The Best Email Marketing Services for Your Online Store: How do Klaviyo & CM Commerce Compare?

A great email marketing service is imperative to the success of your ecommerce store but with so many email marketing services to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you? We’ve curated the top three email marketing tools in the industry to help you understand which one will be the best fit for your online business.

So, without further ado, we’re going to explore the features, pricing, pros, cons, and anything else we think you should know about the Klaviyo and CM Commerce email marketing services. They’re all industry leaders within the email marketing field which makes it difficult for entrepreneurs or merchants to choose between them. Hopefully, by the end of this article, we’ll have helped you make an informed decision.

Let’s dive in!

Email Marketing Services: Klaviyo

Who is Klaviyo?

In short, Klaviyo is a robust email marketing automation platform. Its primary focus is providing powerful email marketing solutions specifically for ecommerce sellers, which is what sets them apart from some other email marketing tools in the industry.

Klaviyo’s Features

Here are some of the best features Klaviyo has to offer:

Popup, Flyout & Embedded Email Opt-In Forms

Essentially, all ecommerce merchants should be collecting the email addresses and first names of their customers and website visitors. This is essential for remaining in contact with your audience, building a following, and creating a starting point for your sales funnel. If this is important to you, you’ll be pleased to hear that Klaviyo offers several types of forms for you to create and use. It doesn’t matter whether you want a popup opt-in box, an embedded form or something else, you can create and publish it on your site using Klaviyo.

Audience & Behavioral Email List Segmentation

Klaviyo’s email list segmentation abilities are one of the best features this email marketing service has on offer. They provide a few email list segments as a default—which you can assign your own subscribers to—but there are plenty of other segmentation options you can narrow-down your email lists by; the sky’s the limit. Their segmentation function works wonders for helping merchants like you manage the content you send to your audience by ensuring that you only send the most relevant emails to your subscribers based on the data Klaviyo tracks.

You can decide on the kinds of email segments you create based on a variety of factors, like:

• The actions your subscribers have taken on your website
• Your subscribers’ purchase histories
• Your subscribers’ locations

When done well, segmenting your email list can massively increase the likelihood of successfully engaging your audience.

Pre-Built Email Templates

There are plenty of email templates for you to choose from which cover a whole host of ecommerce functionalities such as newsletters, product promotions, welcome emails, order confirmation emails, shipping emails, and more. You won’t ever have to build a design from scratch or hire a web developer to create professional-looking email templates for you—unless you want to—which can save you lots of time and hassle. Most of Klaviyo’s templates have a theme so there’s a good chance that at least one of them will complement your niche.

Easy Email Template Editor

Klaviyo also offers a drag-and-drop email template designer to create your own email templates and it’s super easy to understand. With it, you can format each and every design element, style, and color palette of your emails so it reflects the exact aesthetic of your brand. To be more specific, you’ll have access to the following drag-and-drop elements so you can design your own perfect email template from scratch:

• Split columns
• Buttons
• Links to your social media profiles
• Images

Just to name a few! Plus, when you integrate Klaviyo with your chosen ecommerce platform (they integrate with Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Amazon Marketplace, Magento, and more) you’ll be able to pull some of the products from your store and insert them into your emails. This will save you (or your team) a ton of time, as you won’t have to manually type out all the info pertaining to the merchandise you’re promoting.

Email Marketing Autoresponders

Klaviyo has an impressive collection of autoresponders, which they refer to as “flows.” You can set up a flow based on the real-time behavior of your customers. A classic example is when one of your customers opts in to receive your emails: Using one of Klaviyo’s flows, you could have an automatic welcome message sent to your new email subscriber. Then, after that, you could send a series of automated emails providing them with informative content to help build a rapport with them.

The abandoned cart flow is particularly popular with Klaviyo users. It’s a super simple way of encouraging prospects to come back to your online store and complete the purchase they nearly made. When you set up this flow, Klaviyo automatically pings the potential customer with a message reminding them about the products they left in their online cart. This is sent with the intention to encourage abandoned cart shoppers to follow through with their purchase in the hope that it will recover lost revenue for your store.

