase Shopify Store Sales

Pre-order emails are your golden ticket to selling products before they are even in stock. They’re more than just “coming soon” announcements – they’re powerful conversion tools that turn anticipation into actual sales and harness early interest in products that aren’t yet available. 

By showcasing upcoming products to potential customers and allowing them to pre-order, you create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, even with emails. So, it is crucial that your preorder emails have clear value exchanges that capture customers’ attention, whether with the product itself or a special preorder offer. 

The best pre-order emails don’t just sell products – they create experiences. As Lisa from Clean Beauty Co. puts it: “We don’t just send emails; we invite our customers into our creation story.”

Let’s walk through everything you need to know about creating pre-order emails that get your customers to click “buy now” before your product even hits the shelves.

Keeping potential customers informed and excited about upcoming products is an effective way to retain substantial customer engagement. You will maintain ongoing communication with your audience which will develop brand trust and loyalty as a result of nurturing relationships. 

That is why you need an email subject line for your preorder email that gets opened. These examples create a powerful sense of urgency and tap into customers’ fear of missing out (FOMO), compelling them to act in a short period of time:

High-Performing Examples:

• • “[Name], your exclusive 24-hour pre-order window is open” 
  • “Only 50 early-bird spots left (40% off pre-orders)” 
  • “Save 20% when you pre-order our newest collection” 
  • “48 hours left: Reserve your [Product] before everyone else”

Avoid These:

• • “Pre-order now” (too vague)
  • “New product coming soon” (not compelling)
  • “Don’t miss out” (overused)

Research shows that 51% of US online shoppers favor email over other channels like in-app alerts, SMS, and push notifications for receiving discounts or messages. 

Your customers are taking a leap of faith by ordering something they can’t have right away. So, remember to include as many product details as you can and share sneak peeks and exclusive offers – to keep your customers engaged. 

Start with a clear delivery timeline that outlines not just the expected shipping date, but also key production milestones and any schedule updates that need to be communicated.

Your pricing section should create transparency around the pre-order price, regular price, payment timing, and any available payment plans.

Build trust by sharing product renderings and behind-the-scenes content. And don’t forget to eliminate purchase anxiety by clearly stating your refund policy, cancellation options, and price protection guarantee.

Ever wonder which psychological triggers work together to create an irresistible offer that turns browsers into buyers? Let’s name a few you’ll want to include in your pre order emails.

Scarcity plays a crucial role – you can increase conversions when you highlight limited availability, such as early-bird spots or exclusive product drops.

Social proof builds confidence – with pre-order counters and early reviewer quotes proven to boost trust. 

The fear of missing out (FOMO) drives more conversions through early-bird perks and exclusive pre-order bonuses.

The visual story of your pre-order email can make or break its success. 

According to GetResponse’s Benchmarks report, emails with images had an open rate of 30.27% and a CTR of 2.78%. Emails without images saw an almost 10% drop in the open rate (21.9%) and a CTR of 1.13%.

Show your product from multiple angles, or even include a product overview embedded video in your email to help customers visualize owning your product.

Pre-order perks are your secret weapon for turning hesitant browsers into excited buyers. While early access alone might tempt some customers, combining it with tangible benefits like premium membership included in purchases, limited-edition versions, or free bonus products can boost pre-order conversion rates. 

The key is presenting these perks in a clear, value-focused way that immediately shows customers what they stand to gain. Look at the example: Fitbit is offering a 6-month Premium membership with the purchase of the Inspire 3 watch while also adding an extra free accessory band for the watch. The offer also provided free shipping above a certain amount, a money-back guarantee option, and a special payment method with Klarna.

Best Practice: Display benefits in a visual hierarchy with the most valuable perks first, and if possible, include the monetary value of the free products.

Showcasing your upcoming product should be your email’s primary focus, but you can strategically introduce available items that complement the pre-order item or appeal to similar customer interests.

You can use visually distinct sections or colors to separate pre-order items from immediate-purchase products to avoid any confusion about availability.

