Ecommerce Email Marketing: Step-by-Step Guide

What is E-commerce Email Marketing?

E-commerce email marketing refers to sending targeted email campaigns to customers and potential buyers to drive sales and build relationships. These emails feature product updates, promotional offers, personalised recommendations, and engaging content designed to encourage recipients to take action, like making a purchase or visiting a website.

Unlike general email marketing, e-commerce email marketing focuses on the customer journey. From welcoming new subscribers, recovering abandoned carts, suggesting relevant products, to re-engaging inactive customers.

With modern platforms like Klaviyo, Brevo, and HubSpot, this marketing approach now incorporates AI-powered personalisation, automated workflows, and predictive analytics, allowing businesses to send in highly targeted and timely messages on a large scale.

Why Should You Use E-commerce Email Marketing?

You may wonder why invest in email when there are so many other digital marketing channels available?

According to ZeroBounce, out of 93% of people who check their email every day, 41% are looking for coupons and discounts from brands.

While social media, paid ads, and SEO certainly have their place, email marketing offers a unique combination of control, personalisation, and high ROI that other channels struggle to match. Unlike platforms you don’t own, your email list is yours, and every campaign you send gives you valuable data to improve your results.

Below are some of the key benefits of ecommerce email marketing.

You Own the Channel

Unlike social media platforms, where algorithms can limit your reach, your email list is yours. You have full control over when and how you communicate with your subscribers.

As Chad S. White, author of Email Marketing Rules, emphasises: “Email is the only channel of digital marketing where you control the audience, the message, and the timing — all at the same time.”

Increases Sales

Email marketing is a cost-effective way to boost sales by delivering targeted promotions, personalised product recommendations, and timely reminders to your audience. Automated campaigns like abandoned cart emails or product recommendations can help recover lost sales and encourage repeat purchases.

According to a report by Litmus, email marketing delivers an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent, making it one of the most profitable channels available.

Personalisation at Scale

Modern email platforms, powered by AI, enable you to segment your audience and deliver highly targeted content based on customer behaviour, purchase history, and preferences, making your emails more relevant and effective.

Research by McKinsey shows that businesses that personalise their marketing see 20% higher customer satisfaction and 10–15% increased revenue. Personalisation also increases open rates by 26%, according to Campaign Monitor.

Build Customer Relationships

Email allows you to deliver consistent value and stay top-of-mind with customers. A welcome series, helpful tips, loyalty rewards, and birthday greetings demonstrate care beyond transactions, which in turn fosters trust and repeat business.

Measurable and Optimisable

Every email you send generates measurable data, such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. Platforms like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and HubSpot allow you to test subject lines, offers, and segments to improve results over time.

As Campaign Monitor highlights: “The ability to measure and adapt makes email marketing uniquely suited to both short-term wins and long-term strategy.”

Types of E-commerce Email Marketing

Effective ecommerce email marketing campaigns make use of a blend of email types, each serving unique business objectives. The main categories include:

Welcome Emails

Welcome emails are the first message sent to new subscribers or customers after they join your list. They introduce your brand and set the tone for your future relationship. They make a great first impression and guide subscribers toward engaging with your brand or making their first purchase.

You can include a warm greeting and thank-you message, or a brief introduction to your brand and what to expect in your welcome emails. An incentive, like a discount or free shipping, for their first order can also be great. And lastly, a clear call-to-action to start shopping or explore your products.

Here is an example of a welcome email.

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Promotional Emails

Promotional emails highlight special offers, discounts, new products, or limited-time sales to drive immediate purchases. They create urgency and excitement, helping you increase sales and promote specific products or campaigns.

In creating promotional emails, you need an attention-grabbing subject line, high-quality visuals showcasing the offer, clear details of the promotion (including deadlines and terms), and a strong call-to-action leading to the product or landing page.

Here is an example of a promotional email.

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Tailor your promotions based on your niche:

• Fashion & Retail: Highlight seasonal collections with lookbooks and countdowns to build urgency.
• Health & Supplements: Use educational content, reorder reminders, and loyalty programmes to increase LTV.
• Tech & Electronics: Focus on product tutorials, user-generated reviews, and cross-sells like accessories or protection plans.

