Klaviyo: Email Marketing & SMS

INCREDIBLE, the things that you can do even with the free plan! Thanks for your job, great team! I'm using it rn

Awesome app! Easy to use and navigate. Started my first campaign an hour after downloading the app.

Amazing. Easy to use and allows you to setup multiple flows. Basically the whole app is already setup and you just have to plug in your content. Best email automation sequence out there.

This app is absolutely terrible. Use an alternative.
I was drawn to this because of the free trial, but now after many hours of pulling out my hair I am deleting the app. The layout is completely ridiculous and un-intuitive. And that's not the worst part...
I signed up to my own website with my email address as a test, and it sent me draft versions of emails which I did not want it to send! If you use this app, they will spam your customers with unwanted emails. There is a "flows" option where you can design the emails that are sent and choose when they are sent.
The email from my email flow WAS NOT sent to me, and instead I got a "confirm you would like to subscribe.... enter text here etc" which I DO NOT want my customers to receive. It honestly baffles me what could have possibly been going through the minds of the idiots who designed this app. I would very much like to meet them in person one day to ask what on earth they were thinking.

Long story short DO NOT USE THIS APP

The app itself is wonderful - it is really a great product. I did have some hiccups to start with, outlined briefly below, that caused me to originally leave 1 star. I have since upgraded to 4 stars.

Be warned: If you are importing a list for your first time, setup your first campaign with plenty of time as they will lock your account until a person reviews it within 1 or 2 business days. Not knowing this caused me to loose existing customers on my store launch.

The app works great, however $75 a month is extremely very expensive for small business. I wish they had a $25 per month plan for beginners with a limited number of e-mails.

I am guessing these 96 glowing reviews are small business looking for a comparable mailing system like Mail chimp, and if so - it's fine but I am also guessing that nothing went wrong and they didn't actually have to deal with Klaviyo in a 'service' area.

I did and I can (and will explain) that hands down - I would opt for Mailchimp, Constant Contact or just about ANY other system.

Last week, after several e-mails from Klaviyo, I responded to their sales department and explained that we have multiple channels of e-mails (Opt in Mailing Lists, Collegues and also a purchase list). I was crystal clear about the purchased list knowing full well that these 'retail' e-mailers don't always allow it.

I was advise to setup a call with Pete who again reassured me that the list was not a problem at all and of course, any problems, issues - he'd be there to offer support.

We are a vitamin company and have/had been preparing this launch for weeks. I am also a seasoned marketer (you'll understand why I mention that later) and we had several test applications in place (social media, A/B/C split campaigns, YouTube, Launch Squeeze Pages) all for a purpose - to determine and pinpoint the pulse of the business.

E-mail was a significant part (3 different campaigns going out to three different lists - one being the paid list).

Now, I spent the last week on and off designing, testing on different devices, setting up all their flow responses (which by the way - is readily available in Shopify and you don't have to pay for it!).

Anyway - I spent a fair amount of time, probably 10 hours or so in the last week to ensure everything ran smoothly come launch day.

First e-mail (how funny that it was actually the paid list) goes out without any fanfare but here's where the fun starts.

I go to send to our actual client list and I am being asked for to confirm that this wasn't a purchased list. Being honest (which let's face it I could have lied as I KNOW many do) I say, one was and I was told that was fine.

I am getting frustrated as no other campaign will launch so I connect with Pete on Skype, calls me back and says 'no problem, I'll get it sorted for you, and call you back". (Pete went MIA just shortly after and now I know why).

About 45 minutes later, I get an e-mail from Rachel who simply says 'Sorry for the misunderstanding, you can't use paid lists. Let us know if you need anything."

What, ah NO - you didn't get off that easy (this is after they have taken $245 USD from my client.

I tell her that I have NO liability in this, had done my due diligence and thier options were limited, Refund my money immediately and reimburse the client ($300) partially for the complete and utter waste of time.

She responds (does not address refunding my money at all) and says sorry, maybe the 'tech team can check the list', then she goes silent.

No clue how they do their business but launch means everyone is busy and there is no time to have support people going MIA.

An hour and a half goes by and I respond again, 1. Refund the money and 2. Reimburse for expenses due to their mistake (not mine)

I get a very rude, ubrupt e-mail from Ed telling me It was my fault for not reading the terms of service!

Ah, yeah NO - I specifically setup a conference call to address this and had the 'yes, it's fine in writing' this isn't on me and I suggested he take his attitude out on those that were at fault and address the situation at hand.

At this time, he also mentions the list had 'unsubscribes and spam reports'. I go into their software and I see 2 (yes, 2 unsubscribes on a list of 3800). NO where do I see why they have unsubscribed (mailchimp gives detailed lists and makes seeing that far far easier) so I ask him to show me where exactly I am to see these 'abuse' reports or unsubscribes because I am only seeing 2!.

He goes MIA too!!

About an hour later, I then get an e-mail from Andrew (Co-founder) telling ME about e-mails (why they don't do paid, and how he'd show ME how to market if I wanted).

Wow, so you're own team can't even handle basic service questions (asked upfront) and your support team doesn't address any actual issue or question (other than to regurgitate script) and I am suppose to take him up on his offer because well, he's operation is running smoothly.

Again, NO - He has no clue what we have in place nor is it any of his business. To suggest he can 'show me the light', is condescending and again just pushing the blame on me, rather than a hey 'We messed up big here, we are sorry - what can we do' OR " yes, we'll compensate you for OUR mistake' and if you'd like some direction, we're happy to help - we want to make things right.

So, yes - it's great that it integrates with Shopify however

1. It's very pricey if you grow at all ($ 275 for 4-7K lists)

2. The dashboard may appear to have everything but really start digging - analytic are better with Mailchimp (and mail-chimp is far less - $50 for lists up to 5K)

3. The preset e-mails are readily available in shopify - you can design in any html (mailchimp) and copy/paste to shopify for personalized/graphic e-mails at a third of the price.

4. Business 101 - Rave reviews are great but the real look at service is how a company handles an issue because you can say you don't have any or you're not using a paid list - but should something arise, you'll find out very quickly that service is not the top priority here.

5. Zero respect for their clients. Had they had any, today would have played very differently. They apparently think my time should be unpaid or the client should just 'pay me' because they screwed up.

6. Again, no clue as to the work that goes into a company launch or the setback that they were responsible for in terms of execution.

And yes, I am crabby today but you're a business owner think about, you do your homework - you specifically talk to individuals, you plan/schedule/test and have dozens of other items on the go. The day of launch arrives and then (and only then) are you told 'sorry, we can't help you'.

Apologies all were 'sorry BUT, not one genuine we messed up BIG here..

I wasted four days on this platform, it was difficult to use, it was messy, the set mail have set can't sent, and can't sync my shopify data, it was very bad.I give up!

I came across this app I'm still messing with it and I didn't think it was too difficult to maneuver. I needed a email set up to send a discount code for new subscribers and this was a great tool.

It took a little while to get used to at first but I enjoy the app. I believe information could be a little easier to find but all in all so far so good.