Klaviyo vs Salesforce: Introduction
The Role of ESPs in Every eCommerce Business
Choosing the right Email Service Provider (ESP) can be a game-changer for eCommerce businesses looking to boost customer engagement & LTV (Lifetime Value). For brands generating over $5 million in annual online sales, the decision between Salesforce and Klaviyo is particularly common. These powerful platforms serve as the backbone of 1000s of brand’s email marketing strategies, primarily focusing on two key areas: automated emails and scheduled campaigns.
Automated Emails: The Backbone of Personalized Customer Journeys
When comparing Salesforce vs Klaviyo, it's essential to understand how each platform approaches automated emails. These are triggered messages sent based on specific customer actions or data points. Examples include:
- Welcome series for new subscribers
- Abandoned cart reminders
- Post-purchase follow-ups
- Re-engagement campaigns for inactive customers
Both Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Klaviyo offer robust automation capabilities, but their implementation and ease of use can differ significantly.
Scheduled Campaigns: Driving Engagement and Sales
Alongside automated flows, scheduled email campaigns form the other pillar of a well-rounded email marketing strategy. These are planned and segmented time-based sends that might include:
- New product launches
- Seasonal promotions
- Newsletter dispatches
- Event announcements
The Salesforce vs Klaviyo debate extends to how each platform enables marketers to create, segment, and analyze these scheduled campaigns. Factors such as template design, list management, and reporting capabilities play crucial roles in determining which ESP better suits your eCommerce needs from this perspective.
Why This Comparison Matters to You
As an eCommerce brand, the choice between Salesforce and Klaviyo can significantly impact your marketing efficiency, and ultimately, your bottom line. The right ESP should seamlessly integrate with your existing tech stack, offer scalability as your business grows, and provide the advanced features necessary for sophisticated email marketing strategies. By understanding the strengths and limitations of each platform, you can make an informed decision to choose one that aligns with how you do business.
What to Expect in This Guide
In the following chapters, we'll dive deep into a comprehensive Salesforce vs Klaviyo comparison. We'll explore each platform's approach to automated emails and scheduled campaigns, examining factors such as ease of use, segmentation capabilities, integration ecosystems, and analytics tools. By the end of this guide, you'll have a clear understanding of how Salesforce Marketing Cloud vs Klaviyo stack up in the context of eCommerce email marketing. Whether you're considering a switch from your current ESP or evaluating options for the first time, this analysis will equip you with the knowledge you’ve been searching for.
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Chapter 2.
Klaviyo vs Salesforce: Ease of Use
The Importance of User-Friendly ESPs in eCommerce
The ease of use of an Email Service Provider (ESP) can significantly impact a business's ability to execute effective marketing strategies. When comparing Salesforce vs Klaviyo, understanding how each platform approaches user experience is crucial for making an informed decision that aligns with your team's capabilities as well as your business goals.
Klaviyo: Streamlined for eCommerce
Klaviyo has built its reputation on being an ESP that's streamlined for eCommerce. Its platform is designed with online retailers in mind, offering an intuitive interface that allows for quick navigation. One of Klaviyo's standout features is its user-friendly drag-and-drop email builder. This tool enables marketers to create visually appealing emails without coding knowledge, easily incorporate product recommendations and dynamic content, and quickly iterate by A/B testing different email designs.
Furthermore, Klaviyo offers a variety of pre-built automations (flows) tailored for eCommerce, such as welcome series, abandoned cart reminders, and post-purchase follow-ups. These templates can be easily customized to fit specific brand needs, allowing for rapid deployment. This approach significantly reduces the time and effort required to set up effective automated email sequences.
Klaviyo is known for its seamless integration with popular eCommerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce, often requiring just a few clicks. This can be a significant advantage for businesses looking to quickly implement or switch to a new ESP.
Salesforce Marketing Cloud: Powerful but Complex
Salesforce Marketing Cloud offers a vast array of features, which can be both a strength and a challenge in terms of ease of use. The platform's complexity often results in a steeper learning curve compared to Klaviyo. Users may require extensive training to navigate the platform effectively, time to understand and implement advanced features, and familiarity with Salesforce's greater ecosystem.
However, this complexity comes with its advantages. Salesforce's high level of customization allows for tailored workflows to match specific business processes, integration with other Salesforce products for a unified approach, and more advanced personalization options.
Salesforce offers robust integration capabilities as well, but may necessitate more technical involvement with third-party connectors, potentially increasing the complexity and time required for setup.
