Avoid these 5 most common mistakes in Klaviyo

Hey there

I hope this message finds you well.

As an email marketer, I have had the opportunity to work with numerous Klaviyo accounts and have noticed a few recurring mistakes.

In this newsletter, we will discuss the most common mistakes that I encounter when working with Klaviyo accounts and how to avoid them.

Let’s dive it:

1. Double Opt-in is not turned off

The first thing that I do when I join a Klaviyo account is to check the double opt-in setting. While it's a topic of debate among email marketers, I lean toward turning it off. Here's why:

Double opt-in is designed to maintain a clean contact list by ensuring that only genuinely interested subscribers join. With this feature on, when someone subscribes (e.g., through a pop-up), they receive a confirmation email that they must click to be added to your list. This way, you're certain that those who confirm truly want your emails.

However, there's a drawback: not everyone who opts in will follow through and confirm. For e-commerce brands, this might result in missed opportunities. People don't expect this email, so it needs to be attention-grabbing to entice them to click. Otherwise, they might see it as a hassle and opt-out.

Moreover, this process isn't the most efficient way to grow your email list. New subscribers have to navigate through several steps, and often, these confirmation emails lack branding, making them appear generic. This can lead recipients to question their authenticity and potentially mistake them for spam.

So, if maintaining a pristine list is a priority, consider turning off this feature in your list settings. It can streamline the subscription process and create a smoother user experience for your audience.

To do this in Klaviyo, navigate to the list > Settings > Consent > Opt-in Process

2. Using too many lists

Having too many lists is a common misstep in Klaviyo. Often, businesses create separate lists for every pop-up or embedded form, or when migrating from another platform. However, I strongly advise against this approach because Klaviyo excels in segmentation, which you should leverage.

Here's the key: maintain a central contact list and use profile properties to segment based on the opt-ins people have chosen. This allows you to effortlessly run campaigns or send offers to specific opt-in groups by creating segments. It's a simpler and more efficient approach than creating multiple lists.

Managing numerous lists can be time-consuming and error-prone, especially if they're static. However, there are instances where separate lists make sense, such as keeping vendor and consumer lists distinct. This way, you can email them separately without concerns about mix-ups.

If you notice many unused or unsegmented lists in your Klaviyo account, consider consolidating them into one master list. Then, use profile properties to categorize contacts based on their actions. This streamlines list management and ensures the right information reaches the right audience.

3. Sending same abandoned cart emails to everyone

If you want to boost your Klaviyo revenue, make sure to add a conditional split to your abandoned cart sequence. This split will help you segment your abandoned cart group into two subgroups: those who’ve purchased before, and those who haven’t.

I see a lot of Klaviyo accounts that are sending the same abandoned cart emails to both populations as if they’re the same type of group, but they’re really not. By segmenting your abandoned cart group, you can tailor your emails to each subgroup and increase your chances of making a sale.

You’re never going to convert a customer who has never purchased from you before if you don’t give them the extra information they need to feel confident in their purchase. They need to know that buying from you is worth it, and they need clarification on what they’re getting before they hand over their hard-earned cash.

On the other hand, customers who have purchased from you before may just need a special offer or a cart reminder before they convert. You can customize your messaging to fit these two groups so that you’re more likely to make a sale.

4. Not cleaning the subscribers list

Let's revisit our first mistake - the double opt-in, and pair it with another essential Klaviyo feature: the sunset flow. Klaviyo offers a standard version, but customizing it is key for maintaining list hygiene.

So, what's a sunset flow? It's a segment that filters out unengaged contacts based on your criteria. Typically, this includes people who haven't visited your site, made a purchase, or interacted with your emails in the past three months.

Why is it crucial? Continuing to email unengaged contacts can harm your domain reputation and deliverability. To avoid this, focus on those who genuinely engage with your content.

Once you've identified this segment, send a series of emails gently reminding them of your presence. If there's still no response, offer one last chance to stay subscribed.

If they remain unresponsive, it's time to say goodbye. Update their profile to mark them for removal, adding them to an "evergreen removal" segment for ongoing removal from your Klaviyo account.

Regularly check and clean this segment, ideally monthly, to keep your list lean, your costs down, and your engagement up.

5. Not using Klaviyo Website Tracking

Don't overlook website tracking in email marketing. Integrating your ecommerce site with Klaviyo unlocks invaluable insights into customer behavior. Track these interactions to supercharge your marketing strategy:

• Active on site - useful to trigger Site Abandonment flow

• Viewed product - useful to trigger Browse Abandonment flow

• Added to Cart - useful to trigger Cart Abandonment flow (different from checkout abandonment flow)

• Checkout Started - useful to trigger Checkout Abandonment flow

For most of the Shopify stores, Added to Cart metrics is not being tracked.

Consult Klaviyo's updated help documents for setup details, which typically involve adding an extra tracking script to your site's theme. This script keeps visitors with Klaviyo profiles constantly tracked, sending crucial data back to Klaviyo.

Shopify users, there's a handy javascript-type app, but remember to activate it. Once running, segment your visitors and send personalized messages. For example, target those who viewed specific products recently with a browse abandonment flow.

Surprisingly, many Klaviyo accounts miss out on this potent targeting tool. Be the exception!

Another, important setting to enable is anonymous visitor tracking. You need to enable it to start tracking the data as soon as a visitor visits your website and when they are identified the data history is available.

In conclusion, these Klaviyo pro tips are your ticket to email marketing success. By turning off double opt-in, streamlining your lists, segmenting abandoned cart emails, implementing a sunset flow, and embracing Klaviyo website tracking, you'll supercharge your performance and see your ROI rise.

Wishing you continued success. Have a great day and make sure to send some emails!