Abandoned Cart Emails

Abandoned cart emails are sent to customers who added items to their cart but didn’t complete their purchase. They help recover lost sales by reminding customers of what they left behind and encouraging them to finish their transaction.

This type of email includes images and details of the abandoned items, a friendly reminder and a sense of urgency, an optional incentive (like a discount or free shipping), and a direct link to their cart for easy checkout.

Here is an example of an abandoned cart email.

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Real‑World Case Study: Club L’s Abandoned‑Cart Success

Source: Club L London 

A UK fashion brand, Club L, used Klaviyo’s abandoned‑cart flow with dynamic content blocks and tiered sending. They triggered the first reminder within an hour and a second follow‑up the next day.

• Revenue impact: 33% of total ecommerce revenue came from email/SMS flows.
• Conversion rate: ~11% on the first abandoned‑cart email, with additional gains from the second reminder

Takeaway: Well-timed, personalised abandoned-cart emails can be a major driver of ecommerce revenue.

Transactional Emails

Transactional emails are system-triggered messages sent after a specific customer action, such as placing an order, resetting a password, or receiving a shipping update. They provide essential, timely information customers expect and build trust by keeping them informed. While functional, they can also enhance the customer experience and subtly promote your brand.

You can write the confirmation of the specific transaction, such as order details or shipping tracking when making a transactional email. As well as, clear and concise information about next steps or support options, and consistent branding elements like your logo and tone of voice. If you like, you may add cross-sells or recommendations without overshadowing the main message.

Here is an example of a transactional email.

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Re-engagement Emails

Re-engagement emails target subscribers who have stopped opening or engaging with your emails, aiming to win back their attention. They help reduce list churn, clean up inactive subscribers, and recover lost engagement.

You can start with a friendly and personalised message like “We miss you!”, or a reminder of the benefits of staying subscribed when sending your re-engagement emails. You can also include a special offer or exclusive content to reignite interest, and an option to update preferences or unsubscribe if they wish.

Here is an example of a re-engagement email.

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Post-Purchase Emails

Post-purchase emails are sent after a customer completes a transaction to confirm their order, express gratitude, and keep them engaged. They enhance customer satisfaction, build loyalty, and create opportunities for repeat purchases or referrals.

Your post-purchase email can include a thank-you message and order confirmation, even delivery details and what to expect next. Put suggestions for related products or care tips, and an invitation to leave a review or refer friends too.

Here is an example of a post-purchase email.

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Newsletter Emails

Newsletter emails are regularly sent messages designed to keep subscribers informed and engaged with your brand over time. They nurture ongoing relationships and keep your brand top-of-mind, even when customers aren’t actively shopping.

When sending newsletter emails, you can include educational or entertaining content, like tutorials, stories, or tips. It can also have updates on new products, collections, or behind-the-scenes insights, even exclusive offers or sneak peeks for subscribers. Lastly, make sure to send it in a clear and easy-to-read layout.

Here is an example of a newsletter email.

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Seasonal or Event-based Emails

Seasonal or event-based emails are timed around holidays, cultural events, or milestones to align your messaging with your audience’s seasonal shopping habits. They leverage peak shopping periods when customers are already motivated to buy, boosting sales and engagement.

A seasonal or event-based email has festive, themed designs and messages appropriate to the occasion. It can also have relevant product suggestions or gift ideas. To create urgency, you can put time-sensitive promotions or countdowns. Details on shipping cut-offs or promotion deadlines can be included too.

Here is an example of a seasonal or event-based email.

Email Marketing Design Trends

As inbox competition intensifies, interactive email elements have emerged as a powerful way to captivate users and drive action, without requiring them to leave their inbox.

Emerging features include:

• Product carousels and image sliders that allow users to browse multiple items.
• Embedded surveys and review stars within the email itself.
• Countdown timers and live content blocks (e.g., inventory count, weather).
• AMP for Email support, allowing in-email checkout and form submission.

These techniques boost engagement, reduce friction, and provide a seamless experience. While not all inbox providers support AMP, fallback versions ensure compatibility.

