Winback Flow Benchmarks

  • 11 July 2022
  • 3 replies
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Userlevel 1
Badge +3

Hello alltogether,

we just set up a winback flow to reactivate customers before they churn finally. Look’s good so far but have the feeling it could and should perform (much) better.

Flow is triggered based on last estimated date of next order + 40 days and contains 3 mails (Miss You → Coupon → What’s wrong). Right now we experiment with a  split based on “customer value” or Ordercount.

The Flow itself has the following stats:

mail1: OpenRate: 30% ; Click Rate: 4% ; Placed Order 0,9%

mail2: OpenRate: 26% ; Click Rate: 4% ; Placed Order 1,4%

mail3: no stats yet

Mind sharing your approach, ideas and stats for WinBackFlows?

 

br Frank


3 replies

Userlevel 2
Badge +7

Hey Frank, I love the fact that you split the flows based on frequency of purchase or order count.

Here’s a quick tip. (This is by the side). You should set up a Replenishment flow 2 weeks before a customers reaches their expected date of next order so that customers make orders more regularly for themselves. I don’t know what type of store you run but if it’s something like drinks or household item that requires restock often, this would help you increase the frequency of purchase and reduce the number of purchasers who are on the risk of needing a Winback.

Also set up a Sunset Flow. This is for customers who stand the highest risk of churning eventually. Create a segment for subscribers who haven’t engaged with your brand (by that I mean opened your messages in a long while). Set the flow filter to remove anyone who opens or clicks an email while in the flow, since they’ve engaged already. 

Reinstate your unique selling point as a store and give them the option to either confirm they still want to receive your messages or unsubscribe.

Any subscriber who doesn’t take action after this should have their profile property updated to “Suppress” to clean your list.

I’d tell you Frank that setting these two other flows up will complement your Winback Flow. Replenishment Flow to reduce the number of subscribers that need a Winback. And Sunset for customers who after Winback stand a high risk before churning completely. You’d also increase your revenue!

You should also try to WInback customers using:

  • an Abandoned Cart flow first. What I mean by that is that you should modify your current abandoned cart flow.

Create a segment for subscribers with the properties: “Expected Date of Next Order” » Is After » 35 Days.

Why?

This will target lapsed customers.

Because the customer already had something they wanted to order in mind. So in your abandoned cart email flow you are already using Frank, add a next step to your final one currently.

Use a Conditional Split to exclude those who’ve never purchased from you (because they won’t have an expected order date)- “Has purchased at least once over all time.” and then for the YES Value, use another conditional split to target customers within this segment to send an email to them.

Then 5 days later, they enter the Winback Flow.

  • Signup forms: you can make use of a competition opt-in form. It doesn’t take the dollar ($$) OFF like the other incentives and can be very effective.
  • Social Media/Ads/FB Group specifically for this segment.
  • Campaigns: to add, make a list of your best performing campaign and send one to this group of subscribers. Send this to only engaged subscribers

Now, here’s a guide for Winback Flow( or using Klaviyo’s Repeat Purchase Nurture Series Flow if you use Shopify):

  • Combine your emails with you SMS marketing channel.
  • Offer a free (high perceived value) in your store as incentive.
  • Bundle Email

Combining these with the strategies I gave above should help, frank. Do let me know if you found this valuable.

Userlevel 1
Badge +3

Hi Edgar, thank your for you detailed answer. That’s a lot to think about.

A replenishment flow is active already. The flow starts directly on Expected Date of next Order = today and contains 3 emails. Right now everybody receives the same mail but an order count split is already in the backlog. We try to keep as much profiles as possible in the loop of regular purchases before they reach the winback flow.

Sunset Flow is already on the whiteboard but at its early stages at the moment. It feels a bit uncomfortable to suppress the profiles. I'd rather tend to exclude them from our regular mailings and only send mails to them at Christmas and other occasions. To sum up, 4 times a year max. Our Winback has in mail 3 the option to unsubscribe and in the future to adjust preferences like sending frequency and topics.

It looks like our deliverability is pretty good at the moment so not to much of an issue right now.

Concerning your suggestion with the Abandoned Cart Flow: We have such a flow already live and its performing quite good. Trigger is Checkout started. 3 mails are sended +1h -> +1d -> +1d to remind them of their recently started checkout. Mail 3 has like 9% placed order rate. What are your values there? Looks to me a 4th and 5th email can be sended as well to improve daily sales too.

I like your Idea to Adress the Winback Profiles with a seperate Abandoned Cart before Winback finally starts. Not sure if I understand your idea completely.

While reading your mail I just got a clearer view that our current Flow only addresses Profiles who already placed at least one order over all time. The PO=0 side should be mailed as well. PO=0 Winback Flow added to backlog.

So I look for profiles that are due for the winback but segment those who started checkout but didn't reach placed order since the last Estimated Date of next order (short before winback starts but later than our normal Abandoned Cart Flow) and remind them of their previous interesting products. Need to try how it feels as quite a lot of days can be between the final reminder and the checkout started event. I wonder if it might be to long ago.

Your ideas make me think about how to utilise the abandoned browse function as well. It might be not that powerful as checkout started but still should have potential.

I'm afraid but I'm not sure what you mean with competition opt-in.

Could be a winner to retarget the winback Segment with a special Social media ad :) you are Awesome! Thanks.

SMS unfortunately is not possible yet in our country but maybe one day ... :)

I know it's difficult and hardly comparable. But approximately how many people can you win back with your winback flow given the repeat purchase nature, abandoned Cart flow as described?

Some one other ideas maybe? Let's discuss.

Thanks again Edgar

Userlevel 2
Badge +7

Hi Frank, thank you so much for your response.

So with the trying to winback customers with an abandoned cart flow, I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say actually.

I don't mean you should set up a separate or new abandoned cart flow. I mean add to it or modify!

The one you currently have is excellent! Your third email has a 9% order rate, which is very good.

It is quite similar to the idea you have of mailing subscribers who started check out short before the Winback flow starts but later than your normal abandoned cart flow (which you aren't sure might be long ago)

That's also why you think a 4th or 5th mail might be send just to improve daily sales too.

So let me paint a picture for you, clearly to convey what's in my head(haha!)

 Let's say you are subscribed to my email list, right.

You attempted purchasing a product from my store but you abandoned your cart.

​​​​

Now I send the normal abandoned cart email you've set up (up to the third one which has a 9% placed order rate) but you didn't place your order or even open it. And that was the last time you tried buying from me.

​​​​So your expected order date comes and goes and then 40days on you haven't still tried buying from me.

so here's what I do: 

​​I send you an email after such a long time telling you that I've missed you so much, offer an incentive and then also show you a product you had in your cart 40 days ago but never bought.

​​​​​Here's it, truth is that not everyone who is in the Winback segment will get this email cos not everyone might have abandoned an item in their cart before they stayed away. 

So those who have get that email first to try to win them back.

i should have said in the condition split for the 4th email add "Wait 40 days"

You can now exclude them from the very first email you sent in the winback flow so they don't get that one.

Here's what a competition opt-in pop up form looks like: "Want to win a $500 gift card, subscribe to our mailing list and get into a draw to receive the gift card:".

 

it works well for new subscribers also re-engage existing subscribers.

It also doesn't take $$Off like other incentives and increase your aov

So it can be useful for subscribers help haven't engaged with your brand emails but are visiting your sure.

I don't know what you make of these!

 

I actually just feel this optimizes the winback flow you currently have Frank!

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