How to Send Targeted Emails for Specific WooCommerce Products: A Beginner’s Guide

Want to boost sales and engage customers effectively? Sending emails tailored to specific WooCommerce products is a powerful way to do just that. Imagine someone purchases a dog bed from your store. Instead of a generic “Thanks for your order” email, you could send them an email with care instructions for the bed, links to compatible dog toys, or even a discount code for their next purchase of dog-related products.

This article will guide you through the process of setting up these targeted emails, even if you’re a WooCommerce newbie. We’ll break down the concepts, explore practical examples, and provide code snippets to get you started.

Why Send Emails for Specific Products?

Generic emails are, well, generic. They don’t resonate with your customers or show you understand their needs. Targeted emails, on the other hand:

• Increase Engagement: Relevant content keeps customers interested and coming back.
• Boost Sales: Promote related products or offer incentives based on their purchases.
• Improve Customer Loyalty: Show customers you value their specific interests and needs.
• Reduce Cart Abandonment: Target customers who added specific products to their cart but didn’t complete the purchase.
• Provide Value: Explore this article on How To Disable Products On Woocommerce Offer helpful information, care guides, or tips related to the product they bought.

Think of it like this: You wouldn’t recommend a book on astrophysics to someone who just bought a cookbook, right? Similarly, your email marketing should be specific to what your customers are interested in.

Methods for Sending Product-Specific Emails

There are several ways to accomplish this. Here are a few common approaches:

1. WooCommerce Plugins: The easiest and most user-friendly method, especially for beginners. Many plugins offer this functionality out-of-the-box.

2. Custom Code (PHP): Provides the most flexibility but requires coding knowledge. You’ll hook into WooCommerce events (like order completion) and send emails programmatically.

3. Email Marketing Platforms (Integration): Integrate your WooCommerce store with platforms like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or ActiveCampaign. These platforms often have advanced segmentation features allowing you to target customers based on purchased products.

We’ll focus on plugins and a basic custom code example to give you a good starting point.

Method 1: Using WooCommerce Plugins

Plugins are your best friend when starting out. Here are a couple of options:

• Follow-up Emails: Many follow-up email plugins allow you to create email sequences triggered by specific product purchases. These are excellent for upselling and cross-selling. Just search for “woocommerce follow up emails” in the WordPress plugin repository.
• Marketing Automation Plugins: Plugins like AutomateWoo provide a broader range of marketing automation features, including product-specific email triggers.

Example: Using a Follow-Up Email Plugin (concept)

Let’s say you sell gourmet coffee beans. After a customer purchases your “Sumatran Mandheling” beans, you could automatically send them an email with:

• A guide to brewing the perfect cup of Sumatran Mandheling.
• A discount code for their next purchase of any Indonesian coffee blend.
• A suggestion to try your coffee grinder or filters.

The plugin handles the triggering of the email based on the product purchased. All you need to do is create the email content.

Method 2: Custom Code (PHP) – A Simple Example

For those comfortable with code, you can create a custom solution. This gives you fine-grained control but requires more effort.

Scenario: Send a “Thank You” email with specific instructions after a customer purchases a “Gardening Tool Set.”

Here’s a basic example of how to achieve this:

 <?php 

/

* Send a specific email after a “Gardening Tool Set” is purchased.

*/

add_action( ‘woocommerce_thankyou’, ‘send_gardening_tool_email’, 10, 1 );

function send_gardening_tool_email( $order_id ) {

$order = wc_get_order( $order_id );

$items = $order->get_items();

$gardening_tool_set_purchased = false; // Flag to check if the product was purchased

foreach ( $items as $item ) {

$product_id = $item->get_product_id();

$product = wc_get_product( $product_id );

// Replace ‘Gardening Tool Set’ with the actual product name or product ID

if ( $product->get_name() === ‘Gardening Tool Set’ ) {

$gardening_tool_set_purchased = true;

break; // No need to check other items if already found

}

}

if ( $gardening_tool_set_purchased ) {

$to = $order->get_billing_email();

$subject = ‘Thank You for Your Gardening Tool Set Purchase!’;

$message = ”;

$message .= ‘

Thank You!

