How to Set Up High-Converting Klaviyo Flows for DTC Brands

Flows aren’t just ‘set and forget’.

If you’re a DTC brand running Klaviyo, the difference between 10% and 30% of your revenue coming from email often comes down to this: smart, high-converting flows built around customer behaviour — not just templates.

This is your playbook for doing it right.

First, What Are Klaviyo Flows?

Klaviyo flows are automated email (or SMS) sequences triggered by specific customer actions or data points.

They’re built around lifecycle moments — like signing up, abandoning a cart, or placing an order — and they run 24/7 in the background.

Done well, they:

• Nurture new leads into first purchases

• Recover potentially lost revenue

• Turn first-time buyers into repeat customers

• Win back lapsed customers with precision

The Core High-Converting Klaviyo Flows (That Every DTC Brand Needs)

Let’s break down the flows we set up for every high-growth brand — and how to optimise them for real results.

1. Welcome Series (Lead to First Order)

Trigger: Signs up via form or popup
Goal: Educate, differentiate, convert

Best practices:

• Keep it short (3–5 emails max)

• Reinforce your brand story + product benefits

• Incentive? Use it smartly — not just a coupon dump

• Split the flow for mobile, desktop, or location if needed

Tip: Use predictive analytics to fast-track high-intent profiles into more aggressive sell sequences.

2. Browse Abandonment

Trigger: Views product but doesn’t add to cart
Goal: Re-engage interest, highlight USPs

Best practices:

• Dynamic product blocks + personalised copy

• Add social proof or review UGC

• Limit to 1–2 emails — don’t overwhelm

Tip: Add a split for returning vs new visitors to fine-tune tone.

3. Abandoned Cart

Trigger: Adds to cart but doesn’t complete checkout
Goal: Recover lost revenue

Best practices:

• First email within 1–2 hours

• Use urgency (low stock, limited offer) wisely

• Include product images and direct CTA

Tip: Set separate paths for high-value carts vs <$X value. Offer support for high AOV.

4. Post-Purchase (First-Time Buyer Flow)

Trigger: First order placed
Goal: Reduce buyer’s remorse, increase LTV

Best practices:

• Start with ‘thank you’, then move to product education

• Encourage UGC or reviews around day 7–10

• Introduce next best product/category with smart cross-sells

Tip: Use Klaviyo’s predicted next order date to tee up the timing of follow-up offers.

5. Lapsed Customer / Winback Flow

Trigger: No purchase in 60–90 days (or past predicted reorder date)
Goal: Reignite interest or churn prevention

Best practices:

• Lead with product benefits, not just discounts

• Test between reminders, testimonials, or relaunch messages

• Offer a lower-commitment entry point if high AOV

Tip: Split between ‘Champions’ and ‘Low Value’ segments — not all customers are worth chasing equally.

6. Sunset Flow (List Hygiene & Deliverability Protection)

Trigger: No opens, clicks or purchases over a set period (usually 90–180 days)
Goal: Maintain list health and email deliverability

Best practices:

• Send a short re-engagement sequence (2–3 emails max)

• Offer a clear value prop for staying subscribed

• Include a ‘last chance’ to re-engage or opt out

• Automatically suppress contacts who don’t respond

Tip: Suppressing disengaged contacts improves open rates and reduces spam risk — which means your emails keep hitting inboxes for the people who do buy.

Smart Enhancements for 2025

• Integrate Klaviyo with your returns platform to trigger follow-ups after refunds

• Leverage zero-party data from quizzes or surveys to tailor flows

• Use AI-generated subject line testing to boost open rates

• Sync flows with onsite personalisation tools for unified journeys
  
  

How Atlas Studios Builds High-Converting Flows

We treat Klaviyo flows like growth infrastructure — not just email marketing. Every flow we build is grounded in:

• Lifecycle and margin strategy (not just best practice templates)

• Segmentation and dynamic logic to avoid spray-and-pray messaging

• On-brand creative and copywriting that actually converts

• Ongoing testing + reporting tied to revenue — not vanity metrics
  
  

Want to know what your current flows are missing? Reach out for a no-obligation audit — we’ll show you where the money’s leaking.