Common Challenges That Email Marketers Encounter

While ecommerce email marketing offers many benefits, it also comes with challenges that marketers need to navigate to achieve success. Understanding these obstacles can help you plan better and avoid common pitfalls.

Low Open Rates

Low open rates happen when subscribers ignore or delete your emails without even reading them. This is often caused by weak subject lines, irrelevant content, poor timing, or simply sending too many emails. To overcome this, focus on writing compelling subject lines, segmenting your list to target specific interests, and testing send times to see what resonates with your audience.

List Fatigue and Unsubscribes

Over time, subscribers may lose interest, disengage, or unsubscribe from your list. This usually happens because of irrelevant content, high email frequency, or failing to meet expectations. According to HubSpot, about 51% of consumers unsubscribe because of the frequency of emails. You can address this by personalising content, respecting frequency preferences, and running re-engagement campaigns to win back inactive users.

Deliverability Issues

Deliverability challenges occur when your emails fail to reach the inbox, get flagged as spam, or are blocked altogether. Common reasons include sending to outdated or purchased lists, having a poor sender reputation, or failing to authenticate your domain properly. To mitigate this, keep your list clean, use double opt-in, and set up authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

Standing Out in Crowded Inboxes

Consumers receive dozens, sometimes hundreds, of emails every day. Crafting subject lines, content, and designs that stand out and motivate users to open and engage is becoming increasingly challenging. Personalisation and segmentation can help, but competition remains fierce.

Lack of Personalisation

Sending generic emails to your entire list can result in poor engagement and lower conversions. Many marketers struggle to leverage customer data effectively to tailor their campaigns. To fix this, use segmentation, behavioural triggers, and AI-powered tools to deliver personalised experiences at scale.

Data Privacy and Compliance

Navigating data privacy laws such as GDPR, CCPA, or CAN-SPAM is another major challenge. Marketers sometimes fail to obtain clear consent, properly store subscriber data, or respect opt-out requests. Non-compliance can lead to fines and damage to your reputation. Always ensure your signup forms are transparent, clearly explain how data will be used, and give subscribers easy ways to manage their preferences.

Mobile Optimisation

With most people checking emails on mobile devices, poor mobile design can hurt engagement and conversions. Marketers sometimes forget to test across devices, leading to clunky layouts and hard-to-click buttons. Always use responsive email templates, concise text, and large, tappable calls-to-action to ensure a smooth mobile experience.

Keeping Up with Technology and Trends

The email marketing landscape evolves rapidly, from new privacy regulations to emerging AI tools, and staying updated can be overwhelming. Limited time and resources often prevent marketers from experimenting with the latest techniques. Teams that fail to innovate risk falling behind competitors who embrace the latest technology. Commit to continuous learning through blogs, courses, and experimentation to keep your skills sharp and strategies current.

Measuring ROI

Many marketers find it difficult to accurately measure and attribute the return on investment (ROI) of their email campaigns. This often stems from incomplete tracking, poor analytics setup, or unclear objectives. Define measurable goals (like revenue per email, lifetime value, or conversion rate) and use tools with robust analytics and UTM tracking to monitor performance effectively.

Step-by-Step Ecommerce Email Marketing Guide

Now that you understand the benefits and challenges of ecommerce email marketing, let’s walk through a step-by-step process to help you create and launch effective campaigns that drive sales and engagement.

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Start by defining what you want to achieve with your email marketing efforts. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals keeps your campaigns focused and allows you to measure success accurately.

Common ecommerce email goals include:

• Increasing first-time purchases by X% in the next quarter.
• Boosting repeat purchase rates by sending personalised product recommendations.
• Growing your subscriber list by offering signup incentives.
• Reducing cart abandonment rates by following up with targeted reminders.

For example, if your goal is to reduce cart abandonment, your campaigns should prioritise timely, automated reminders and perhaps offer discounts to encourage completion of purchases.

Step 2: Understand and Segment Your Audience

Not all customers are alike, so sending the same email to everyone often leads to poor engagement. Instead, segment your audience into groups based on their behaviour, preferences, or demographics.

