Skip to content
April 30, 2023

How to audit your Klaviyo account (without an agency)?

This article will show you how to take control of your Klaviyo account, deep dive into your account’s findings, and help you create an actionable plan toward conversion success – all without having to rely on an agency.

With our in-depth guide, you’ll be able to swiftly diagnose your account usage, develop a strategic plan for maximum ROI, and identify ways to optimize your email campaigns.

We’ll also be showing you how to create personalized and targeted content for your subscribers so that you can achieve your most desired results.

With our framework, you’ll be able to make your data work for you, send emails that target your subscribers’ deepest pain points and desires – and go from a state of conversion uncertainty to a state of conversion empowerment.

So, how badly do you want to transform your Klaviyo account into a constant revenue-generating engine?

Let’s break it down for you:

  1. Learn how to quickly diagnose your account’s current state.
  2. Learn how to develop a concrete plan for the biggest ROI.
  3. Learn how to measure results for your next Klaviyo iteration.

Klaviyo audit on campaign level – 3 parameters to check

To optimize your email marketing campaigns, you’ll need to hone in on three critical parameters: deliverability, list segmentation, and email diversification. By prioritizing these three key parameters, you’ll be giving your email marketing game a significant boost and drive better results.

1. Deliverability

The iOS 15 update has brought changes to Klaviyo email deliverability, and it’s just the beginning. Through collaboration, we can explore these transformations together and unlock more insights for your brand. For now, let’s take a look at some key observations:

  1. Since September 2021, open rates have surged by approximately 15%. Apple’s MPP may be the cause, making it difficult to identify genuine email opens. Our advice? Exclude MPP opens.
  2. Also, keep in mind that location tracking might be less accurate, especially in US cities.
  3. Due to the rise in open rates, the email revenue attribution could appear inflated.

Klaviyo is on top of these Apple Privacy opens, allowing users to refine their engagement criteria and pinpoint truly engaged subscribers. As the post-iOS 15 landscape evolves, Klaviyo is introducing new features and adapting to future updates.

If you are not about to exclude Apple’s MPP opens, aim for an open rate above 45%, as the benchmark has now risen.

DecisionOpen rate benchmark
Case 1: Exclude Apple opens25-35%
Case 2: Include Apple opens (some opens won’t be valid)45%

To enhance open rates even more, you should consider using a dedicated subdomain like email.fcgoods.com. E-shops that have their own subdomain structure instead of using Klaviyo’s shared domain have full control, and email deliverability is ensured.

Have you conducted a Klaviyo account audit and found odd deliverability rates? With our strategies, we can help you diagnose issues and implement bulletproof solutions.

2. List segmentation

One of the most common mistakes that stores make when it comes to sending email marketing campaigns is to constantly spam the whole list of subscribers.

Segmentation has one main marketing goal – to keep your deliverability healthy while maximizing your campaign’s revenue.

This means that in order to not overburn your deliverability, you have to send personalized campaigns to those that are most likely to interact with them.

Not sure how much segmentation is optimal for your account? 

This will depend on your brand and your email list size. 

As a general guide, stores with huge email list sizes and larger catalogs of categories/products can benefit highly from deeper, more complex segmentation, while the opposite is true for the smaller stores with fewer products.

Here are some general segments that you should look for when auditing your account:

Recency-based segments:

This segment allows you to see the profiles that have been active within a particular time frame, for example, 30, 90, or 180 days. As a result, you will then be able to message them in a more succinct manner. 

Remember: the more active the profile is, the more campaigns it should be receiving.

Below is an example of what the segment should look like. Keep in mind that you should be testing the time frame that is optimal for your account.

  • Opened email at least once in the last 90 days where Apple Privacy Open equals false OR
  • Clicked Email at least once in the last 90 days OR
  • Placed Order at least once in the last 90 days OR
  • Started Checkout at least once in the last 90 days OR
  • Active On Site at least once in the last 90 days OR
  • Viewed Product at least once in the last 90 days OR
  • Created is in the last 90 days AND
  • Is not suppressed for email


    Winback segments:

    These segments are crucial in order to catch back subscribers that are starting to lapse, as well as to try and win back those that have already lapsed.

    Ideally, these segments should also be split into customers and potential customers (prospects) – as those who have purchased previously are more likely to do it again – and it makes more sense to send them a win-back campaign.

