Klaviyo’s textual content messaging service was surprisingly standard in an anecdotal research of fifty direct-to-consumer manufacturers. The assessment additionally discovered that the majority manufacturers used pop-ups to seize emails however didn’t seem to make use of a welcome sequence.
I not too long ago researched how DTC manufacturers deploy electronic mail advertising. I created an inventory of corporations utilizing Jasper’s AI chat and Google search. I then selected websites haphazardly from every supply.
I signed up for every model’s electronic mail utilizing the shape on its dwelling web page and a free AOL electronic mail tackle for this objective. I used BuiltWith to find out a model’s electronic mail service supplier.
I accessed every DTC web site simply as soon as. However many had A/B testing software program put in based on BuiltWith, indicating I might need skilled a special sign-up course of on subsequent visits.
Whereas it’s not scientific, reviewing these DTC web sites uncovered 4 patterns: the widespread use of textual content messaging, ubiquitous pop-ups, in depth incentives, and a scarcity of welcome sequence messages.
Model | URL | Incentive | Textual content | Pop-up | ESP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cuts Clothes | https://www.cutsclothing.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
Marc’s Magic Rub | https://marcsmagicrub.com/ | No | No | No | MailChimp |
Pulp Pantry | https://pulppantry.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
DEUX | https://www.eatdeux.com/ | No | Sure | Sure, however textual content | Klaviyo |
The Ridge | https://ridge.com/ | No | No | No | Klaviyo |
MUDWTR | https://mudwtr.com/ | No | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
Feastables | https://feastables.com/ | No | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
Blueland | https://www.blueland.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
G FUEL | https://gfuel.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
Cometeer | https://cometeer.com/ | No | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
Biossance | https://biossance.com/ | Sure | Sure | No | Klaviyo |
Ten Little | https://tenlittle.com/ | No | No | No | Klaviyo |
Appointed | https://appointed.co/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
Caraway | https://www.carawayhome.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
JuneShine | https://juneshine.com/ | No | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
Trace | https://www.drinkhint.com/ | No | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
Lovevery | https://lovevery.com/ | No | No | Sure | MailChimp |
Allbirds | https://www.allbirds.com/ | Sure | No | Sure | Iterable |
Saatva | https://www.saatva.com/ | No | Sure | Sure | MailChimp |
Peloton | https://www.onepeloton.com/ | No | No | No | Customized |
Quip | https://www.getquip.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | MailChimp |
Outer | https://liveouter.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
Nutrafol | https://nutrafol.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Different |
Away | https://www.awaytravel.com/ | Sure | No | No | Different |
Warby Parker | https://www.warbyparker.com/ | No | No | No | Different |
Casper | https://casper.com/ | No | No | No | Different |
Beltology | https://www.beltology.com/ | Sure | No | Sure | Klaviyo |
Bombas | https://bombas.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Different |
MVMT | https://www.mvmt.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Different |
Stance | https://www.stance.com/ | No | No | No | Klaviyo |
WP Customary | https://wpstandard.com/ | Sure | No | Sure | Klaviyo |
ROKA | https://www.roka.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Different |
Pura Vida | https://www.puravidabracelets.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
American Large | https://www.american-giant.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
AYR | https://www.ayr.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
Bonobos | https://bonobos.com/ | No | No | No | Different |
Buck Mason | https://www.buckmason.com/ | No | No | Sure | Klaviyo |
Combatant Gents | https://combatgent.com/ | Sure | No | Sure | Klaviyo |
Cuyana | https://www.cuyana.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | NetSuite |
Fame and Companions | https://www.fameandpartners.com/ | No | No | Sure | Klaviyo |
Frank and Oak | https://www.frankandoak.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | MailChimp |
Indochino | https://www.indochino.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Different |
KUIU | https://www.kuiu.com/ | Sure | No | Sure | Klaviyo |
Wohven | https://wohven.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
Tracksmith | https://www.tracksmith.com/ | Sure | No | Sure | Klaviyo |
Chubbies | https://www.chubbiesshorts.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Klaviyo |
HVMN | https://hvmn.com/ | Sure | Sure | Sure | Different |
Ora | https://www.ora.natural/ | No | No | No | Klaviyo |
ArtLifting | https://www.artlifting.com/ | No | No | Sure | MailChimp |
Hubble | https://www.hubblecontacts.com/ | No | No | No | Klaviyo |
Klaviyo Driving Textual content Messaging
Of the 50 DTC ecommerce websites, 31 used Klaviyo for electronic mail advertising.
Shopify invested $100 million in Klaviyo in 2022, so it isn’t stunning that each Klaviyo web site additionally used Shopify. What’s stunning is a whopping 80% of Klayivo websites requested for my cell quantity. Of the 19 manufacturers not utilizing Klaviyo, 4 requested for my cell quantity, bringing the entire of text-seekers to 29 out of fifty.