The Verdict on Ease of Use: Salesforce Marketing Cloud vs Klaviyo
When comparing Salesforce vs Klaviyo in terms of ease of use for eCommerce email marketing, both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses. Let's break down the pros and cons:
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Ultimately, the choice between Salesforce and Klaviyo will depend on your specific eCommerce needs, technical resources, and long-term marketing goals. Klaviyo offers a more user-friendly experience tailored for eCommerce, making it an excellent choice for businesses prioritizing quick implementation and ease of use in email marketing. On the other hand, Salesforce Marketing Cloud provides a more comprehensive suite of marketing tools, which may be preferable for larger enterprises or those looking for a highly customizable, multi-channel marketing solution.
Consider your team's expertise, the complexity of your email marketing needs, and your willingness to invest time in platform mastery. Both Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Klaviyo are powerful ESPs capable of driving significant results in eCommerce email marketing, but their approaches to user experience differ substantially.
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Chapter 3.
Klaviyo vs Salesforce: Contact Management
The Cornerstone of Effective Email Marketing:
Contact Collection, Segmentation, and Personalization
For eCommerce businesses, robust contact management is crucial for delivering targeted messages and personalized experiences. Both Salesforce and Klaviyo offer powerful contact management features, though with different approaches.
Klaviyo: eCommerce-Centric Segmentation
Klaviyo's contact management system is built with eCommerce in mind. Its advanced segmentation capabilities allow businesses to create highly targeted customer groups based on behavior, demographics, purchase history, and more. This granular approach enables marketers to craft personalized campaigns that resonate with specific audience segments.
One of Klaviyo's strengths is its real-time updating of customer profiles. As shoppers interact with your store, their profiles are automatically updated, allowing for dynamic segmentation. This feature is particularly valuable for triggered emails and personalized product recommendations.
Klaviyo also excels in its integration with eCommerce platforms, automatically syncing customer data and purchase history. This seamless data flow ensures that your email marketing efforts are always based on the most up-to-date customer information.
Salesforce: Comprehensive CRM Integration
Salesforce Marketing Cloud's contact management capabilities are deeply integrated with its broader CRM ecosystem. This integration provides a unified view of customer data across your entire organization, not just within the marketing department.
The platform offers rich customer profiles that can include data from multiple touchpoints, including sales interactions, customer service records, and marketing engagements. This comprehensive view allows for highly sophisticated segmentation and personalization strategies.
Salesforce's strength lies in its ability to handle complex data relationships and large volumes of customer information. For businesses with diverse product lines or those operating across multiple channels, this can be a significant advantage.
The Verdict on Contact Management Between
Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Klaviyo
When comparing Salesforce vs Klaviyo for contact management in eCommerce, both platforms offer strong capabilities but with different focuses:
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The choice between Salesforce and Klaviyo for contact management will depend on your business's specific needs and structure. Klaviyo offers a more streamlined, eCommerce-focused approach that may be ideal for pure-play online retailers. Salesforce provides a more comprehensive solution that can benefit businesses with complex operations or those looking to unify customer data across multiple departments.
Consider the scope of your customer data, the complexity of your segmentation needs, and your broader CRM requirements when making this decision. Both platforms can significantly enhance your eCommerce email marketing efforts, but their approaches to contact management cater to different business models and scales.
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Chapter 4.
Klaviyo vs Salesforce: Email & SMS Capabilities
Powering Multi-Channel Communication
For eCommerce businesses, effective email and SMS marketing are crucial for driving sales and fostering customer loyalty. Both Salesforce and Klaviyo offer robust capabilities in these areas, but getting tasks done is a completely different experience between the platforms.
Klaviyo: eCommerce-Focused Automation
Klaviyo's email and SMS capabilities are tailored specifically for eCommerce needs. The platform excels in creating highly targeted, automated campaigns based on customer behavior and purchase history.
Klaviyo's strength lies in its pre-built automation flows, which include abandoned cart reminders, post-purchase follow-ups, and product recommendations. These flows can be easily customized and implemented, allowing businesses to quickly set up sophisticated email sequences.
For SMS marketing, Klaviyo offers seamless integration with its email campaigns, allowing for coordinated multi-channel messaging. The platform provides tools for SMS list growth, compliance management, and performance tracking, making it easy for eCommerce businesses to incorporate text messaging into their marketing strategy.
Salesforce: Comprehensive Multi-Channel Approach
Salesforce Marketing Cloud takes a more comprehensive approach to email and SMS marketing. The platform offers Journey Builder, a powerful tool for creating complex, multi-step customer journeys across various channels, including email and SMS.
Salesforce's email studio provides advanced personalization capabilities, leveraging data from across the Salesforce ecosystem. This allows for highly tailored content based on a wide range of customer interactions and attributes.