Not all ecommerce businesses are the same. Here are a few common profiles and how your segmentation strategy might differ based on your business model:

• Boutique brands with fewer than 100 SKUs – Prioritise rich storytelling, high-touch customer service, and detailed post-purchase emails to build loyalty.
• High-volume, multi-category stores – Use predictive analytics and AI to segment based on purchase frequency, browsing history, and product categories.
• Subscription-based businesses – Segment by churn risk, subscription tier, and engagement level to tailor retention-focused content.

Here are a few practical segmentation criteria:

• New vs. returning customers.
• High-value customers (VIPs) vs. occasional shoppers.
• Customers who only buy during sales.
• Customers who abandoned carts vs. those who completed purchases.

For instance, a segment of VIP customers may appreciate early access to new products, while inactive subscribers may respond better to re-engagement offers. The more relevant your emails are, the higher your chances of conversions.

Step 3: Plan Your Campaign Strategy

Once you know your goals and who you’re talking to, it’s time to plan how to achieve them. This involves mapping out your campaigns, timelines, and messaging.

Key planning elements:

• Choose campaign types (e.g., welcome series, abandoned cart, seasonal promotions).
• Set a schedule to avoid overloading subscribers while staying top-of-mind.
• Coordinate with product launches, holidays, and other marketing activities.
• Decide which segments receive which emails, and when.

A content calendar can help you stay consistent and strategic.

Content Calendar Example

To maximise impact, consider integrating your email strategy into a broader omnichannel approach. This includes coordinating emails with SMS alerts, push notifications, and in-app messages to create a seamless customer journey. Platforms like Omnisend, Klaviyo, and Iterable offer robust cross-channel automation to ensure consistent messaging across all touchpoints.

Step 4: Choose the Right Email Marketing Platform

Your email service provider (ESP) is the backbone of your email campaigns. It enables you to create, automate, and analyse emails effectively. When choosing a platform, consider the following:

• Does it integrate seamlessly with your ecommerce platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento)?
• Does it offer robust automation and segmentation features?
• Are there AI-powered tools for optimisation and personalisation?
• Does it provide good analytics and reporting capabilities?

Select a platform that suits your needs and budget. Popular options in 2025 include:

• Klaviyo – excellent for ecommerce with strong automation and deep integrations.
• Mailchimp – beginner-friendly with good templates and analytics.
• Omnisend – ecommerce-focused, with SMS and AI features.
• Iterable – advanced segmentation and cross-channel automation.
• Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) – affordable with solid automation and transactional email capabilities.

Email Marketing Platform Comparison Table

Step 5: Build and Grow Your Email List

A healthy, engaged email list is critical to your success. Focus on growing a high-quality, permission-based email list over quantity. It’s better to have fewer active, interested subscribers than a large, disengaged list.

Strategies to grow your list include:

• Placing opt-in forms on key pages (homepage, product pages, blog).
• Offering incentives, such as a 10% discount on the first order or free shipping.
• Using pop-ups, exit-intent forms, and gamified signup forms (like spin-to-win wheels).
• Collecting emails at checkout and in-store (if you’re omnichannel).

Always use double opt-in, where subscribers confirm their email, which improves deliverability and ensures compliance with privacy laws.

Step 6: Craft Compelling Campaigns

Once you know who you’re emailing and why, it’s time to create your campaigns. This step involves creating content that is engaging, visually appealing, and action-oriented.

Here are some tips:

• Use subject lines that are concise, intriguing, and relevant to the reader.
• Write clear, benefit-driven copy with a single focus per email.
• Use high-quality images or GIFs to showcase your products.
• Always include a prominent call-to-action (CTA) that directs users to your site.
• Optimise your emails for mobile, as a majority of emails are opened on phones.

Don’t forget to leverage automation here. For example, set up welcome series, abandoned cart emails, post-purchase follow-ups, and birthday offers. These automated emails tend to perform better because they are timely and relevant.

Step 7: Test Before Sending

Even the best-planned campaigns can benefit from continuous improvement. Testing allows you to understand what resonates with your audience and refine your strategy accordingly.

