In ecommerce, it’s easy to obsess over new customer acquisition. But if you zoom out, it’s clear: the brands winning in 2025 are the ones doubling down on retention. Why? Because retaining customers is cheaper and more sustainable than constantly chasing new ones.
That’s where companies like Klaviyo, Gatsby, Fluency Firm, and Smile.io come in. Each one tackles a different piece of the retention puzzle. Whether it’s personalized messaging, influencer-driven advocacy, data intelligence, or loyalty programs. Together, they’re reshaping how modern ecommerce brands think about the full customer journey.
Let’s dive into how they’re doing it and how you can too.
Why Retention Matters More Than Ever
Think of your best customers. They’re not just converting once, they’re buying again and again, referring friends, and hyping you up online. That’s the power of retention.
Here’s what a strong retention strategy unlocks:
- Higher customer lifetime value (CLV)
- More consistent, predictable revenue
- Better margins (fewer discounts!)
- Organic growth through word of mouth
Retention also helps de-risk your business. It smooths out cash flow and creates a loyal customer base that’s harder for competitors to poach. Best of all, a well-crafted retention strategy makes your brand feel more personal and less transactional.
The Customer Journey, Retention Edition
Retention isn’t something you “do” once a customer converts. It’s built through the entire journey:
- Awareness: First touchpoint, make it memorable.
- Consideration: Build trust with helpful content and social proof.
- Purchase: Make it smooth, simple, and on-brand.
- Post-purchase: Say thank you, follow up, and stay helpful.
- Loyalty: Surprise, delight, and reward your best customers.
Each of these touchpoints is a chance to create connection—and connection is what keeps customers coming back.
Klaviyo: Personalized Emails That Actually Convert
Klaviyo is the backbone of personalized retention marketing for a lot of ecommerce brands. Its real power? Turning data into communication that feels one-on-one—even at scale.
You can:
- Send emails or texts triggered by real customer behaviors
- Personalize content based on past purchases or preferences
- Run A/B tests to optimize what’s working
- Automate flows that run in the background (hello, welcome series and abandoned cart emails)
Plus, Klaviyo plays nicely with your ecommerce stack, so you’re not building in a silo. The result? Customers get relevant messages at the right time, which keeps them engaged and buying.
Gatsby: Turning Fans Into Influencers
Influencer marketing isn’t just for celebrities anymore. Gatsby makes it easy for brands to find and activate micro-influencers, your happiest customers who are already talking about you.
Gatsby integrates with your social channels to help you:
- Identify customers with influence
- Invite them into ambassador programs
- Track how much revenue they’re driving
It’s all about building authentic advocacy, not just renting someone else’s audience. The result? More trust, more engagement, and more retention. All powered by your community.
Fluency Firm: Your Integreated Growth Engine
What if your marketing team could act like an in-house growth department—driving acquisition, retention, and creative all under one roof? That’s Fluency Firm.
Fluency means :
- Paid media that scales
- Lifecycle marketing that keeps customers coming back
- Creative that captures attention and converts
- Data and analytics that give you clarity and control
The result: smarter decisions, stronger retention, and growth built to last.
Smile.io: Loyalty Without Limits
Smile.io helps you turn good customers into loyal fans by giving them something to come back for. Its loyalty programs are built around points, rewards, referrals, and even gamified experiences.
Here’s what you can do:
- Reward purchases with points customers can actually use
- Create custom VIP tiers that unlock special perks
- Encourage referrals with easy-to-share links
- Match the look and feel of your brand
The goal is to show genuine appreciation in a way that’s engaging and true to your brand. When done right, it strengthens emotional connections, builds trust and inspires repeat purchases. Thoughtful loyalty programs can turn customers into long-term fans of your brand.
Work Better Together
Each of these companies is powerful on its own. But the magic happens when they’re integrated.
- Klaviyo + Fluency Firm: Full-funnel growth powered by data, media and creative
- Gatsby + Smile.io: Reward and amplify your most loyal brand advocates
- All four combined: A seamless, full-funnel retention ecosystem
With everything connected, your team can see the full picture and create a more thoughtful experience across every customer touchpoint.
Your Next Steps: How to Reinvent Retention
If you’re ready to go beyond discounts and “spray-and-pray” campaigns, here’s how to get started:
- Get smarter with growth. Use companies like Fluency Firm to unify paid media, lifecycle marketing, creative and analytics into one strategy.
- Automate personalized comms. Let Klaviyo do the heavy lifting so every customer feels seen.
- Build loyalty from the jump. Smile.io helps you reward customers early and often.
- Activate your community. Use Gatsby to turn happy customers into powerful advocates.
Together, these companies can help you build a retention engine that runs 24/7 deepening relationships, driving repeat revenue, and making your brand unforgettable.
What’s Next: The Future of Retention
Retention is evolving fast. Looking ahead, three trends are shaping the next chapter:
- Hyper-personalization: Thanks to AI, your brand can now tailor messages, offers, and experiences in real time.
- Sustainable loyalty: Customers increasingly care about values—especially sustainability. Expect loyalty programs to reflect that.
- Proactive insights: Predictive analytics will help brands stay ahead of churn and invest where it counts most.
Brands that proactively adapt to these changes and build retention into the foundation of their strategy will be best positioned for long-term success.
Final Thought: It’s Time to Rethink Retention
Retention isn’t just an afterthought, it’s your competitive edge. With the right tools and a customer-first mindset, you can turn one-time buyers into lifelong fans.
And with companies like Klaviyo, Gatsby, Fluency Firm, and Smile.io in your corner, the playbook for retention has never been more powerful.
Want to See It in Action?
Join our webinar where Smile, Gatsby, Klaviyo and Fluency Firm will share retention strategies that can be applied across the customer journey, so you can stop chasing new customers, and start maximizing your relationship with the ones you have.