Here is all you need to know about segmentation

Hey it’s Idris from Retentiononly.

I just finished an audit for a client this week and what I found was costing them thousands in lost revenue every single send.

The fix? Dead simple. And it’s so universally applicable that I had to share it with you immediately.

Because if you're not following this exact framework, you're probably leaving 30-40% of your potential email revenue on the table.

Here's what I told them (and what you should implement immediately):

Stop Over-Complicating Segmentation

Most brands build segments that look impressive in Klaviyo but don't actually work.

Seven conditions, nested logic, complex exclusions...

It looks smart. But it doesn't perform.

After generating over $65M in email revenue for our 50+ clients, here's what I know works:

You need two segments to send emails to. That's it.

Segment 1: Email Engagement

- Opened email at least once in last 180 days
OR
- Clicked email at least once in last 180 days
AND
- Person can receive email marketing

That's it. No crazy conditions. No "if they did this but not that." Just pure engagement.

Your goal: Tune that 180-day window until you hit a 40% open rate. If you're at 35%, tighten it to 150 days. At 45%? Expand to 210 days.

This is your bread-and-butter segment. The people who actually read your emails.

Segment 2: Website Activity

- Engaged with website in last 30 days
(Active on site, Viewed Product, Viewed Collection, 
Added to Cart, Checkout Started, Placed Order, Filled Out Form)
AND
- Person can receive email marketing

This catches people who are window-shopping but not opening emails. They're interested, just not email-engaged yet.

Your goal: Same deal. Adjust the 30-day window until you hit 40% open rate.

How to Use These Segments

For regular sends: Mail both segments. Monitor your open rates in Audience Breakdown. Keep them at 40%+.

For launches/sales: Get aggressive. Expand both segments by 20-50% more people. These high-converting campaigns justify reaching a broader audience.

For re-engagement: Once a month, run a giveaway or irresistible offer to a much larger segment. Goal: wake up the inactive subscribers and move them back into your active segments.

Think of It Like This

Imagine your entire email list is a pie.

Right now, you're probably eating just this small slice with your regular campaigns. That's your hyper-engaged segment.

Segment 2 (website activity) lets you eat another slice – capturing additional revenue from people who are interested but not email-engaged.

Occasional expanded sends (launches, giveaways) let you take bites from the rest of the pie, pulling people back into your active segments.

The goal isn't just to mail your active list. It's to constantly grow your active list by re-engaging people who've gone cold.

What to Exclude

Keep it simple:

Bounced at least 2+ times in last 180 days
Received 6 emails and never engaged (zero opens, clicks, site visits, purchases)
Known spam traps
Placed order at least once in the last 14 days

Don't overthink it.

The Bottom Line

Most brands think segmentation means "complex conditions that sound smart."

It doesn't.

It means: Mail people who actually open your emails, and occasionally try to wake up the ones who don't.

Two segments. 40% open rate target. Adjust the time windows until you hit that number consistently.

That's the entire strategy.

Want me to audit your segmentation? Reply to this email, I'll take a look and tell you exactly where you're leaving money on the table.

Cheers,

Idris

P.S.
If you run an ecommerce brand doing at least $100k/mo USD and you want have to have a free audit to uncover problems and hidden opportunities to generate more revenue and profits with email marketing, book a call here ».