Advanced Analytics & Reporting

Not only does Klaviyo offer a split-testing feature (also known as A/B testing), but they also offer their users return-on-investment (ROI) based reporting. This is amazing for getting a better understanding of how profitable your email marketing campaigns are. In addition to this, you can also link your Klaviyo account to Google Analytics to track important metrics.

Knowledge is power, so with the help of the metrics that the Klaviyo email marketing service keeps track of, you’ll be able to make the necessary tweaks to boost conversions.

The Advantages of Klaviyo

Klaviyo is one of the most advanced email marketing services on the market so it’s hardly surprising there are many advantages to using this solution.

Like we’ve already said, Klaviyo enables you to segment your email list into different groups using a variety of criteria, however, you can take your segmentation one step further with Klaviyo’s Facebook integration. This enables you to connect with the custom audiences you’ve already created as part of your Facebook marketing campaigns. If you have any experience with Facebook marketing, you’ll understand how this feature works wonders for targeting your ideal customers and extending your overall reach.

On a separate note, Shopify users will be pleased to know that Klaviyo’s integration with Shopify is incredibly powerful. Klaviyo directly connects with your Shopify store so it can access the relevant customer data it needs to make your email marketing campaigns more powerful. This is one of the reasons why Klaviyo can automatically ping an abandoned cart recovery email to a previous visitor, which is a function that’s imperative for securing sales that would have otherwise been lost.

These personalized emails don’t just stop at abandoned cart recoveries, however, Klaviyo can also send customized product recommendations to your existing customers and launch email campaigns to continue engaging with customers even after they’ve purchased something.

As you’ll have already guessed, Klaviyo’s automation features are nothing short of outstanding. You can use a variety of different conditions and actions to set and forget various email campaigns. Not to mention, you can also build flows and set rules to account for any subscriber scenario so you truly have full control over your email marketing.

Last but not least, we’re pretty impressed with the number of ecommerce platforms that Klaviyo integrates with. Check out the list below—there’s a good chance you’ll find the software you’re using:

• Shopify
• BigCommerce
• Amazon Marketplace
• WooCommerce
• Magento
• Volusion
• OpenCart
• 3DCart
• Celery
• Mi9
• OpenCart
• Shopware
• Spree
• Symphony

If you can’t find the ecommerce solution you’re using to run your site listed above, have no fear. Klaviyo’s API makes it easy for you to create your own integrations.

The Disadvantages of Klaviyo

The most notable drawback is Klaviyo’s pricing: It’s expensive in comparison to its competitors. That’s in addition to some users reporting difficulties getting to grips with Klaviyo’s interface. Since there are so many options for users to choose from, and many of those options are created with the advanced email marketer in mind, it can be a learning curve for new merchants to get a handle on. Consequently, it can be tough to set up your first email marketing campaign.

However, it’s worth noting the majority of Klaviyo’s pricing plans offer users both email and live chat support during their business hours so if you are ever having trouble with their platform you can get in touch with their team. If you boast thousands of email subscribers, we suggest contacting Klaviyo directly as you may qualify for a dedicated customer support representative which undoubtedly ensures high-quality support within a timely manner.

Another way to access customer support is via Klaviyo’s help center. Here you can search for specific keywords and topics and a vast selection of articles, guides, and videos will appear. Klaviyo also posts all the resources they use at their user conferences, so rest assured that there’s plenty of opportunities to learn how to make the most of this platform.

Finally, we also suggest that you check out Klaviyo’s blog, as it’s another wealth of knowledge. Over there, you’ll find plenty of tips and tutorials that will help you refine and launch high-converting email marketing campaigns.

Klaviyo’s Pricing

Klaviyo offers a free account which is best for entrepreneurs new to email marketing. If you’re looking to get your first few subscribers, you can’t go wrong. The free account entitles you to as many as 250 contacts and 500 emails which generously includes Klaviyo’s newsletter function. You’ll also get access to Klaviyo’s split testing resources, list segmentation tools, as well as their mobile-friendly drag-and-drop email designer.

