App of the Month: Create Shopify Email Templates September 22, 2015 19:00

In this edition of App of the Month, we will go over the Email Template Creator app by Klaviyo. The app allows you to customize standard Shopify notification emails for free.

You can customize the email templates without knowing any code using a drag-and-drop interface to embed blocks of elements. You can also edit the design of the emails to fit in with your brand to enhance your brand visibility, and include elements that your customers would find most useful to create a better customer experience.

Email Template Editor by Klaviyo

To install the app and get started with the Klaviyo platform, follow the below steps:

  • Register on Klaviyo.com and log in.
  • Select “Ecommerce” and then Shopify.
  • You have the option to import existing email templates and information from other services like MailChimp, Campaign Monitor, etc.

You will then have the option to design the basic parts of your email templates. This information and design is integrated into all the different templates that can be edited through Klaviyo. You will be able to set:

  • fonts and branding colors
  • logo image to show prominently on your emails
  • URLs to go in the header of the email
  • social profile links to go in the footer of the email
  • web tracking by inputting code to the theme.liquid and product.liquid files.
  • address and company information

Klaviyo populates default templates with the above information. Once you’ve filled out all the fields, you will be directed to Getting Started Checklist page in your Klaviyo dashboard. Here, you can update and customize individual email templates.

Customizing email templates

Through Klaviyo, you can update standard Shopify email templates like the order confirmation, shipping confirmation, customer password reset, etc.

The Getting Started page in the app gives you an overview of all the templates you can edit, and any features you can enable, like sending a thank you email to a repeat customer.

Screenshot of all email templates that can be customized for Shopify

Overview of all email templates

To update an email template, click the Edit button next to the template on the Getting Started page or the Email Templates page. This will open a drag-and-drop interface for you to modify the default layout created by the app.

use blocks to edit the email templates

Drag and drop blocks into the email template

Hover over any existing element in the template on the right to edit and modify it. If you want to add any additional element, select from the “Blocks” available and drag the block where you want to add the element. The menu URLs at the top and the social links in the footer are populated from default information set during initial set up.

You can also add more columns to various sections in the template, and modify fonts and colours. Toggle between desktop and mobile view from the buttons in the top right corner of the email template view.

When you are finished with your modifications, you can Preview the email, and then click on “Save & Return to Templates”.

Now that you have updated the template, you need to export this HTML into your Shopify template files. To do this:

  1. Click on the “Export HTML” button next to the template in the Getting Started page, or “Export” in the drop down menu under Actions in the Email Templates page.
  2. A pop-up appears with the HTML. Copy the entire HTML that has been generated.
  3. Go to your Shopify dashboard. Select Settings and then Notifications.
  4. Select the email template that you want to update.
  5. Select the “HTML email” tab below the Email subject, and paste the new code.
  6. You can Preview the email and send yourself a text email to make sure it works. Once you’re done, hit Save.

This updates your Shopify email notification with the new template that you created in Klaviyo.

To get a quick tutorial of how to update standard Shopify email templates, check out this tutorial video by Klaviyo.

Other features

The app also gives you a number of other features including creating email marketing campaigns, creating segments for customers based on number and amount of purchases, analytics and tracking, and enable Shopify flow emails like new customer or repeat customer thank you emails.

The app imports existing customer data and populates it into the People section. These customers are automatically included into the Lists & Segments section where they are categorized based on purchase activity, and newsletter sign-ups. You can create more lists and segments based on your requirements.

You can learn more about app features and read articles about getting started on the Klaviyo documentation page.

Summary

The Email Template Creator app by Klaviyo is a free and powerful solution for customizing default email templates on your Shopify store. The app allows you to edit templates with a drag-and-drop interface without using any code. You can simply export the HTML into your Shopify files with the click of a button.

Customized emails are a great way to create a better user experience for your customers. They also allow you to brand your emails that can enhance customer loyalty.

What feature do you find most useful on email marketing platforms? Tell us in the comments below.

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