Summary
A sudden drop in email open rates after migrating to Klaviyo can be attributed to a combination of factors related to deliverability, list quality, technical configurations, and changes in sending practices. Experts, marketers, and documentation sources agree that issues like low engagement, differences in open rate tracking, pre-existing list problems surfacing post-migration, insufficient IP warming, authentication setup, content quality, and improper configuration of dedicated IPs and feedback loops all play a role. Thorough investigation and remediation of these potential issues are crucial to restoring open rates.
Key findings
- Engagement & Spam: Low recipient engagement leads to spam folder placement.
- Tracking Discrepancies: Open rate tracking varies between Klaviyo and other platforms.
- List Quality Issues: Pre-existing list problems become apparent after migration.
- Insufficient Warming: Lack of proper IP warming damages sender reputation.
- Authentication Problems: Incorrect SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup hurts deliverability.
- Content Relevance: Unengaging content or spam triggers lower open rates.
- Technical Setup: Incorrect configuration of dedicated IPs and feedback loops can cause issues.
- Blacklisting: Being on a blocklist will significantly damage deliverability.
Key considerations
- Check Open Rate Tracking: Understand how Klaviyo tracks opens compared to your previous platform.
- Review List Quality: Analyze your list for bounces, spam complaints, and inactive subscribers. Regularly clean your list.
- Implement IP Warming: Gradually increase sending volume to new IP addresses.
- Optimize Content: Ensure your content is engaging, relevant, and avoids spam triggers. Test your content.
- Verify Authentication: Confirm that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are set up correctly in Klaviyo.
- Review Dedicated IP Setup: Ensure your dedicated IP is properly configured.
- Check Feedback Loops: Ensure your feedback loops are set up correctly to monitor spam complaints.
- Monitor Sender Reputation: Monitor your sender reputation using tools like Sender Score.
- Check Blocklists: Check if your IP address or domain is on any blocklists.
- Analyze Sending Patterns: Avoid sudden changes in sending volume, frequency, or targeting.
- Review Migration Process: Double-check suppression lists and unsubscribe imports from the previous provider. Consider re-engaging old subscribers.
- Test Pixel Placement: Ensure the open tracking pixel is at the top of your code.
What email marketers say
13 marketer opinions
After migrating to Klaviyo, a sudden drop in email open rates can stem from various factors, including differences in Klaviyo's open tracking mechanisms, issues with list hygiene and segmentation, insufficient IP warming, changes in email content, incorrect dedicated IP setup, and sender reputation problems. It's crucial to investigate potential deliverability issues and adjust strategies accordingly.
Key opinions
- Tracking Differences: Klaviyo might track opens differently compared to previous email platforms.
- List Hygiene: Migrated lists may contain unengaged contacts, negatively impacting deliverability.
- IP Warming: Insufficient IP warming after migration can harm sender reputation.
- Content Issues: Changes in email content could trigger spam filters or decrease engagement.
- Dedicated IP Setup: Incorrectly configuring a dedicated IP address in Klaviyo can affect delivery.
- Sender Reputation: A poor sender reputation due to spam complaints or blacklisting will lower open rates.
Key considerations
- Review Klaviyo Tracking: Understand how Klaviyo tracks email opens and adjust your expectations.
- Clean Your List: Remove inactive subscribers and segment your list based on engagement.
- Warm-Up IP: Gradually increase sending volume to establish a positive sender reputation.
- Optimize Content: Ensure your email content is engaging and avoids triggering spam filters.
- Verify IP Configuration: Confirm that your dedicated IP address is correctly configured in Klaviyo.
- Monitor Reputation: Regularly check your sender reputation using tools like Sender Score.
- Test Deliverability: Use seed list testing tools to identify potential deliverability issues.
- Review Migration Process: Double-check suppression lists and unsubscribe imports from the previous provider.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests reviewing everything that changed during the migration to Klaviyo, including content details, as there may be a variable at play outside of pure deliverability.
27 Jan 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email on Acid responds that changes in email content after the migration could be the culprit. If the new content is less engaging or triggers spam filters, open rates will suffer.
24 May 2024 - Email on Acid
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
A sudden drop in email open rates after migrating to Klaviyo could be due to several expert-identified factors. These include low engagement leading to spam placement, differences in open rate reporting between platforms, pre-existing list quality issues becoming apparent, and problems with feedback loop (FBL) setup. Addressing these issues is crucial to improving deliverability.
Key opinions
- Low Engagement: Low engagement may result in spam folder placement.
- Reporting Differences: Klaviyo's open rate reporting may differ from Mailchimp's.
- Pre-existing List Issues: List quality problems may surface after migration.
- FBL Problems: Incorrectly set up or missing feedback loops can hide critical spam complaint information.
Key considerations
- Test Engagement: Test engagement levels and address issues at affected mail box providers.
- Evaluate Reporting: Understand how Klaviyo reports opens and adjust benchmarks accordingly.
- Analyze List Health: Assess bounce rates, spam complaints, and engagement metrics.
- Check FBL Setup: Ensure feedback loops are correctly configured to receive spam complaint data.
- Check Blocklists: Check if your Mailchimp subdomain or IP is blocklisted.
- Verify Authentication: Ensure DKIM, SPF, and DMARC are fully implemented.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks points out that Klaviyo's open rate reporting might be manipulated differently than Mailchimp's.
6 Jul 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise suggests checking your feedback loops (FBLs) after migrating to Klaviyo. Problems with FBL setup could mean you are not receiving vital information about spam complaints which may negatively impact sender reputation and subsequently, open rates.
23 Mar 2023 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
A sudden drop in email open rates after migrating to Klaviyo can be attributed to several technical factors identified by documentation sources. These factors include the reliance on tracking pixels which are often blocked, incorrect or incomplete email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), sudden changes in sending patterns triggering spam filters, and potential blacklisting of sending IPs or domains. Addressing these issues is vital for improving deliverability.
Key findings
- Tracking Pixel Blocking: Email open rate tracking relies on tracking pixels which may be blocked by email clients.
- Authentication Issues: Incorrect or incomplete email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) can lead to emails being filtered as spam.
- Sending Pattern Changes: Sudden changes in sending patterns can trigger spam filters.
- Blacklisting: Sending IPs or domains may be blacklisted, severely impacting email deliverability.
Key considerations
- Review Image Blocking: Account for the impact of image blocking on open rate metrics.
- Implement Authentication: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured and implemented.
- Maintain Sending Patterns: Avoid drastic changes in sending volume and frequency.
- Check Blacklists: Regularly check if your sending IPs and domains are listed on any blocklists.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools emphasizes the importance of authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). If your authentication setup wasn't correctly migrated or implemented in Klaviyo, Gmail and other providers may filter your emails as spam, leading to lower open rates.
7 Dec 2021 - Google
Technical article
Documentation from Klaviyo explains that open rate tracking relies on a tracking pixel. If email clients block images by default, opens might not be recorded. Differences in image blocking across different email clients can affect overall open rates.
26 Jul 2024 - Klaviyo
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