Once you gain more than 250 email subscribers, you’ll need to consider upgrading to one of Klaviyo’s pricing plans. As is standard with most email marketing services, the amount you’ll pay is based on the size of your email list. Below we’ve listed Klaviyo’s pricing tiers in greater depth. Note that unlimited emails, live chat, and email customer support are all included in the paid packages listed below.

• $25/month: 500 subscribers
• $50/month: 1,000 subscribers
• $75/month: 1,500 subscribers
• $100/month: 2,000 subscribers
• $125/month: 2,500 subscribers
• $150/month: 3,000 subscribers
• $175/month: 4,000 subscribers
• $200/month: 5,000 subscribers
• $225/month: 6,000 subscribers

Email Marketing Services: Campaign Monitor Commerce

Who is Campaign Monitor Commerce?

Over 20,000 brands across the globe trust Campaign Monitor Commerce (CM Commerce) with their email marketing automation so if you opt for this solution, it’s safe to say you’ll be in good hands.

CM Commerce enables Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce users with the software they need to integrate their accounts so they can manage their online customers as well as their email marketing campaigns from the convenience of one dashboard.

CM Commerce’s Features

CM Commerce offers its users plenty of features:

Customized Receipts

CM Commerce offers its customers the option of creating customized receipts. When done well, these can encourage further sales in addition to reflecting the look and feel of your brand. All you have to do is drag-and-drop CM Commerce’s upsell and cross-sell modules, customize the colors and fonts, and insert any text, images, logos, or whatever else you want to add to your receipts.

Many ecommerce merchants decide to include thank-you messages, discounts, coupons, and other incentives on their receipts. This works wonders for encouraging existing customers to come back and make another purchase.

Personalized Newsletters

Did you know, newsletter emails are 40 times more effective at securing customers than social media marketing campaigns? That’s powerful stuff! In light of that, you’ll be pleased to hear that CM Commerce makes it effortless for users to create and send personalized newsletters to their email subscribers. Customization is the key to boosting conversion rates and through their professional-looking newsletter templates, merchants can quickly showcase their products and provide consumers with informative and exciting content.

You can also insert customer reviews into these newsletters with just a click of a button. We don’t need to tell you that glowing customer testimonials make for fabulous social proof; it’s a surefire way of boosting the credibility of your brand. After all, many shoppers claim to read product reviews before committing to making a purchase so if you opt for CM Commerce, be sure to make the most of this unique feature!

Effective Abandoned Cart Recovery Emails

The stats speak for themselves: Roughly 75% of online orders are abandoned rather than purchased. This is why CM Commerce offers its users a choice of pre-made abandoned cart campaigns that are proven to convert.

It’s a good idea to utilize these templates if you want to re-engage with consumers. Plus, you’ll enjoy the bonus of mopping up any sales that would have otherwise gone by the wayside—win-win!

Automated Customer Feedback Emails

It makes sense to keep existing customers happy and one of the best ways to do this is finding out precisely what they’re thinking. After all, you want to get to grips with what you’re doing well and, more importantly, what your business is not doing well.

With CM Commerce, you can send automated customer feedback emails to source this kind of data. With all this information at your fingertips, you can endeavor to improve the overall customer experience you provide to your audience.

The Advantages of CM Commerce

Powerful Segmentation

Did you know, it’s generally understood in the ecommerce industry that the likelihood of selling to an existing customer is 60% to 70% more in comparison to marketing to a fresh prospect? This is why using CM Commerce’s email segmentation tools are so powerful.

Just like Klaviyo, you can create a list of existing customers and send customized emails tailored to their specific needs and interests. With just a few clicks, you can easily section off your email list into specific groups of subscribers and again, similar to Klaviyo, you can either choose to use CM Commerce’s premade lists or create your own segments.

When CM Commerce’s powerful segmentation tools are used to the fullest, you’ll be able to successfully cross-sell your products, build a rapport with your subscribers, and send customized communications that actually resonate with your customers.

After all, it stands to reason that different prospects engage with brands in different ways, so a one-size-fits-all approach to email marketing never works. By dividing your email list into different segments, you can account for these differences by considering a variety of factors as you draft your email communications.

