How to Build Post-Purchase Flows That Convert With Klaviyo AI

Post-purchase flows are the lifeblood of any customer retention strategy, especially for brands with quick conversion cycles. Yet, few brands go beyond generic replenishment and cross-sell flows that aren't targeted enough to drive tangible improvements to repurchase rates. 

With post-purchase emails alone sitting at a staggering 40.5% open rate, brands that fail to go beyond the simplest flows are leaving marketing spend on the table. Fortunately, there are tools that can help transform your post-purchase flows into a potent customer retention engine, even if your marketing team is an army of one.

We sat down with Jason Anderson, COO at Andzen, to discuss how brands can use Klaviyo AI to create highly personalized post-purchase flows that captivate and convert. Keep reading to get his insider tips on how to leverage these tools to level up your retention marketing strategy. 

The Key to Improving Your Post-Purchase Flows? Predicting Repurchase Rates

To complement its industry-leading marketing automation platform, Klaviyo launched Klaviyo AI back in 2024. Jason explains that one of the standout features of Klaviyo AI is its predictive analytics, which empowers brands to better understand customer behaviors and build more impactful marketing campaigns. 

One of his favorite behaviors to track (that has also delivered outsized returns on post-purchase flows) is repurchase rates. Klaviyo AI can analyze the average time between customer orders and predict when they're most likely to place another. Armed with this information, Jason can time and target his post-purchase flows more efficiently while also gaining a better understanding of churn.

Before Klaviyo AI, this was a much more nuanced process. Jason recalls a skincare brand Andzen once worked with that operated on an expected 30-day repurchase cycle. If a customer didn’t repurchase within that timeframe, he had to grapple with the question, “How many days should pass before this customer becomes a churn risk?”

And regardless of when that alarm bell should start ringing, how can he build a win-back flow so they dovetail back to the brand? Should he offer a discount to get them back in the door, or simply lean on more personalized flows? That's where Klaviyo AI comes in. 

Not only can Klaviyo AI determine churn risk at the individual level, but it also categorizes customers into specific buckets (based on purchase history and engagement data) where they can be targeted with highly personalized flows that captivate and convert. This takes the guesswork out of your retention marketing strategy to the benefit of your customers and bottom line.

4 Steps to Integrate Repurchase Rates Into Your Klaviyo Flows

So, how can your brand unlock repurchase rate visibility and supercharge its post-purchase flows like Jason does at Andzen? Here’s a step-by-step guide to do just that:  

Step 1: Enable Klaviyo's Predictive Analytics

First, navigate to the “Profiles tab” within your Klaviyo account. Then, select the profile where you want to view predictive insights. From there, the predictive analytics section will be available on the "Metrics and Insights" tab of the selected profile. 

Once you enable predictive analytics, Klaviyo automatically calculates metrics like Expected Date of Next Order (EDONO) based on customer purchase history and engagement data. This not only makes determining repurchase dates simple, but it also provides baseline performance metrics against which you can judge future data.

Jason explains that brands need to know where they started in order to discern any sort of growth. For example, if Klaviyo tells you that your current repeat purchase rate is .5%, that guides your strategy for raising it to 1-2%.

Step 2: Create Your Bucketed Flows 

Now that you’ve established a robust data baseline, it’s time to create personalized post-purchase flows. Jason emphasizes the importance of tailoring each flow towards unique customer buckets, so your messaging and offers resonate with the intended audience.

For example, if you’re targeting champions with high LTV and low churn risk, offering early access to a new collection can be a low-lift way to solidify their loyalty and boost AOV. Jason explains that Klaviyo makes this process easy with robust native segmentation capabilities based on a number of behaviors, preferences, and demographic data.  

Step 3: Deploy Each Flow Across Your Target Segments

Once you’ve established your bucketed flows, it’s time to deploy them across each target segment. Jason recommends assigning a desired result behind each bucket, whether that be getting customers to make a second purchase or boosting AOV.

In addition to predicting repurchase rates, Klaviyo can help considerably in the latter category with its AI product recommendations. How it works is simple. Klaviyo analyzes customer behavior to showcase recently viewed products, remind them about items they’ve added to their cart, or highlight your newest additions. If you don't have much site activity to reference, Klaviyo also offers what’s called a “fallback sort order,” which opts to display your best-selling products by default.

Step 4: Analyze and Optimize Your Flows

With your new post-purchase flows live, now it's time to sit back, analyze the performance metrics, and optimize accordingly. While it's tempting to keep your eyes glued to your performance dashboard, Jason recommends giving your flows time to accumulate meaningful metrics. Typically, you'll need to wait up to a week before tangible optimization opportunities begin to arise.

If, for instance, you're noticing customers in a second-purchase flow aren’t buying as you’d hoped, consider switching them to a win-back flow that offers one-time discounts or more personalized communications.

Post-Purchase Flows Every Brand Should Have in Their Arsenal

While there are many post-purchase flows brands should have at their disposal, Jason has seen the most success at Andzen using the following options:

High Churn Risks

These flows leverage Klaviyo's segmentation and your own first-party data to identify and convert at-risk customers. While "at-risk" is a broad term, Jason explains that behaviors such as consistent cart abandonment or sudden decreases in purchase frequency are considerable warning signs.

To re-engage these customers, send personalized win-back emails with tailored offers and exclusive deals. Sending a personalized, one-time discount for a product the customer has been eyeing can lower the barrier to conversion significantly. However, Jason also emphasizes that excessive discounts can condition customers to purchase only when an offer is made, so look to them as a last resort.

Replenishment Flows 

Replenishment flows send customers reminders just before Klaviyo’s predicted reorder date, encouraging them to restock previously purchased products. To unlock a deeper layer of personalization, Jason recommends implementing flow branching, which automates timely touchpoints with enhanced relevance. For instance, rather than sending a generic abandoned cart email, Klaviyo will also inform the customer of the specific item they left behind.

While replenishment flows are rightfully considered table stakes, Jason admits they account for every possible customer reaction to reordering. They can create excitement for an upcoming shipment, be a helpful, timely reminder that avoids the frustration of missed items, or reduce potential resentment toward an unexpected subscription charge.

Cross-sell/Upsell Flows

Another essential component of your retention strategy, cross-sell and upsell flows analyze predicted repurchase dates and deploy emails recommending complementary or higher-end products. Jason explains these flows can be a gamechanger in driving AOV if they're correctly targeted and personalized using Klaviyo AI's product recommendations. 

If you’re wondering whether to lean into cross-selling or upselling, Jason recommends using your existing product catalog to guide this choice. If you have many products that naturally complement each other, lean more into cross-selling. Conversely, if you offer a limited number of tiered products (or services), upselling could be a more efficient way to boost AOV.

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Close the Retention Loop With Quality Opt-Ins 

While Klaviyo's predictive analytics offer a wealth of information and functionalities, your post-purchase flows are only as good as the quality of your opt-ins. That's why Jason recommends Dataships.

By auto-applying the optimal consent strategy based on each shopper’s location, Dataships maximizes opt-in rates while creating a fully compliant audience of high-intent users. Jason emphasizes how this influx of quality users magnifies the revenue impact of your post-purchase flows.

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One look at the success of Dataships' customers confirms Jason's sentiment. Leading nutrition brand IQBAR, for instance, partnered with Dataships to drive repeat purchase rates with high-quality opt-ins at checkout. 

The results since the partnership began? 

- 17X lift to SMS opt-ins

- 1.6X lift to email opt-ins

- 19K net new contacts

- 36% repeat purchase rate

Think it’s your turn for that sort of lift? 

Run a free A/B test against your current checkout today.