Working with Klaviyo at Beginner Level

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Topic summary

A Shopify store owner with no existing email list seeks beginner guidance on using Klaviyo for email flows, campaigns, and discount codes.

Core recommendations from respondents:

  • List building first: Add signup forms or popups offering incentives (e.g., 10% off first order) to capture emails from day one
  • Essential automated flows: Start with a Welcome Flow (2-3 emails introducing the brand + discount) and an Abandoned Cart Flow (recovery reminders after 24 hours)
  • Integration: Connect Klaviyo directly to Shopify to sync customer data automatically
  • Discount setup: Create codes in Shopify admin, then insert them into Klaviyo emails
  • Campaign cadence: Begin with simple weekly or bi-weekly newsletters featuring new products and brand stories

Additional suggestions:

  • Use Klaviyo’s pre-built templates and drag-and-drop editor for branding consistency
  • One respondent recommends adding SMS marketing (via TxtCart) for higher cart recovery rates
  • Another suggests Retentionly as a simpler, cost-effective alternative to Klaviyo as the list grows

Consensus centers on starting small with foundational flows while simultaneously building the subscriber base through incentivized signups.

Summarized with AI on October 27. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
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What tips can you provide for working with Klaviyo? I would like to know some tips to help me with creating flows, email campaigns and setting up discount codes. I am just starting out and I have no email list at this time. I have a store on Shopify.

Thank you,

Mary Domhan

1 Like
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Hi @edgycatdesigns

I think you should focus on building your email list and setting up essential flows first.

Capture emails & Add a pop-up or embedded form on your Shopify store offering a discount (e.g., 10% off) in exchange for signing up.

Then, set up automated flow: Welcome flow (a warm intro email with the discount cod), Abandoned Cart Flow (Remind customers about their cart with a small incentive after 24 hours), Post-Purchase Flow (Thank buyers, suggest related products, and encourage reviews.).

And, sending weekly or bi-weekly emails featuring new arrivals, promotions, and brand stories.

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Hi Mary, welcome to the journey of email marketing and Klaviyo! Since you’re just starting out, here are some tips that might help you with Klaviyo and your Shopify store:

  1. Start by integrating Klaviyo with your Shopify store. This will allow you to easily sync your customer data so you can start building your email list as you get subscribers and customers.

  2. For flows, a great place to begin is with basics like a ‘Welcome Flow’ for new subscribers and an ‘Abandoned Cart Flow.’ These are key to engaging visitors and customers early on. Klaviyo has pre-built templates you can tweak to suit your brand.

  3. When setting up email campaigns, make sure your emails reflect your store’s branding (colors, fonts, logo) and offer value to readers. Start building trust by sending educational or inspirational content alongside any promotional materials.

  4. To build an email list, you can add sign-up forms to your store offering an incentive like a discount code (e.g., 10% off their first order). Klaviyo also makes it easy to create pop-ups and embedded forms for this purpose.

  5. Setting up discount codes can be done directly in Shopify. Once you create the code in Shopify, you can craft an email in Klaviyo to share this code with your subscribers or segment it for specific audiences later as your list grows.

Lastly, since you’re starting out with no list yet, focus on driving traffic to your site and converting those visitors into email subscribers. Good luck with Edgy Cat Designs, and feel free to ask if you have more questions!

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hey mary, klaviyo’s good but honestly i found that combining it with sms marketing was the secret sauce for my shopify store. txtcart has been absolutely fire for me especially for cart recovery through sms, almost doubling our conversion rates. discount codes also work best when they create urgency so add expiration dates to push people to act and these are your best friend when building a list from scratch.

when implementing campaigns, keep it simple at first, maybe a weekly newsletter or a monthly roundup of new products. txtcart’s campaign scheduler is super handy too cuz it sends sms in the customer’s timezone. def worth checking out if you’re tryna maximize those shopify sales.

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Hey @edgycatdesigns ,
Welcome to email marketing and congrats on your Shopify store launch; exciting times ahead.

Since you’re just getting started with Klaviyo and don’t have a list yet, here are a few beginner-friendly tips to help you set things up smoothly:

Build your list from day one
Add a signup form to your homepage or use a popup to collect emails with a first-order discount or freebie. Make sure it connects directly to your Klaviyo account so new subscribers are added automatically.

Start with the essentials
Focus on just two flows to begin:

  1. Welcome Flow: A short 2 or 3 email series to introduce your brand and offer a first-time discount
  2. Abandoned Cart Flow: Helps recover lost sales by reminding visitors about what they left behind

Keep your emails simple and on-brand
Use Klaviyo’s drag-and-drop editor and prebuilt templates. Add your logo, keep the text friendly, and include clear buttons like “Shop Now” or “Use My Discount.”

Set up a discount code inside Shopify
Go to Discounts in your Shopify admin and create a code like WELCOME10; you can then insert this into your welcome emails in Klaviyo.

That said, if you ever feel Klaviyo gets a bit complex or pricey as your list grows, there are simpler options out there.

Retentionly – AI Email Marketing is another app built for Shopify merchants like you; it helps you set up smart automations and welcome sequences in just a few clicks—no steep learning curve, and pricing is based on emails sent, not your list size.

Either way, starting small and building gradually is the way to go.

Get started by installing the Retentionly – AI Email Marketing app. We’ll configure your email automation flows at no additional cost to you.

Wishing you lots of sales,
Retentionly Team

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