For SMS, Salesforce offers MobileConnect, a robust mobile messaging platform that can handle high-volume messaging campaigns and integrates seamlessly with other Salesforce products. This integration allows for sophisticated, cross-channel marketing strategies. Between Journey Builder, Email Studio, and MobileConnect, Salesforce Marketing Cloud users could sense a disjointed and piecemeal approach when compared to Klaviyo.
The Verdict: Salesforce Marketing Cloud vs Klaviyo
for Email & SMS Capabilities
When comparing Salesforce vs Klaviyo for email and SMS capabilities in eCommerce, both platforms offer strong features but cater to different needs:
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The choice between Salesforce and Klaviyo for email and SMS marketing will depend on your business's specific needs and resources. Klaviyo offers a more streamlined, eCommerce-focused approach that may be ideal for businesses primarily focused on online retail. Salesforce provides a more comprehensive solution that can benefit businesses looking to implement complex, multi-channel marketing strategies.
Consider the complexity of your marketing needs, the level of personalization you require, and your team's capacity to manage these tools when making your decision.
Both platforms can significantly enhance your eCommerce marketing efforts, but their approaches to email and SMS capabilities cater to different scales and complexities of operation.
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Chapter 5.
Klaviyo vs Salesforce: Apps & Integrations
Expanding Functionality Through Connectivity
For eCommerce businesses, the ability to integrate an ESP with other tools and platforms is necessary for a cohesive tech stack. These integrations could include eCommerce platforms, advertising, POS (point of sale), loyalty, customer support, and shipping - among others.
Klaviyo: eCommerce-Centric Integrations
Klaviyo's integration ecosystem is designed with eCommerce businesses in mind. The platform offers over 350 pre-built integrations, focusing heavily on popular eCommerce platforms, marketing tools, and analytics solutions.
Klaviyo's strength lies in its deep integrations with eCommerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento. These integrations allow for seamless data flow, enabling features like dynamic product recommendations and advanced segmentation based on purchase history.
For businesses requiring custom integrations, Klaviyo provides a robust API and developer documentation. This allows for the creation of tailored solutions, though it will require some technical expertise to implement.
Salesforce: Vast Ecosystem of Enterprise Solutions
Salesforce Marketing Cloud benefits from being part of the larger Salesforce ecosystem, offering access to an extensive range of integrations across various business functions.
The Salesforce AppExchange hosts thousands of pre-built integrations and applications, covering everything from eCommerce platforms to CRM tools and beyond. This vast marketplace allows businesses to extend the functionality of Salesforce Marketing Cloud to meet diverse needs. Salesforce also provides powerful tools for custom integrations, including MuleSoft, which enables complex data integrations across multiple systems with enough technical know-how.
The Verdict: Salesforce Marketing Cloud vs Klaviyo for
Apps and Integrations
When comparing Salesforce vs Klaviyo for apps and integrations in eCommerce, both platforms offer strong capabilities but cater to different scales of operation:
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The choice between Salesforce and Klaviyo for apps and integrations will largely depend on your business's scale and complexity. Klaviyo offers a more focused set of integrations that cater specifically to eCommerce needs, making it an excellent choice for businesses primarily operating in the online retail space. Salesforce provides a more comprehensive suite of integration options, which can be beneficial for larger enterprises or businesses with complex, multi-faceted operations.
Consider your current tech stack, future scaling plans, and the resources available for managing integrations when making your decision. Both platforms can significantly enhance your eCommerce operations through integrations, but their approaches cater to different scales and types of businesses.
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Chapter 6.
Klaviyo vs Salesforce: Analytics & Reporting
Data-Driven Decision Making in eCommerce
Creating successful marketing campaigns is often a process of trial and error. Without the ability to analyze the results of your campaigns, though, there's no good way to know what's working well and what isn't. That's why it's essential to choose a marketing automation platform that offers exceptional analytics and reporting features.
Salesforce and Klaviyo both offer impressive analytics tools that let you really dive deep into how your campaigns are performing.
Klaviyo: eCommerce-Centric Analytics
Klaviyo's analytics and reporting features are tailored specifically for eCommerce merchants. The platform offers data on key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and revenue generated from email campaigns.
One of Klaviyo's strengths is its ability to attribute revenue directly to specific email campaigns or flows. This allows businesses to clearly see the ROI of their email marketing efforts. The platform also provides predictive analytics, helping businesses forecast customer behavior, lifetime value, and ultimately sales.
Klaviyo's dashboards are intuitive and customizable, allowing users to focus on the metrics that matter most to their business. The platform also offers benchmarking and data-science features, enabling businesses to compare their performance against industry standards.
