SMS Marketing on Klaviyo
SMS Marketing on Klaviyo
Evolving a new product from early stage to market disruptor.
Evolving a new product from early stage to market disruptor.
Overview
Klaviyo launched a SMS product in late-2020, branching out from an email-focused business for the first time in their history to invest in a promising new channel. While well-received, we understood that substantial investment was necessary to close competitive gaps and meet expectations of our users.
Between 2020 and 2021, I designed and delivered dozens of new features, workflow improvements, and scalable patterns that evolved a bare-bones product supported in just one market to a fully featured competitor. In the first 12 months I spent focused on the product area same day sends using Klaviyo SMS grew 10X year-over-year.
Overview
Klaviyo launched a SMS product in late-2020, branching out from an email-focused business for the first time in their history to invest in a promising new channel. While well-received, we understood that substantial investment was necessary to close competitive gaps and meet expectations of our users.
Between 2020 and 2021, I designed and delivered dozens of new features, workflow improvements, and scalable patterns that evolved a bare-bones product supported in just one market to a fully featured competitor. In the first 12 months I spent focused on the product area same day sends using Klaviyo SMS grew 10X year-over-year.
Overview
A tool to allow marketers to craft and send personalized SMS messages to their audience, integrated into the Klaviyo ecosystem.
Requirements
Maintain or improve usability while enabling additional markets, new features, and evolving regulatory requirements.
Role
I was one of two product designers focused on SMS and had substantial creative freedom and uncover problems and execute on solutions.
Duration
The bulk of the work here was accomplished in 12 months between November 2020 and November 2021. Timeline for given features varied.
Project screens
Updating the content builder to support compliance requirements, A/B tests, previews for multiple countries, and more accurate character counts.
Project screens
Updating the content builder to support compliance requirements, A/B tests, previews for multiple countries, and more accurate character counts.
Builder
Primary canvas for building and previewing SMS marketing content before campaigns are sent.
Builder
Primary canvas for building and previewing SMS marketing content before campaigns are sent.
Campaign Preview
Experience to allow users to preview A/B test variants along with previews for different countries.
Onboarding and Promotion
Screen promoting SMS to users who haven't made the decision to add it to their marketing stack.
SMS Conversations
Unlocking the ability for users to message with their audience through SMS from the Klaviyo platform.
Process
Building for users, building for business
Throughout the design process for given Klaviyo SMS features, we employed a user-centric approach, prioritizing active listening and empathetic understanding of our users' needs. By conducting extensive user research, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing, we gained valuable insights into their preferences, pain points, and usage patterns. This deep understanding allowed us to design a product that met the needs of our target audience and helped them drive real value for their businesses.
We also recognized the importance of adapting to evolving business priorities while maintaining this user-focused mindset. Through regular communication and collaboration with stakeholders, we remained agile in responding to shifting market demands and business goals. This involved balancing user needs with strategic objectives, finding innovative solutions that addressed both, and prioritizing features that provided the most value to our users and aligned with business priorities.
Iterative design played a crucial role in the rapid development and refinement of the SMS product. By embracing an iterative approach, we were able to quickly prototype, test, and gather feedback on various design iterations. This rapid iteration cycle allowed us to identify and address usability issues, validate design decisions, and make necessary adjustments to enhance the user experience.
Regular design reviews and usability testing sessions helped us validate assumptions, fine-tune interactions, and iterate towards a more polished and intuitive product. Through this iterative process, we ensured that the SMS product evolved in alignment with user feedback, enabling us to deliver a highly usable and impactful solution to our users while staying adaptable to their ever-changing needs.
Outcomes
The outcomes of our efforts in developing the SMS product have been remarkable. Between 2020 and 2022, we achieved an impressive growth rate, scaling YOY usage of by 10x. This significant expansion not only demonstrated the value and effectiveness of the SMS product but also positioned it as a pivotal driver of business growth for Klaviyo.
Building on this momentum, the product continued to thrive between 2021 and 2022, experiencing a threefold growth. This sustained growth highlighted the product's ability to capture and retain market share while successfully meeting the evolving needs of our users.
Since our 2020 launch, Klaviyo SMS emerged as a competitor in the market, going head-to-head with competitors like. A robust feature set, user-centric design, and superior functionality allowed it to carve out a prominent position in the industry. As a result, the SMS product has not only enhanced Klaviyo's product portfolio but also emerged as a major business driver, fueling the company's overall success and contributing to its continued growth and market leadership.
Process
Building for users, building for business
Throughout the design process for given Klaviyo SMS features, we employed a user-centric approach, prioritizing active listening and empathetic understanding of our users' needs. By conducting extensive user research, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing, we gained valuable insights into their preferences, pain points, and usage patterns. This deep understanding allowed us to design a product that met the needs of our target audience and helped them drive real value for their businesses.
We also recognized the importance of adapting to evolving business priorities while maintaining this user-focused mindset. Through regular communication and collaboration with stakeholders, we remained agile in responding to shifting market demands and business goals. This involved balancing user needs with strategic objectives, finding innovative solutions that addressed both, and prioritizing features that provided the most value to our users and aligned with business priorities.
Iterative design played a crucial role in the rapid development and refinement of the SMS product. By embracing an iterative approach, we were able to quickly prototype, test, and gather feedback on various design iterations. This rapid iteration cycle allowed us to identify and address usability issues, validate design decisions, and make necessary adjustments to enhance the user experience.
Regular design reviews and usability testing sessions helped us validate assumptions, fine-tune interactions, and iterate towards a more polished and intuitive product. Through this iterative process, we ensured that the SMS product evolved in alignment with user feedback, enabling us to deliver a highly usable and impactful solution to our users while staying adaptable to their ever-changing needs.
Outcomes
The outcomes of our efforts in developing the SMS product have been remarkable. Between 2020 and 2022, we achieved an impressive growth rate, scaling YOY usage of by 10x. This significant expansion not only demonstrated the value and effectiveness of the SMS product but also positioned it as a pivotal driver of business growth for Klaviyo.
Building on this momentum, the product continued to thrive between 2021 and 2022, experiencing a threefold growth. This sustained growth highlighted the product's ability to capture and retain market share while successfully meeting the evolving needs of our users.
Since our 2020 launch, Klaviyo SMS emerged as a competitor in the market, going head-to-head with competitors like. A robust feature set, user-centric design, and superior functionality allowed it to carve out a prominent position in the industry. As a result, the SMS product has not only enhanced Klaviyo's product portfolio but also emerged as a major business driver, fueling the company's overall success and contributing to its continued growth and market leadership.