If you've been using Mailchimp for Shopify you've likely heard that starting May 12th, 2019 the two apps will stop syncing with each other.
What Does This Mean For You?
All of your customer data will stop syncing with Mailchimp and you'll no longer be able to collect email subscribers, use their purchase data for email segmentation or any of the other features the integration provides you.
What Should You Do Now?
If email marketing is an important part of your eCommerce business, and it should be, then you need to figure out what to do now that Shopify and Mailchimp will no longer work together. You have a few options, and the direction you go will depend on your business.
Is There Another App I Can Use to Sync My Shopify Data With Mailchimp?
Yes, there is. MailChimp actually posted a help document that gives you the workarounds available for continuing to sync your Shopify data into MailChimp.
They highlight a few options, but the only one that syncs all of the data and allows for a full integration is called ShopSync. I checked out the website, and while the design is clean and beautiful, there's little information about the developer and with so few reviews in the app store, I'm not sure how I feel about it.
Seems a bit convenient that all off a sudden there's a brand new app available to connect the two platforms. Their timing sure is impeccable though, isn't it.
So, Should You Stay or Should You Go?
Ultimately, whether you choose to bring on an unproven 3rd party app, or switch to a different platform is something you'll have to decide based on your business needs.
It's possible that the app is perfectly stable and the timing is just a coincidence. But, if it were me… I would switch. And don't get me wrong. I love MailChimp. I've used it and recommended it to a lot of different people. But I would still rather use a different platform.
And it's not just because of a fishy app, or the turmoil between Shopify and MailChimp.
It's because my experience tells me there are better email marketing options for eCommerce out there.
Why You Should Switch From Mailchimp for Shopify to Another Platform
I've been working in retail for 20+ years, and in digital marketing for the last 5. I've tried out all the email marketing platforms out there and they each have their pros and cons.
What I can tell you is, that instead of finding a way to continue to sync your subscribers between Mailchimp and Shopify, you should actually switch to a more sophisticated platform.
I know that switching platforms is time consuming and stressful. But what if I told you that when I made the most recent change in my email marketing service provider my email conversions and revenue doubled?
What are the Best Email Platforms For Shopify eCommerce
As I mentioned above, I've used many of the email platforms out there. Like most I started out on Mailchimp, then I switched to Bronto, then to Zaius, (that only last a month and it ruined our holiday business) and then to Klaviyo.
I did tinker with MailerLite as well, and while it does have great automation and some eCommerce specific features, it's still better suited to informational products in my opinion.
Why Klaviyo is Better Than Mailchimp for Shopify
Why do I love Klaviyo so much?
My revenue and email conversion rate have doubled since we switched, and I spend way less time working on it.
When it comes to email marketing for eCommerce, I seriously can't sing its praises enough.
Every feature
Here are some of my favorite Klaviyo features:
- Deep integration with Shopify and Google Analytics
- See when subscribers are on your site, what products they're looking at, what site referred them and more
- Configurable product data feeds with personalized recommendations
- Auto-expiring unique coupons that create urgency for email automations
- Built in workflows for browse and cart abandonment
- Drag and drop workflow / automation builders with visual blocks
- Complex segmentation scenarios with or/and statements
- Custom fields for email preference management
- Unlimited pop-ups, embedded forms, multiple trigger options and exit intent
Cons of Klaviyo
You will have to start paying for Klaviyo at the 500 subscriber mark, much sooner than you do with Mailchimp. Depending on the number of subscribers you have, you may have a bit of sticker shock, but I urge you to look at the potential ROI and how
Can I Make More Money in eCommerce With Klaviyo ?
I believe that if you have the right strategy and tools in place you can see huge growth in your email revenue, customer retention and business.
If your customer return rate is low, your open rates suck, and no one is buying from your emails, it's likely your strategy is off – email is certainly not dead. In fact, it still boasts an ROI of 40:1
So yea, the short answer is you can make more money in your eCommerce business with Klaviyo.
In addition to all their awesome eCommerce features, they have a library of pre-built workflows and automations for inspiration – all built to generate more revenue in your business.