    Below is an example of what the lapsing segment should look like:

    • Created is in the last 90 days AND
    • Opened email at least once between 45 and 90 days ago where Apple Privacy Open equals false OR
    • Clicked Email at least once between 45 and 90 days ago OR
    • Viewed Product at least once between 45 and 90 days ago AND
    • Received at least 8 emails in the last 45 days AND
    • Opened email zero times in the last 45 days OR
    • Clicked email zero times in the last 45 days AND
    • Is not suppressed for email


    And here is an example of what the lapsed segment should look like:

    • Created is in the last 150 days AND
    • Opened email at least once between 91 and 150 days ago where Apple Privacy Open equals false OR
    • Clicked Email at least once between 91 and 150 days ago OR
    • Viewed Product at least once between 91 and 150 days ago AND
    • Received at least 10 emails in the last 90 days AND
    • Opened email zero times in the last 90 days OR
    • Clicked email zero times in the last 90 days AND
    • Viewed Product zero times in the last 90 days AND
    • Placed order zero times in the last 90 days AND
    • Is not suppressed for email


    Hygiene segments:

    These are the segments that you should regularly use as exclusions. They will prevent you from sending to subscribers that are very unlikely to open your email or have a high chance of bouncing.

    There are three main hygiene segments that your account should have:

    Dead Weight – This segment has profiles that are completely inactive and are super unlikely to engage with your emails. Below is an example of what this segment should look like:

    • Created is at least 150 days ago AND
    • Opened email zero times in the last 150 days where Apple Privacy Open equals false AND
    • Clicked Email zero times in the last 150 days AND
    • Viewed Product zero times in the last 150 days AND
    • Placed Order zero times in the last 150 days AND
    • Received at least 16 emails in the last 150 days AND
    • Is not suppressed for email

    Recent Dead Weight – This segment has profiles that recently joined your list, but have shown zero interest in your emails so far. The goal of this segment is to remove them early from your messaging before they cause harm to your deliverability. 

      Below is an example of what this segment should look like:

      • Created is between 20 and 30 days ago AND
      • Opened email zero times over all time where Apple Privacy Open equals false AND
      • Clicked Email zero times over all time AND
      • Received at least 6 emails in the last 30 days AND
      • Placed Order zero times over all time AND
      • Is not suppressed for email

      Bounces – This segment includes all profiles that have bounced, marked your email as spam, or anything else that might make them high-risk profiles that you don’t want to message. Below is an example of what this segment should look like:

      • Bounced Email is greater than 2 over all time where Bounce Type equals soft OR
      • Dropped Email at least once over all time OR
      • Unsubscribed at least once over all time OR
      • Marked Email as Spam at least once over all time AND
      • Is not suppressed for email


      3. Email Diversification

      Diversity is key when it comes to the types of emails in your marketing arsenal. By offering diversified content, you can cater to varying customer needs and stages in their journey.

      There are five main campaign types that your strategy can consist of:

      • Educational and Entertaining (focused on content)
      • Product Benefit (focused on the product)
      • UGC (focused on testimonials and building social proof)
      • Promo, Offer, Sales (focused on the incentive)
      • Event-Based (focused on event sales such as a Halloween sale, or a product launch sale)

      The types of campaigns you can use will be largely dependent on your brand. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend that a maximum of 25% of your campaigns include incentives. 

      Overusing incentives will make your list grow immune to your offers over time, which doesn’t make it a good long-term marketing strategy. 

      Here’s a general plan on how to diversify your monthly campaign calendar:

      • 20-60% of campaigns are educational, entertaining, or UGC-focused.
      • 20-60% of campaigns are product focused.
      • 10-25% of campaigns are incentive focused.

      Try to find a good balance between all three of the above for your brand, which will be also dependent on what your audience responds the best to. 

      Looking to perform a data test on your Klaviyo account?

      Export your data and join us for a 15-minute call, where we’ll gladly walk you through the process and discuss the insights gained from your account analysis.


      Klaviyo audit on campaign level – 3 parameters to check

      Once you’ve touched base on your campaign level basics, you can dig a lil’ deeper and discover the four powerful tactics for creating an effective Klaviyo audit at a flow level:

      Master the 1% Placed Order Rate

      Implement Value-Add Tactics

      Identify must-have Flows

      Utilize Smart Sending to optimize your email marketing efforts

      These points will help you drive remarkable results for your e-commerce business.


      1. The 1% Placed Order Rate

      If your last email boasts a Placed Order Rate above 1%, it’s prime time to extend your flow with an additional email. With this technique, you’ll amplify your retargeting prowess, much like the Discount Ladder tactic (more on this in our article about retargeting email marketing automation). This will drive higher conversions and foster deeper customer connections.


