Hey it’s Idris from Retentiononly.
A lot of ecommerce founders assume that once a brand reaches 8 or 9 figures, they've figured email marketing out.
That's rarely true.
I recently broke down emails from five massive ecommerce brands and found the exact same revenue leaks we see inside many Klaviyo accounts.
The interesting part?
None of these mistakes require a complete redesign.
They're small improvements that compound over time and can add a surprising amount of revenue.
If you prefer consuming content in video format, you can watch the full breakdown and explanation here:
🎥 Full video: [YOUTUBE VIDEO]
Here are the 5 biggest takeaways.
1. Your visuals need to reinforce your message
Most brands focus on writing a good subject line.
Then they completely break the experience once someone opens the email.
Gisou used:
Subject line: Hot Girl Summer Hair
Headline: The Ultimate Summer Hair Routine
Then they showed a header image that communicated something entirely different.
The customer follows one story… and suddenly gets shown another.
That friction silently kills clicks.
What to do instead:
Every element should tell the same story.
Subject line → Headline → Header image → CTA
One message. One conversation.
Ask yourself:
"If someone covered up my copy and only saw the image, would they still understand the message?"
2. Don't just show products. Explain them.
This is one of the biggest mistakes brands make.
They'll show four products and simply list their names.
Customers don't buy products.
Customers buy solutions.
Don't write:
Honey Hair Oil
Honey Gloss Drops
Write:
Honey Hair Oil
✓ Protects hair from heat damage
✓ Prevents dryness from saltwater and sun exposure
✓ Adds shine without making your hair greasy
Your emails should educate people before asking them to click.
3. Remove friction and clutter
One of the biggest conversion killers is overwhelming people.
Too much text.
Too many design elements.
Too many offers.
Too many products.
If customers have to think, you've already lost.
Ask yourself:
Can someone understand my offer within 3 seconds?
Simplify:
Bigger headline
Cleaner hero section
One primary CTA
Fewer choices
Simple usually wins.
4. Your CTA is probably too weak
I still see brands using:
"Shop Now"
"Learn More"
"Save Now"
They're generic.
Instead, reinforce the offer.
Examples:
❌ Save Now
✅ Save 30% Now
❌ Shop Now
✅ Claim Your Summer Essentials
❌ Learn More
✅ Fix Your Gut Health
The more specific the CTA, the more clicks you'll generate.
5. Stop making claims you can't prove
Daily Dose says:
"Clinically proven."
"Doctor approved."
"Tastes amazing."
But then they provide zero evidence.
Anybody can make claims.
The best brands prove them.
If you say:
Clinically proven
→ Link to studies.
If you say:
Doctor approved
→ Show the doctors.
If you say:
Tastes amazing
→ Show customer reviews saying exactly that.
Every claim should have proof attached to it.
That's how trust is built.
The bigger lesson
After sending over 45 million emails and generating more than $65 million in revenue for ecommerce brands, I've noticed something.
Most brands don't have a massive email problem.
They have 50 tiny problems.
Each one is costing them 1-3%.
Fix enough of them and suddenly email becomes one of your most profitable channels.
That's exactly what we do at Retentiononly.
If your brand is already doing $100k+/month, I'd be happy to personally audit your account and show you:
What's currently working
Where you're losing revenue
The highest ROI opportunities to fix first
Book your free audit here: [FREE AUDIT]
Or, if you prefer consuming content in video format, you can watch the full breakdown here:
🎥 Watch the full video: [YOUTUBE VIDEO]
Speak soon,
Idris