‘;

$message .= ‘

We appreciate your purchase of the Gardening Tool Set. Here are some helpful tips for using your new tools:

‘;

$message .= ‘

‘;

$message .= ‘

• Clean your tools after each use to prevent rust.

‘;

$message .= ‘

• Store them in a dry place.

‘;

$message .= ‘

• Sharpen blades regularly for optimal performance.

‘;

$message .= ‘

‘;

$message .= ‘

Happy gardening!

‘;

$message .= ”;

$headers = array(‘Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8’);

wp_mail( $to, $subject, $message, $headers );

}

}

?>

Explanation:

1. `add_action( ‘woocommerce_thankyou’, ‘send_gardening_tool_email’, 10, 1 );`: This line hooks into the `woocommerce_thankyou` action, which is triggered when an order is successfully placed. `send_gardening_tool_email` is the function that will be executed.

2. `$order = wc_get_order( $order_id );`: Retrieves the order Learn more about How To Bulk Modify Ad Attributes On Woocommerce object based on the order ID.

3. `$items = $order->get_items();`: Gets all the items purchased in the order.

4. Looping through Items: The code loops through each item in the order and checks if the product name matches ‘Gardening Tool Set’. Important: Replace `”Gardening Tool Set”` with the actual product name or, even better, the product ID (using `$product_id == 123;` where `123` is the product ID) for better accuracy. Using the product ID is less prone to errors if the product name changes.

5. `wp_mail( $to, $subject, $message, $headers );`: If the “Gardening Tool Set” is found, this function sends the email. `$to` is the customer’s email address, `$subject` is the email subject, `$message` is the HTML email body, and `$headers` set the content type to HTML.

6. `$gardening_tool_set_purchased` variable: Used as a flag to ensure the email only sends when the appropriate product is found.

Important Considerations for Custom Code:

• Where to Place the Code: This code should be placed in your theme’s `functions.php` file or, ideally, a custom plugin. Never edit the core WooCommerce files directly!
• Error Handling: Add error handling (e.g., checking if `wp_mail` was successful) to your code.
• Security: Sanitize user inputs and escape outputs to prevent Learn more about How To Setup Woocommerce Membership security vulnerabilities.
• Testing: Thoroughly test your code to ensure it works as expected.
• Scalability: For complex scenarios, consider using the WooCommerce API and dedicated email queueing systems for better performance.
• Email deliverability: Ensure your emails are not marked as spam by setting up SPF, DKIM and DMARC records for your domain.

Method 3: Email Marketing Platform Integration

Integrating WooCommerce with an email marketing platform like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or ActiveCampaign opens up advanced segmentation and automation capabilities. These platforms often have built-in WooCommerce integrations that let you trigger emails based on product purchases, cart abandonment, and more.

Example using Mailchimp:

1. Connect WooCommerce to Mailchimp: Install and configure the official Mailchimp for WooCommerce plugin.

2. Set up Automation: In Mailchimp, create an automation workflow.

3. Use Purchase Behavior: Use the “Purchase Activity” trigger and specify the product(s) that should trigger the email.

4. Compose Email: Design your targeted email content with related products, discounts, or helpful information.

These platforms usually offer features like:

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• Segmentation based on purchase history: Target customers who have purchased specific product categories.
• Behavioral triggers: Send emails based on cart abandonment, product views, or specific actions taken on your website.
• Personalization: Use merge tags to personalize emails with customer names, order details, and product information.
• A/B testing: Experiment with different email content and subject lines to optimize your campaigns.

Tips for Writing Effective Product-Specific Emails

• Be Relevant: The email content should directly relate to the purchased product.
• Provide Value: Offer helpful information, tips, or resources related to the product.
• Keep it Concise: Get to the point quickly and avoid overwhelming the customer with too much information.
• Personalize the Message: Use the customer’s name and other relevant details.
• Include a Clear Call to Action: Tell the customer what you want them to do next (e.g., “Shop Now,” “Read More,” “Leave a Review”).
• Track Your Results: Monitor your email open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.