      2. The Value-Add Tactic

      Unlock the power of the value-add tactic in your Klaviyo email marketing flows. By incorporating valuable content in your next-in-flow email, you’ll not only remind subscribers of your brand’s presence but also foster a series of micro-conversions that eventually lead them back to your website for ongoing engagement.


      3. Must-have Flows

      Your Klaviyo flows should encompass three must-have flows:

      1. The Welcome Series
      2. The Abandoned Cart Flow
      3. The Browse Abandonment Flow

      These essential flows will effectively:

      ✓ Engage your audience

      ✓ Drive conversions

      ✓ Foster lasting customer relationships


      The Welcome Series

      Want to enhance the personalization of your Welcome Series?

      Don’t just settle for an email address – opt for collecting valuable information upfront to paint a fuller picture of your customers and succinctly tailor your communication to their needs.

      An example of this would be to use multi-step Klaviyo signup forms to gather more data and give a more personalized customer experience.


      Cart Abandonment Flow

      There is a big opportunity for brands to elevate their account performance by optimizing the Cart Abandoned flow with 3-4 emails instead of just 1-2. Cart Abandonment also has many ways you can personalize the content. 

      Here are the main three you should be looking out for when auditing this flow: 

      • Purchasers versus non-purchasers (For example, non-purchasers will receive the welcome offer while purchasers receive a VIP offer)
      • Cart size (For example, an above or below free shipping threshold) 
      • Based on the product/category they added to their cart.

      Browse Abandonment Flow

      The main objective of your abandonment emails are to re-engage visitors and motivate them to come back and make a purchase. A browse abandonment email can be incorporated into an automated email sequence through your Klaviyo account. It targets those who have explored your site and products but left without adding items to their cart.

      Studies reveal that out of 100 e-shop visitors, 39 browse products while only 4 actually buy something, which leads to an average conversion rate of 1.62% for e-commerce websites.

      Browse Abandonment flow is the 3rd highest generating flow based on Klaviyo’s data, making it a big revenue opportunity for brands. You should first ensure it’s activated and tracking codes are correctly implemented. Outside of the privacy changes, you can still focus on creating personalized and targeted content by adopting better marketing practices and prioritizing customer-focused strategies.


      4. Smart Sending

      Smart Sending is a feature in your Klaviyo account that helps you to limit the number of emails you send to your subscribers – relieving them of feeling fatigued or overwhelmed and optimizing the customer experience. It does that by skipping any profiles that have received an email in the past 16 hours.

      While we want this option to be ON for most campaigns and flows, it’s best to disable it when it comes to the most crucial ones that we want everyone to see, such as a Welcome Flow, Cart Abandonment Flow, a Black Friday Promo, etc.


      Bonus tips for real e-commerce growth

      Ready for some bonus tips to fuel real growth for your e-shop by utilizing Klaviyo to reach your email marketing goals? Here’s what you should know:

      1. Post-Purchase Flow – This helps you to strengthen after-sale customer relationships and promote repeat business.
      2. Cross-Sell Flow – This helps you to introduce complementary products to boost revenue.
      3. Sunset Flow – This helps you to tackle inactive accounts by re-engaging or removing them from your primary list.
      4. Testing – This helps you to continuously optimize your email strategies through testing.

      With these extra tactics, you’ll build a more robust and targeted email marketing approach.

      Remember: it’s all about catering to your customer’s needs and preferences while delivering highly relevant content that resonates with them from the very beginning.

      So go ahead, unlock the full potential of Klaviyo, and watch your e-commerce business grow!


      Why partner with us

      Are you an e-commerce owner or manager seeking an innovative partnership? Look no further than the YOCTO agency. Here’s why:

      • We’re international: Our global perspective brings diverse insights and strategies to the table.
      • 2x conversions: Our expertise helps you achieve impressive results.
      • We are marketing tutors: We’re trusted by prestigious institutions to teach the latest marketing techniques.
      • Top-notch portfolio: Our proven success showcases our ability to deliver outstanding results.
      • Maximizing profits: We’ll help you optimize your strategies for maximum revenue generation.

      Link up with YOCTO agency and let us help you elevate your e-commerce brand. If you found this article helpful, share it with your peers!

      Need proffesional support with your list growth?

      Consider hiring an experienced email marketing agency like us to guide you through the process and maximize your email revenue.

      Do you need
      to maximize your
      profits?

      work with us