Salesforce: Comprehensive Multi-Channel Analytics
Salesforce Marketing Cloud provides a more comprehensive approach to analytics, covering not just email but all marketing channels. The platform's Analytics Builder allows for the creation of custom dashboards and reports, providing a holistic view of marketing performance.
Salesforce's strength lies in its ability to integrate data from multiple sources, including CRM data, web analytics, and social media metrics. This allows for more complex analysis and deeper insights into customer behavior across various touchpoints.
For businesses requiring advanced analytics, Salesforce offers Einstein Analytics, an AI-powered tool that can provide predictive insights and recommend next best actions based on data analysis.
The Verdict: Salesforce Marketing Cloud vs Klaviyo for Analytics & Reporting
When comparing Salesforce vs Klaviyo for analytics and reporting in eCommerce, both platforms offer strong capabilities but cater to different needs:
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The choice between Salesforce and Klaviyo for analytics and reporting will depend on your business's specific needs and the complexity of your marketing operations. Klaviyo offers a more focused, eCommerce-centric approach to analytics that may be ideal for businesses primarily interested in understanding and optimizing their email and SMS marketing performance. Salesforce provides a more comprehensive solution that can benefit businesses looking for insights across multiple marketing channels and touchpoints.
Consider the scope of your marketing activities, the level of analytical depth you require, and your team's capacity to manage and interpret complex data when making your decision. Both platforms can significantly enhance your ability to make data-driven decisions, but their approaches to analytics and reporting cater to different scales and complexities of eCommerce operations.
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Chapter 7.
Klaviyo vs Salesforce: Cost & Pricing
Balancing Features and Budget
Marketing automation platforms aren't cheap. And while the ROI that they deliver is typically well worth the investment, it's still important to carefully consider both upfront and ongoing costs when deciding which solution is right for your business.
For eCommerce businesses, the cost of an Email Service Provider (ESP) is a crucial factor in the decision-making process. Both Salesforce and Klaviyo offer powerful features, but their pricing structures differ significantly, catering to different scales of operation.
Klaviyo: Transparent, Scale-Based Pricing
Klaviyo's pricing model is straightforward and directly tied to the size of your email list. The platform offers a free tier for up to 250 contacts and 500 email sends, making it accessible for small businesses just starting out.
As your list grows, pricing increases incrementally. For example, 1,000-1,500 contacts costs $45 per month, while 10,000 contacts could be around $175 per month. This scalable model allows businesses to start small and increase their investment as they grow.
Klaviyo's pricing includes all features at every tier, meaning even smaller businesses get access to advanced functionalities like predictive analytics and complex automation flows. It is important to note that SMS marketing is priced separately, based on the number of messages sent.
Salesforce: Enterprise-Level Investment
Salesforce Marketing Cloud's pricing is more complex and typically requires a significantly larger investment. The platform doesn't publicly list its prices, as costs are often customized based on the specific needs and scale of each business.
Generally, Salesforce Marketing Cloud is priced on an annual contract basis, with costs starting from thousands of dollars per year. Pricing is typically based on the number of contacts, the volume of messages sent, and which specific tools and features are needed.
While the initial investment is higher, Salesforce's pricing can offer value for larger businesses that require a comprehensive suite of marketing tools and can leverage the platform's full capabilities.
The Verdict: Salesforce Marketing Cloud vs Klaviyo for Cost & Pricing
When comparing Salesforce vs Klaviyo for cost and pricing in eCommerce, the platforms cater to different scales of operation:
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The choice between Salesforce and Klaviyo in terms of cost and pricing will largely depend on your business's size, budget, and specific needs. Klaviyo offers a more accessible and scalable pricing model that can be attractive for small to medium-sized eCommerce businesses or those primarily focused on email marketing. Salesforce Marketing Cloud, while more expensive, provides a comprehensive suite of tools that can offer value for larger enterprises with complex, multi-channel marketing needs.
Consider your current marketing budget, projected growth, and the full range of features you require when making your decision. While Klaviyo offers a more budget-friendly entry point, Salesforce's higher investment may be justified for businesses that can fully leverage its extensive capabilities. Ultimately, the best choice will balance the features you need with the budget you have available.
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Chapter 8.
Klaviyo vs Salesforce: Customer Support
Ensuring Success Through Reliable Assistance
For eCommerce businesses, the quality of customer support provided by an ESP can be crucial in maximizing the platform's value and minimizing downtime. Both Salesforce and Klaviyo offer customer support, but their approaches and resources differ significantly.
Klaviyo: Focused, Community-Driven Support
Klaviyo provides a range of support options tailored to the needs of eCommerce businesses. Their support system includes email support, an extensive knowledge base, and a community forum where users can share insights and solutions.