What you can test:

• Subject lines (curiosity-driven vs. benefit-focused).
• Send times and days of the week.
• Email layout and design elements.
• CTA placement, wording, and color.
• Personalisation techniques and offers.

Check for typos, broken links, and how they display across different devices and email clients. Many platforms offer previews and spam tests to improve deliverability.

Step 8: Measure and Optimise

After sending your campaign, monitor key metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), revenue per email, and conversion rates. While open rates used to be a primary benchmark, they’ve become increasingly unreliable due to Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) and other privacy features. Instead, prioritise click-to-open rates, engagement duration, and purchase behaviour for a more accurate view of performance.

Step 9: Ensure Compliance

Finally, staying compliant with data privacy and anti-spam regulations is non-negotiable. Laws like GDPR (EU), CCPA (California), and CAN-SPAM (US) dictate how you collect, store, and use subscriber data.

Best practices include:

• Getting explicit consent before adding someone to your list.
• Providing a clear privacy policy.
• Including an unsubscribe link in every email.
• Honoring opt-out requests promptly.

Compliance not only protects your business from legal trouble but also builds trust with your customers.

E-commerce Email Marketing Best Practices

To maximise the results of your ecommerce email campaigns, it’s not enough to just send emails; you need to follow proven best practices that keep your messages effective, engaging, and compliant. Below are tips to help you get the most from your efforts:

Always Get Permission

Only email subscribers who have explicitly opted in. Not only does this keep you compliant with privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA, but it also ensures your audience wants to hear from you, which improves engagement rates. Use double opt-in where possible to confirm intent.

Prioritise Personalisation

Go beyond using the subscriber’s name. Tailor your messages based on their browsing behaviour, purchase history, and preferences.

Optimise for Mobile

With over half of emails now opened on mobile devices, ensure your emails are mobile-friendly. Use responsive templates, concise copy, and large, tappable buttons.

Test and Improve Continuously

A/B test subject lines, send times, CTAs, and content regularly. Even small improvements in open or click-through rates can have a big impact at scale. Most platforms like Klaviyo and Mailchimp make testing easy to implement.

Clean Your List Regularly

Remove inactive subscribers and invalid addresses to maintain a healthy sender reputation and improve deliverability.

Use Automation Thoughtfully

Set up automated flows for common scenarios like welcome sequences, post-purchase follow-ups, and abandoned cart reminders. Automation saves time and ensures timely, relevant communication without overwhelming your team or your audience.

Monitor Metrics That Matter

Go beyond vanity metrics like opens and focus on conversion-driven KPIs such as click-through rates, revenue per email, and customer lifetime value (CLV). Use these insights to adjust your strategy over time.

AI Tools for Your Ecommerce Email Marketing

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an indispensable part of modern email marketing, especially for ecommerce businesses that need to personalise at scale, optimise campaigns, and save time. In 2025, many platforms now integrate AI features that help marketers make smarter decisions and deliver better results with less manual effort.

Here are some powerful AI-driven tools and features you can use to enhance your e-commerce email marketing:

Klaviyo

Source: Klaviyo

Klaviyo is one of the most popular email marketing and SMS platforms for ecommerce brands. Its AI capabilities help you predict customer behaviours, segment audiences more intelligently, and recommend products dynamically.

Key Features:

• Predictive analytics (e.g., expected next purchase date, churn risk).
• Smart segmentation based on customer lifecycle and behaviour.
• Dynamic product recommendations powered by machine learning.
• A/B testing and performance analytics.
• Seamless integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, and other ecommerce platforms.

Klaviyo is a top choice if you’re running an ecommerce store and want a platform that balances ease of use with advanced, AI-driven personalisation.

ActiveCampaign

Source: Active Campaign

ActiveCampaign combines email marketing with advanced automation, CRM capabilities, and AI-powered insights to help businesses build meaningful relationships with customers.

Key Features:

• Predictive sending (AI determines the best time to send to each recipient).
• Conditional content and personalisation at scale.
• Customer journey mapping with automation workflows.
• Lead scoring powered by machine learning.
• Integrations with hundreds of apps and ecommerce platforms.

It’s ideal if you need robust automation and CRM in addition to AI-enhanced email marketing.