For example, if your preorder email is about Assassin’s Creed Shadows, why not mention that Assassins Creed Mirage is also available to try right away, while you are waiting for your pre ordered item.

Best Practice: Keep the pre-order product as the hero of your email, with available items as complementary suggestions rather than competing offers.

Pre-order emails that leverage upcoming events, holidays, or peak shopping periods tap into a powerful customer motivation: the desire to avoid future inconvenience. 

This approach works because it combines social proof (everyone will be shopping/ordering then) with practical problem-solving (avoid the rush by ordering now), making the pre-order feel like a wise decision rather than an early purchase.

Slice Rewards brilliantly tapped into a known customer behavior pattern by highlighting that Halloween is the biggest pizza day of the year. They offer their customers a solution to skip the difficulties with last-minute purchases and preorder on time.

Best Practice: Use relevant data or facts that highlight potential problems your pre-order solution can solve, making the customer feel smart for planning ahead.

Breaking down the pre-order process into clear, actionable steps helps remove purchase barriers. Rather than simply announcing a pre-order opportunity, successful brands create a step-by-step guide that walks customers through everything they need to do to secure a purchase. 

The key is to make each step feel manageable and valuable to the customer. When launching the new iPhone 15, Apple sent a step-by-step guide to get ready for preorder, providing details from account creation to payment options.

Best Practice: Keep steps brief and actionable, with clear benefits for completing each one.

The goal of preorder emails is to convince the customer to make the purchase. To do that, you will need to nurture potential buyers, teach them about the products, and guide them in making buying decisions more easily. This requires a solid strategy and a series of emails. 

The most common question: “How many emails should I send without annoying my customers? Here’s the proven sequence based on Klaviyo’s analysis of 10,000+ pre-order campaigns:

Your teaser email sets the stage by sparking curiosity without revealing all your cards. Start your storytelling journey by sharing the inspiration behind your product and offering exclusive early-bird signup opportunities. This creates a VIP feeling from the very beginning.

Best Practice: Highlight one key feature or benefit that makes your product unique. Keep it simple and intriguing.

This is your big reveal moment. Share comprehensive product details, early-bird pricing, and clear delivery timelines. Research shows announcement emails with tiered pricing incentives convert better than those without.

Use this email to establish your pre-order value proposition through exclusive variants or special bonuses, while building trust with transparent communication about your production process.

Transform interest into action by highlighting what early supporters will gain – and what they’ll miss if they wait. Combine exclusive benefits with social proof from early supporters.

This email should recap the key benefits while introducing scarcity through limited spots or time-sensitive pricing.

Best Practice: Use a countdown timer and clearly state both the gains of acting now and the costs of waiting.

Your highest-converting email should create legitimate urgency without feeling pushy. Focus on ending benefits rather than aggressive sales tactics, and include real customer testimonials.

Combine user-generated content with a clear breakdown of expiring savings or exclusive benefits to drive action without pressure.

Best Practice: Set a reminder option! Link your preorder with creating a calendar event for your customers so that they don’t miss out on the exclusive opportunity.

Celebrate your launch with two distinct approaches: make pre-order customers feel like VIPs while creating FOMO for new buyers. 

Thank early supporters while creating excitement for new customers, with clear next steps for both groups.

Best Practice: Create separate launch emails for pre-order customers and general subscribers, with unique messaging for each.

The carefully planned pre order email sequence is crucial to take potential customers through the purchasing funnel and convert them into buying customers. 

This means you need a trusted partner alongside your preorder sales strategy. Timesact is a Shopify app for boosting revenue with preorder & back in stock solutions. Timesact is your trusted ally in setting up your preorder strategy and boosting your stores revenue with it. 

With Timesact, you can even easily apply discounts to preorders, and limit the amount of product inventory that can be pre-ordered. 

If you are considering starting preorder strategy and email campaigns for your Shopify store, we are here to help. Book a set up call with us and start converting those potential customers into buyers. 

Also, you can find all these email templates here.