Cuts, a DTC attire retailer, affords a 15% low cost for offering a cell quantity.
This doesn’t imply that any manufacturers are accumulating cell numbers, however they definitely need them. One model, Deux (cookie dough), requested for my cell quantity in a pop-up however not my electronic mail tackle. To subscribe by electronic mail, I needed to discover the shape within the footer.

Duex requested for a cell quantity in a pop-up however not an electronic mail tackle.
DTC manufacturers use textual content messages like electronic mail, together with delivery and supply notifications, promotional affords, deserted cart reminders, and comparable. The distinction is in responsiveness. Whereas they usually have a number of electronic mail addresses and obtain many emails day by day, buyers sometimes have only one cell phone and obtain a lot fewer textual content messages. Thus those self same buyers are often extra conscious of cell communications, at the very least for now.
Even earlier than reviewing these 50 websites, I used to be satisfied that textual content messaging was a prime alternative for ecommerce corporations. Now it may very well be crucial.
Pop-ups Rule
Regardless of stories that customers dislike them, pop-ups appeared on 38 of the 50 on-line shops.
Some pop-ups appeared the moment my browser loaded. Others waited for me to scroll. Usually the pop-ups loaded on a number of screens, that means I needed to work together with them as much as 4 occasions — requesting my electronic mail tackle, my cell quantity, and why I visited.

Thirty-eight out of fifty DTC shops used pop-ups. This instance is from Bombas, the attire model.
Most Provide an Incentive
The following development was that a lot of the DTC manufacturers supplied an incentive to subscribe to electronic mail advertising. Twenty-nine of the 50 supplied a reduction, free delivery, or an opportunity to win one thing. Allbirds even supplied an opportunity to win a trip to New Zealand!
The perfect incentive expertise got here from websites that supplied a coupon code in the identical subscription pop-up. Kuiu, a vendor of searching gear, added my coupon code to the web site’s header — prepared to make use of at checkout. That was the perfect expertise of any of the websites I visited.
E-mail Welcome Sequence
After I got down to assessment the DTC websites, I used to be most within the electronic mail welcome sequence.
So I signed up for the e-mail lists and waited. Then I waited extra.
Solely 4 of the manufacturers had welcome messages. Quip (electrical toothbrushes) put an electronic mail message within the AOL inbox the moment I clicked the subscribe backside. Frank and Oak (sustainable attire) and Kuiu delivered messages inside seconds. Roka (efficiency sun shades) emailed me twice within the first 20 minutes.
The 46 others took a very long time. After six hours, solely 25 had despatched a welcome message, together with many who had promised a coupon code to make use of on the primary order. The message from one of many 25 went to my spam folder.
Takeaways
My anecdotal research of DTC manufacturers’ use of electronic mail advertising left me with three takeaways.
First, ecommerce companies ought to experiment with textual content messaging. It’s straightforward for DTC manufacturers utilizing Klaviyo so as to add a mobile-number-capture kind to their web sites, nevertheless it doesn’t imply they execute it properly. Thus implementing a textual content message plan will help sustain with a competitor and even outperform, maybe utilizing a text-specific software to facilitate gross sales along with sending hyperlinks.
Second, use a pop-up with a transparent incentive. If these DTC manufacturers are indicative, pop-ups are well worth the friction.
Third, there’s a chance to have interaction with new subscribers by way of welcome electronic mail sequence. Roughly half of the examined manufacturers don’t use one.