One of Klaviyo's strengths is its library of educational resources, including webinars, guides, and case studies specifically focused on eCommerce email marketing. These resources can be particularly valuable for businesses looking to optimize their email strategies.
All plans have access to email and chat support online. For users on higher-tier plans, Klaviyo offers priority support and access to dedicated account managers. However, 24/7 phone support is not available, which could be a drawback for businesses operating across different time zones.
Salesforce: Comprehensive, Enterprise-Level Support
Salesforce Marketing Cloud offers a more comprehensive support system, reflective of its enterprise-level positioning. The platform provides multiple tiers of support, ranging from standard to premier.
At the higher support tiers, Salesforce offers 24/7 phone support, dedicated success managers, and even on-site support for critical issues. The platform also provides extensive training resources through Salesforce Trailhead, an interactive learning platform.
Salesforce's large partner ecosystem is another significant advantage, offering access to certified consultants and developers who can provide specialized support and customization services.
The Verdict: Salesforce Marketing Cloud vs Klaviyo for Customer Support
When comparing Salesforce vs Klaviyo for customer support in eCommerce, both platforms offer strong capabilities but cater to different needs:
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The choice between Salesforce and Klaviyo for customer support will depend on your business's specific needs and resources.
Klaviyo offers a more focused, eCommerce-centric approach to support that may be ideal for businesses primarily interested in email marketing optimization. Their educational resources and community support can be particularly valuable for growing businesses.
Salesforce provides a more comprehensive support system that can benefit larger enterprises or businesses with complex, multi-faceted marketing operations. Their 24/7 support options and extensive partner network can be crucial for businesses that require constant availability and specialized expertise.
Consider your team's technical expertise, the complexity of your marketing operations, and your support requirements when making your decision. While Klaviyo offers solid support tailored to eCommerce needs, Salesforce's enterprise-level support might be necessary for businesses with more complex requirements or those operating at a larger scale.
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Chapter 9.
Klaviyo vs Salesforce: The Final Verdict
Making the Right Choice for Your Business
After examining Salesforce and Klaviyo across various crucial aspects, it's clear that both platforms offer robust solutions for eCommerce email marketing. However, their strengths cater to different business needs and scales of operation.
Klaviyo: The eCommerce Specialist
Klaviyo has consistently shown itself to be a platform built with eCommerce in mind. Its intuitive interface, eCommerce-specific features, and straightforward pricing make it an attractive option for many online retailers.
Klaviyo excels in:
• Ease of use, especially for eCommerce-focused businesses
• Powerful, easy-to-implement email automation flows
• Direct revenue attribution for email campaigns
• Scalable pricing that grows with your business
However, Klaviyo may fall short for businesses needing extensive multi-channel marketing capabilities beyond email and SMS.
Salesforce: The Enterprise Powerhouse
Salesforce Marketing Cloud offers a comprehensive suite of marketing tools that extend well beyond email. Its power lies in its ability to handle complex, multi-channel marketing strategies for large-scale operations.
Salesforce stands out in:
• Advanced multi-channel campaign management
• Extensive integration capabilities
• Powerful analytics and AI-driven insights
• Comprehensive customer data management
The trade-off is a steeper learning curve and a higher price point, which may be prohibitive for smaller businesses.
Which Kind of Businesses Is Each Platform Best Suited For?
Klaviyo is the ideal choice for:
• Small to medium-sized eCommerce businesses
• Companies primarily focused on email and SMS marketing
• Businesses looking for an easy-to-use, eCommerce-specific solution
• Those who value transparent, scalable pricing
Salesforce Marketing Cloud is better suited for:
• Large enterprises with complex, multi-channel marketing needs
• Businesses already using other Salesforce products
• Companies requiring advanced analytics and AI-driven insights
• Those who need extensive customization and integration capabilities
Our Final Word
Consider your current needs, future growth plans, available resources, and the specific features that are most crucial for your eCommerce success. While Klaviyo offers a more accessible and focused approach for many eCommerce businesses, Salesforce's comprehensive capabilities might be necessary for larger operations or those with more complex marketing requirements.
Ultimately, both platforms are powerful tools that can significantly enhance your eCommerce marketing efforts. The best choice is the one that aligns most closely with your business goals, resources, and operational needs.
If you still need assistance choosing the best platform for your business, or you would like to migrate from Salesforce to Klaviyo, we can help! Our expert team of eCommerce strategists and engineers helps companies build the marketing automation solutions they need to reach more customers and grow their business. To learn more about Groove's cutting-edge eCommerce marketing and engineering services, be sure to contact us today!
