Sway's emails were all live. They were sending the wrong next message.
This is what a Continuo retention audit looks like. We went through every email, product and discount for Sway, an example period care brand, and found where repeat customers and profit were slipping away. Then we ranked the fixes by what each one is worth.
Sway is a fictional brand, and every number is modeled to show what you get. Sway sells a reusable heat wrap ($79), Cycle Comfort Patches ($24), a relief balm ($28) and a bundle ($96). The full story is in the Sway case study.
01 · The short version
Your emails are working hard. They're just sending the wrong next message.
Today's number, then where the plan aims to take it.
What's wrong
Customers get the wrong next email. People who bought a wrap that lasts for years are told to reorder it. People who bought patches get reminded on a fixed day, no matter how many they bought.
What it costs
Fewer than 1 in 4 customers buy again, and most who do need a coupon. Each new customer earns you just $14.20 in profit over 90 days after paying for the ad.
What to do
Keep the emails that work. Send each customer the message that fits what they bought. Stop giving discounts to people who would buy anyway.
02 · Your numbers today
Revenue looks healthy. Repeat customers don't.
Klaviyo credits email with almost a third of revenue. But fewer than 1 in 4 customers buy again within 90 days, and most of those repeat orders need a discount.
| What we measured | Today | What it tells us |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly revenue | $96,700 | A healthy, growing store |
| New customers each month | ~1,030 | Ads are bringing people in |
| Average first order | $64.50 | Most people start with the wrap |
| Cost to get one new customer | $31.00 | This is what each customer has to pay back |
| Share of revenue Klaviyo credits to email | 31% | Looks great, but it's credit, not proof email caused the sale |
| Customers who buy again within 90 days | 23.1% | Main problem |
| Revenue per email received | $0.78 | Low |
| Repeat orders that used a discount | 62% | Too high |
| Profit per customer after ad costs (90 days) | $14.20 | The number to grow |
03 · Your emails, scored
Two flows are working. Four need fixing.
We scored every automated email flow on how often it leads to a purchase and how much it earns per email sent.
| Email flow | How it performs | Verdict | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome | 50% open · 1.7% buy · $1.06 per email | Working | Keep. Small copy tweaks only. |
| Abandoned checkout | 51% open · 7.9% buy · $4.88 per email | Working | Keep. Only offer a discount when there's a reason to. |
| After purchase | 54% open · 0.9% buy · $0.42 per email | Weak | Help people use what they bought before selling them more. |
| Cross-sell | 46% open · 1.4% buy · $0.78 per email | Weak | Suggest the next product based on what they already own. |
| Reorder reminder | 45% open · 1.6% buy · $0.81 per email | Weak | Time it to how many patches they bought. Never tell wrap owners to reorder the wrap. |
| Win-back | 40% open · 1.8% buy · $1.03 per email | Needs work | Ask why they stopped first. Replace the automatic 20% off. |
04 · Your products
A wrap that lasts years isn't the same as a pack of patches.
Sway sells one product customers keep and several they use up. Today they all get the same reminders, so most customers get a message that doesn't fit.
| What the customer bought | What they need next | What they get today |
|---|---|---|
| Reusable heat wrap (lasts for years) | Help using it, then patches or balm | Told to reorder the wrap on day 30 |
| Heat patches (used up) | A reminder when they're actually running low | Same day for 1 pack or 3 |
| Relief balm (used up) | A refill, or a product that goes with it | Generic reminder and offer |
| Bundle | A refill of just the part that ran out | Treated as one product |
05 · Your discounts
62% of repeat orders used a discount. Most didn't need one.
We compared what each type of offer earns in profit, not just how many people click.
Profit earned per 100 customers who get the offer
The discount that gets the most clicks isn't the one that makes the most money. The right product at full price earned more than twice as much as the blanket discounts.
06 · What to fix first
Six fixes, ranked by what they're worth.
Ranked by how much money each fix can add, how hard it is to build, and how sure we are about it.
1. Show wrap owners the patches and balm
Impact: HighEffort: MediumFixes the biggest mistake: telling people to reorder a product that lasts for years.
2. Time patch and bundle reminders to real use
Impact: HighEffort: MediumReaches customers when they're running low, not on a random day 30.
3. Set clear rules for discounts and win-back
Impact: HighEffort: LowStops paying for sales that would have happened anyway.
4. Teach new customers how to get the most from the wrap
Impact: Medium to highEffort: MediumCustomers who use the product are the ones who come back.
5. Check which ads bring customers who return
Impact: To be measuredEffort: MediumSome ads may bring one-time buyers. We need the data to know.
6. Refresh the welcome email
Impact: LowEffort: LowIt already works well, so this comes last.
07 · Your 90-day plan
What we'd do, month by month.
DAYS 1–30
Get the basics right
- Check that Shopify and Klaviyo data is accurate
- Group customers by what they bought
- Launch wrap owner onboarding and patch and balm suggestions
DAYS 31–60
Fix timing and offers
- Reorder reminders based on how many patches people bought
- Bundle refills for just the part that ran out
- Win-back that asks why, with discounts only when price is the reason
DAYS 61–90
Measure and improve
- Rebuild campaigns so people don't get emails for things they already own
- Review test results
- One simple monthly report on repeat customers and profit
08 · What it's worth
Nearly double the profit from every new customer.
Here's where the plan aims to take Sway's numbers.
Profit per new customer, first 90 days
What that adds up to
+$12,257
extra profit from every month's new customers, over their first 90 days. That's 1,030 new customers × $11.90 more profit each, before our fees and tool costs.
Every figure here is modeled for a fictional brand. In a real audit, every number comes from your own Shopify, Klaviyo and cost data.
09 · Your audit
Want this for your brand?
What we'd need from you
- Access to Shopify and Klaviyo (read-only is fine)
- Your product costs and what you pay for ads
- At least 6 months of order history
What you'd get
- A report like this one, built on your real numbers
- A ranked list of fixes with the dollar value of each
- A walkthrough call and a 90-day plan you can run with or without us
Free retention call
Start with a free 30-minute call.
We'll look at your numbers together and show you the first place customers stop buying. If an audit makes sense, we'll tell you what it would cover. Every audit is backed by our money-back guarantee.