Mailchimp (with Intuit Assist)

Source: Mailchimp

Mailchimp is widely known for its user-friendly interface and accessibility to businesses of all sizes. In recent years, it introduced Intuit Assist, an AI-powered assistant that helps plan, create, and optimise campaigns more efficiently.

Key Features:

• AI-generated subject lines and email copy suggestions.
• Audience segmentation with predictive analytics.
• Automated product recommendations.
• Campaign optimisation suggestions via Intuit Assist.
• Integrations with ecommerce platforms and social media channels.

Mailchimp is a good fit if you want an affordable, beginner-friendly tool with growing AI capabilities.

HubSpot Marketing Hub

Source: Hubspot

HubSpot offers a powerful marketing suite with advanced AI features that work seamlessly with its CRM and sales tools, making it great for both ecommerce and B2B businesses.

Key Features:

• AI-assisted subject line and content suggestions.
• Advanced customer segmentation and predictive lead scoring.
• A/B testing and performance recommendations.
• Visual automation workflows that can adapt based on AI predictions.
• Integration with HubSpot CRM for a complete customer view.

HubSpot is ideal if you’re looking for an all-in-one platform that connects marketing, sales, and service with AI-driven insights.

Seventh Sense

Source: Seventh Sense 

Seventh Sense focuses specifically on send-time optimisation, using AI to analyse individual subscriber behaviour and send emails at the time they’re most likely to engage.

Key Features:

• AI-powered send-time personalisation at the individual level.
• Delivery frequency optimisation to avoid over-sending.
• Works as an add-on to HubSpot and Marketo.
• Improves deliverability and engagement rates by sending at the right moment.

It’s especially valuable if you already use another email marketing platform but want to boost open and click rates through smarter timing.

What Makes AI Tools Valuable in Email Marketing?

AI-powered tools enhance your ability to send the right message, to the right person, at the right time, and scale. They analyse large amounts of customer data, learn patterns, and help you optimise everything from subject lines to send times to audience segments. This not only saves time but also improves engagement, conversions, and ROI.

Here are the main reasons why AI tools are a smart investment for ecommerce email marketing:

Save Time and Automate Tedious Tasks

AI handles repetitive tasks like segmenting audiences, optimising send times, and analysing campaign results, freeing up precious time for strategic work. Companies using AI saw a 50% reduction in time spent on campaign management and decision-making.

Enhance Personalisation at Scale

AI allows for deep personalisation across large subscriber lists, tailoring content, recommendations, and subject lines to individual behaviours. Personalised subject lines have up to 50% higher open rates, and AI-driven product suggestions can boost sales by 10–30%, with improved customer engagement.

Optimise Send Times and Frequency

Rather than guess when people check their inbox, AI predicts each subscriber’s optimal send time, maximising open rates. Companies using AI for email scheduling experienced improvement with campaign results and 30% higher response rates.

Improve Engagement and Revenue

Better personalisation and timing drive higher engagement—and higher revenue per email. AI-enhanced campaigns deliver 41% more revenue and 13% higher click-through rates compared to non-AI campaigns.

Continuously Learn and Improve

AI tools don’t just automate, they learn from your data and suggest smarter strategies over time.

By integrating AI into your email workflows, you can focus more on creativity and strategy while letting the technology handle the details. This not only improves campaign efficiency but also strengthens customer experience and accelerates business growth.

Final Thoughts: Build High-Performing Email Campaigns That Convert

E-commerce email marketing remains a crucial part of digital strategy, offering direct, personalised, and highly profitable ways to connect with your customers. By following the given step-by-step approach and leveraging modern platforms alongside AI-driven tools, you can develop effective campaigns that drive sales and deepen your customer engagement and loyalty.

Always remember to prioritise your customers first. Understand their needs, deliver value, and respect their privacy to foster relationships through your email campaigns.

For a better understanding of email marketing, enroll now in our 2-day hands-on course about Email Marketing and Marketing Automation. You can also check our certification programme Certified Ecommerce Specialist (CES) to learn more about managing your e-commerce business.

Grow your business with confidence and enough knowledge by taking hands-on learning experience from us.