Common performance evaluation mistakes
Before you start reviewing performance, it's important to avoid these common mistakes by measuring success the right way. Flip the flashcards below to learn more about common, avoidable mistakes.
Although it may be tempting to compare the performance of VIP customers and window shoppers, these segments are designed to achieve different outcomes, so it isn't an apples-to-apples comparison.
Revenue doesn't always tell the full story. Different segments support different business goals, so they should be measured using metrics that reflect those goals. For example, a retention segment might be measured by repeat purchases, while a re-engagement segment could be measured by returning inactive customers.
Although it may be tempting to compare the performance of VIP customers and window shoppers, these segments are designed to achieve different outcomes, so it isn't an apples-to-apples comparison.
Revenue doesn't always tell the full story. Different segments support different business goals, so they should be measured using metrics that reflect those goals. For example, a retention segment might be measured by repeat purchases, while a re-engagement segment could be measured by returning inactive customers.
Remember to evaluate each segment against the goal it was designed to achieve, rather than each other.
Klaviyo tools to evaluate performance
Click into the tabs below to see which Klaviyo tools can help you evaluate your segments' performance.
Audience breakdown
Use the Audience Breakdown tab to evaluate how different segments performed within a single campaign. This view breaks down key metrics by list or segment, helping you understand how this particular campaign resonated with different audiences.
Use this report to identify which segments drove the strongest engagement, conversions, or revenue, and uncover opportunities to refine your targeting and messaging in future campaigns.
- Best for: Comparing list or segment performance within a single campaign
- Key engagement metrics: Total recipients, delivery rate, bounces (email only), failures (text only), opens, and clicks
- Key revenue metrics: Placed order rate and revenue by segment
- Keep in mind: This report is only available when a campaign is sent to at least 2 lists or segments
To review this report for a given campaign, open the Audience breakdown tab near the top of the page.
Campaign performance report
The campaign performance report helps you identify trends over time and understand which campaigns are driving the strongest results.
The campaign performance report can help you answer questions like “How have my product launch campaigns performed over the last year?” and “What does my conversion funnel look like for campaigns sent over the last 90 days, compared across different conversion metrics?”
- Best for: Analyzing and comparing performance across multiple campaigns
- Key metrics: Engagement, deliverability, conversion, and revenue metrics by campaign
- Customize by: Campaign tags, date ranges, conversion metrics, and campaign variations
Find this report by navigating to Analytics in the left-hand nav, then Custom reports.
Pro tip: Group performance by segment to see how each audience performed during a given campaign.
Marketing Analytics and Advanced Klaviyo Data Platform
Marketing Analytics and Advanced Klaviyo Data Platform (aka Advanced KDP) help you evaluate segment performance by bringing together customer, behavioral, and purchase data from across your business. These tools can show how audiences behave over time and where opportunities exist to improve retention, engagement, and revenue.
Use both tools to identify your most valuable customers, understand where customers drop off in their journey, analyze product purchasing patterns, and measure long-term customer value.
- Best for: Evaluating audience performance across the entire customer lifecycle
- Key analyses: Reach, frequency, or monetary value analysis (RFM), funnel analysis, product analysis, audience performance, and customer lifetime value (CLV)
- Key benefit: It helps uncover trends and behaviors that aren't visible in campaign-level reporting
- New to Advanced KDP? Learn how Klaviyo's B2C CRM helps you understand customer behavior across the entire lifecycle.
Find this by navigating to Marketing analytics in the left-hand nav.
SMS dashboard
Use this dashboard to identify trends, benchmark performance, monitor list health, and uncover opportunities to improve engagement and revenue.
- Best for: Evaluating the overall performance of your text program
- Key metrics: Click rate, conversion rate, unsubscribe rate, subscriber growth, and revenue attributed to your text campaigns
- Key benefit: Helps you identify engagement trends and spot signs of subscriber fatigue or over-messaging
Pro tip: Use the Audience Breakdown tab alongside text reporting to see how individual segments responded to a specific campaign
Troubleshooting tips
Not seeing the results you expected? Explore the dropdowns below to learn how to diagnose and address some of the most common segment performance issues.
My audience is too small
If a segment isn't generating enough engagement, your audience may be too small or narrowly defined. Review your segment criteria and sending strategy to make sure you're not excluding customers who are likely to engage.
Continue sending broader campaigns alongside your segmented campaigns to maintain reach and avoid over-relying on a small audience. As customers engage with those broader campaigns, their behaviors can qualify them for your custom segments, helping those audiences grow over time.
My content isn't resonating
Even a well-built segment can underperform if the content doesn't match the customer's interests or intent. Review your messaging, visuals, offer, and CTA to ensure they're aligned with the behavior that placed someone in the segment.
Avoid using the same generic content for every audience. The more closely your message reflects a customer's behavior and intent, the more relevant it will feel. If performance remains low, use A/B testing to experiment with different content approaches and identify what resonates most with that audience.
If a campaign sent to a custom segment performs well, consider turning it into a flow. By creating a segment-triggered flow, customers can automatically receive a tailored series of messages as soon as they qualify for the segment, helping you deliver relevant content at scale.