Stop Sending the Same Offer to Everyone
Too many ecommerce brands blast the exact same discount code to their entire list. When it is time for a seasonal promotion or a flash sale, they hand out 20% or 30% off across the board without looking at who is actually receiving it.
That is a mistake.
Your subscribers are at completely different stages of their customer journey. Someone who buys from you every month does not need the same financial incentive as someone who joined your list 60 days ago and has never spent a cent. Treating them identically leaves serious money on the table.
The Core Strategy: Segmenting by Purchase History
The goal is simple: maximise total revenue while protecting as much profit margin as possible. If I can generate $100 in revenue with a 20% margin instead of a 10% margin, I am going to take the 20% margin every single time.
We split audiences into two primary groups for both regular campaign sends and promotional sales:
- Engaged Non-Purchasers: Subscribers who open and click emails but have placed zero orders.
- Engaged Purchasers: Existing customers who have bought at least once and are still active.
We send virtually identical campaign creative and copy to both groups, with one crucial difference: the offer. Non-purchasers get a higher incentive or a reiterated welcome code (like $15 off), while purchasers get a smaller discount or full-price messaging.
Building the Segments in Klaviyo
Setting this up properly requires tight segmentation logic so you are not wasting money or damaging deliverability. Here is the exact criteria I like to build out for a 120-day engaged window.
1. The Engaged Non-Purchaser Segment
To capture active subscribers who have not converted yet, set up the following conditions:
- Opened email at least once in the last 120 days, OR
- Clicked email at least once in the last 120 days, OR
- Active on site at least once in the last 120 days, OR
- Subscribed to list in the last 30 days (I use 30 days here because someone subscribed 110 days ago who has never opened is not engaged).
- AND Placed Order equals 0 overall time.
- AND Person can receive email marketing.
2. The Engaged Purchaser Segment
Clone that segment and change just one condition:
- Keep all the 120-day activity conditions identical.
- Change the order condition to: Placed Order is at least 1 overall time.
- AND Person can receive email marketing.
You now have two distinct groups ready for tailored promotional messaging.
Protecting Margin on Existing Customers
Here is the thing: repeat customers already trust your product, your shipping times, and your brand. If you want to run a 40% off clearance sale, there is no reason to hand that full 40% discount to someone who spends money with you every month.
They will likely buy anyway. Offering them 15% or 20% off gives them a rewarding perk without needlessly destroying your margin.
Running the campaign this way brings in the same gross revenue while keeping your net profit substantially higher. You protect cash flow without suppressing conversion volume.
Converting First-Time Buyers at Scale
On the flip side, getting a subscriber over the line for their very first order is the hardest hurdle in ecommerce. If you need to give away 20% or a $15 voucher to acquire that first sale, do it.
As long as you break even on that initial transaction, you win in the long run. Most ecommerce stores have a repeat purchase rate between 15% and 20%.
You make your profit back on the second, third, and fourth orders down the track. The entire focus for non-purchasers is simply shifting them into the customer bucket as quickly as possible.
Final Thoughts
Blasting uniform discounts to your entire list reduces your business to a discount commodity. Split your engaged list by purchase history, protect your margins on loyal buyers, and save your aggressive incentives for subscribers who need that final push.
Scale Your Email Revenue
If you want help setting up advanced segmentation and profit-focused promotional calendars, take a look at our email campaign services.
