Klaviyo’s textual content messaging service was surprisingly in style in an anecdotal examine 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 collection.
I lately researched how DTC manufacturers deploy e-mail advertising. I created a listing 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 e-mail utilizing the shape on its residence web page and a free AOL e-mail handle for this objective. I used BuiltWith to find out a model’s e-mail service supplier.
I accessed every DTC web site simply as soon as. However many had A/B testing software program put in in response to BuiltWith, indicating I might need skilled a distinct 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 Commonplace | 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 e-mail advertising.
Shopify invested $100 million in Klaviyo in 2022, so it’s not stunning that each Klaviyo website additionally used Shopify. What’s stunning is a whopping 80% of Klayivo websites requested for my cellular quantity. Of the 19 manufacturers not utilizing Klaviyo, 4 requested for my cellular quantity, bringing the whole of text-seekers to 29 out of fifty.

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

Duex requested for a cellular quantity in a pop-up however not an e-mail handle.
DTC manufacturers use textual content messages like e-mail, together with delivery and supply notifications, promotional presents, deserted cart reminders, and related. The distinction is in responsiveness. Whereas they usually have a number of e-mail addresses and obtain many emails day by day, consumers usually have only one cell phone and obtain a lot fewer textual content messages. Thus those self same consumers are normally extra attentive to cellular communications, not less than 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 might be crucial.
Pop-ups Rule
Regardless of stories that buyers 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. Typically 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 e-mail handle, my cellular 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 subsequent pattern was that many of the DTC manufacturers supplied an incentive to subscribe to e-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 most effective incentive expertise got here from websites that supplied a coupon code in the identical subscription pop-up. Kuiu, a vendor of looking gear, added my coupon code to the web site’s header — prepared to make use of at checkout. That was the most effective 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 e-mail welcome collection.
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 e-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 examine of DTC manufacturers’ use of e-mail advertising left me with three takeaways.
First, ecommerce companies ought to experiment with textual content messaging. It’s simple 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 may also help sustain with a competitor and even outperform, maybe utilizing a text-specific device 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 definitely worth the friction.
Third, there’s a possibility to interact with new subscribers by way of welcome e-mail collection. Roughly half of the examined manufacturers don’t use one.