Conversion-Driven Design

CM Commerce provides users with email designs and flows that are proven to convert, however, they’re also pretty easy to modify so you can ensure that your email campaigns reflect the look, feel, and tone of your brand. Once you’ve finished editing your designs you can save these templates to reuse for future email campaigns.

Abandoned Cart Emails

Just like Klaviyo, CM Commerce users can also make the most of CM Commerce’s abandoned cart emails. Within seconds you can insert glowing reviews from your previous customers to these communications. This works wonders for encouraging the abandoned cart shoppers to head back to your site and complete their purchase.

Top-Notch Customer Service

CM Commerce’s support team is known for providing excellent customer service. If you have a question, they’re sure to give you a prompt and helpful response.

The Disadvantages of CM Commerce

CM Commerce user reviews tend to be overwhelmingly positive, so there’s not much to point out in terms of their disadvantages.

One of the main concerns is their integrations. At present, they only integrate with Shopify, BigCommerce and WooCommerce platforms which are three of the top main-players in the industry but if you’re already selling on a different platform then you won’t be able to directly integrate with CM Commerce without another workaround.

They also offer a limited number of integrations with other email marketing solutions. At present, CM Commerce connects with:

• Privy
• Pixelpop
• OptinMonster
• Shoelace
• Smile.io
• MailChimp

Which means that there are a few other autoresponder systems that CM Commerce doesn’t provide ready-made integrations for such as Drip, Convert Kit, and Constant Contact. So, if you’re using a software that isn’t on the above list, you may find it challenging to get it to work alongside CM Commerce but have a look at CM Commerce’s full list of integrations because they do also connect with loyalty programs, sweepstakes platforms like ViralSweep (ViralSweep Review) and remarketing software.

CM Commerce’s Pricing

CM Commerce’s pricing plans are based on the size of your email list. Here’s more information on their pricing:

• $20/month: 0-500 contacts
• $40/month: 501-1000 contacts
• $70/month: 1001-2500 contacts
• $90/month: 2501-5000 contacts
• $140/month: 5000-10,000 contacts
• $180/month: 10,001-15,000 contacts
• $220/month: 15,001-20,000 contacts
• $260/month: 20,001-30,000 contacts
• $290/month: 30,001-35,000 contacts
• $350/month: 35,001-50,000 contacts
• $450/month: 50,001-75,000 contacts
• $550/month: 75,001-100,000 contacts
• $650/month: 100,001-150,000 contacts
• $780/month: 150,001-200,000 contacts
• $850/month: 200,000-250,000 contacts

Once you’ve created your CM Commerce account, you can also take advantage of a 30-day free trial. This provides you with full access to all of CM Commerce’s tools so you can really get a feel for whether CM Commerce suits the needs of your business.

Conclusion

Really and truly, all three of these email marketing services are great for ecommerce merchants and we’re sure that you’ll gain value from any one of them. Here’s a quick summary of all three of these services to help you compare:

Klaviyo

• Klaviyo a leading email marketing solution for ecommerce store owners
• Its integration with Shopify is extensive. Klaviyo gets data from your store so you can send automated emails that are far more effective—including product recommendations based on your customer’s purchase history
• You can tailor email marketing campaigns to suit the specific needs of different sections of your audience by using Klaviyo’s advanced segmentation tools. It goes further than purchasing habits; you can create lists of people based on whether they viewed a particular product, asked a question, demographics, etc.
• You can also send numerous abandoned cart follow-up emails to re-engage potential customers
• You can launch laser-targeted campaigns by integrating with Facebook Custom Audiences

CM Commerce

• CM Commerce handles all customer email communications on your behalf after they’ve made a purchase
• CM Commerce focuses on providing content-rich email receipts and abandoned cart emails that encourage customers to leave a review or purchase an upsell, all while building a rapport with your list
• CM Commerce is incredibly easy to use. Their array of templates is nothing short of impressive
• You can design automated email campaigns based on customer triggers you deem relevant

You should now have a better understanding of the pros, cons, and prices of these three email marketing services and understand how they will best fit into your ecommerce store’s strategy.