Klaviyo’s textual content messaging service was surprisingly common in an anecdotal research of fifty direct-to-consumer manufacturers. The evaluation additionally discovered that almost all manufacturers used pop-ups to seize emails however didn’t seem to make use of a welcome collection.
I not too long ago researched how DTC manufacturers deploy e-mail advertising and marketing. I created a listing of corporations primarily based on 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 tackle for this function. 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 based on BuiltWith, indicating I may 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 an absence of welcome sequence messages.
BrandURLIncentiveTextPop-upESP
Cuts Clothinghttps://www.cutsclothing.com/YesYesYesKlaviyo
Marc’s Magic Rubhttps://marcsmagicrub.com/NoNoNoMailChimp
Pulp Pantryhttps://pulppantry.com/YesYesYesKlaviyo
DEUXhttps://www.eatdeux.com/NoYesYes, however textKlaviyo
The Ridgehttps://ridge.com/NoNoNoKlaviyo
MUDWTRhttps://mudwtr.com/NoYesYesKlaviyo
Feastableshttps://feastables.com/NoYesYesKlaviyo
Bluelandhttps://www.blueland.com/YesYesYesKlaviyo
G FUELhttps://gfuel.com/YesYesYesKlaviyo
Cometeerhttps://cometeer.com/NoYesYesKlaviyo
Biossancehttps://biossance.com/YesYesNoKlaviyo
Ten Littlehttps://tenlittle.com/NoNoNoKlaviyo
Appointedhttps://appointed.co/YesYesYesKlaviyo
Carawayhttps://www.carawayhome.com/YesYesYesKlaviyo
JuneShinehttps://juneshine.com/NoYesYesKlaviyo
Hinthttps://www.drinkhint.com/NoYesYesKlaviyo
Loveveryhttps://lovevery.com/NoNoYesMailChimp
Allbirdshttps://www.allbirds.com/YesNoYesIterable
Saatvahttps://www.saatva.com/NoYesYesMailChimp
Pelotonhttps://www.onepeloton.com/NoNoNoCustom
Quiphttps://www.getquip.com/YesYesYesMailChimp
Outerhttps://liveouter.com/YesYesYesKlaviyo
Nutrafolhttps://nutrafol.com/YesYesYesOther
Awayhttps://www.awaytravel.com/YesNoNoOther
Warby Parkerhttps://www.warbyparker.com/NoNoNoOther
Casperhttps://casper.com/NoNoNoOther
Beltologyhttps://www.beltology.com/YesNoYesKlaviyo
Bombashttps://bombas.com/YesYesYesOther
MVMThttps://www.mvmt.com/YesYesYesOther
Stancehttps://www.stance.com/NoNoNoKlaviyo
WP Standardhttps://wpstandard.com/YesNoYesKlaviyo
ROKAhttps://www.roka.com/YesYesYesOther
Pura Vidahttps://www.puravidabracelets.com/YesYesYesKlaviyo
American Gianthttps://www.american-giant.com/YesYesYesKlaviyo
AYRhttps://www.ayr.com/YesYesYesKlaviyo
Bonoboshttps://bonobos.com/NoNoNoOther
Buck Masonhttps://www.buckmason.com/NoNoYesKlaviyo
Combatant Gentlemenhttps://combatgent.com/YesNoYesKlaviyo
Cuyanahttps://www.cuyana.com/YesYesYesNetSuite
Fame and Partnershttps://www.fameandpartners.com/NoNoYesKlaviyo
Frank and Oakhttps://www.frankandoak.com/YesYesYesMailChimp
Indochinohttps://www.indochino.com/YesYesYesOther
KUIUhttps://www.kuiu.com/YesNoYesKlaviyo
Wohvenhttps://wohven.com/YesYesYesKlaviyo
Tracksmithhttps://www.tracksmith.com/YesNoYesKlaviyo
Chubbieshttps://www.chubbiesshorts.com/YesYesYesKlaviyo
HVMNhttps://hvmn.com/YesYesYesOther
Orahttps://www.ora.natural/NoNoNoKlaviyo
ArtLiftinghttps://www.artlifting.com/NoNoYesMailChimp
Hubblehttps://www.hubblecontacts.com/NoNoNoKlaviyo
Klaviyo Driving Textual content Messaging
Of the 50 DTC ecommerce websites, 31 used Klaviyo for e-mail advertising and marketing.
Shopify invested $100 million in Klaviyo in 2022, so it isn’t shocking that each Klaviyo web site additionally used Shopify. What’s shocking 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 entire of text-seekers to 29 out of fifty.
Cuts, a DTC attire retailer, gives a 15% low cost for offering a cellular quantity.
This doesn’t imply that any manufacturers are gathering cellular numbers, however they actually need them. One model, Deux (cookie dough), requested for my cellular quantity in a pop-up however not my e-mail tackle. 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 tackle.
DTC manufacturers use textual content messages like e-mail, together with delivery and supply notifications, promotional gives, deserted cart reminders, and comparable. The distinction is in responsiveness. Whereas they usually have a number of e-mail addresses and obtain many emails every day, customers usually have only one cell phone and obtain a lot fewer textual content messages. Thus those self same customers are normally extra aware of cellular communications, a minimum of for now.
Even earlier than reviewing these 50 websites, I used to be satisfied that textual content messaging was a high alternative for ecommerce corporations. Now it could possibly be crucial.
Pop-ups Rule
Regardless of reviews 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. 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 tackle, 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 and marketing. 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!
One of the best incentive expertise got here from websites that offered 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 perfect expertise of any of the websites I visited.
E-mail Welcome Sequence
After I got down to evaluation 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 research of DTC manufacturers’ use of e-mail advertising and marketing 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, however it doesn’t imply they execute it effectively. Thus implementing a textual content message plan might help sustain with a competitor and even outperform, maybe utilizing a text-specific instrument 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 possibility to interact with new subscribers by way of welcome e-mail collection. Roughly half of the examined manufacturers don’t use one.