If you’ve been using Shopify Email for your store, you might have noticed its limitations once your list and sales start to grow. The basic automations are convenient, but they can’t scale in the way a fast-growing ecommerce business needs. That’s why I decided to migrate to Omnisend, and in this post, I want to share what worked for me and how this move helped optimize my EDM marketing costs.

Why I Switched from Shopify Email to Omnisend

There were three main reasons for the switch:

  1. More advanced automation
    Shopify Email is fine for simple flows like welcome series or abandoned cart emails. But Omnisend allows multi-step workflows that combine email, SMS, and push notifications. This made it possible to engage customers in multiple ways without manually sending campaigns.
  2. Better pricing as the list grows
    As my subscriber list grew, sending campaigns through Shopify Email started to feel expensive, especially with automation. Omnisend’s pricing is scalable, and by using automation and segmentation wisely, I was able to reduce unnecessary sends and lower overall costs.
  3. Segmentation and personalization
    Omnisend lets you create segments based on behavior, purchase history, and engagement. Targeting these groups with personalized content helped improve open rates and conversions, which indirectly reduces cost per sale.

How I Migrated My Store

Here’s the step-by-step process I followed:Step 1: Sign up and connect Shopify
I created an Omnisend account and installed the app in my Shopify store. The integration automatically synced contacts, orders, and product data.Step 2: Import contacts carefully
Omnisend imported all Shopify subscribers who had opted in. I reviewed the list to make sure only active, consented contacts were included. This is important to avoid wasting money on inactive contacts.Step 3: Rebuild automation workflows
I recreated my key automations—abandoned cart, welcome series, and post-purchase flows—inside Omnisend. I customized timings and messaging to better fit my audience. Then I disabled the same flows in Shopify Email to avoid sending duplicate emails.Step 4: Authenticate my domain
I set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to make sure my emails landed in inboxes instead of spam or promotions tabs. This was crucial for maintaining deliverability and engagement.Step 5: Segment and test
Once everything was running, I focused on sending emails to my most engaged segments and used A/B testing for subject lines and send times. Combining email with SMS for certain automations also helped reduce unnecessary email sends while keeping revenue steady.

Lessons Learned

  • Start with your most engaged subscribers when migrating.
  • Double-check your flows after migration to prevent duplicates.
  • Monitor performance and adjust segmentation regularly to optimize cost per conversion.

Migrating to Omnisend wasn’t just a technical task. It forced me to rethink my automation strategy, focus on quality contacts, and use multi-channel marketing. The result was a lower EDM cost per sale and more efficient campaigns.