Hey it's Chase and Jimmy here!

This week, we’re breaking down the customer journey from plant brand Lively Root—a company with feel-good vibes, strong creative, and a playful tone that makes even someone with the worst green thumb want to buy some new greenery. But as we walked through the full flow from popup to post-purchase, a few cracks showed up: confusing coupon logic, misfired welcome emails, and SMS friction that’s easy to fix (but costly if ignored).

Our breakdown covers what they nailed, where the flow gets messy, and what you can steal for your own retention playbook. 🌿

Also inside today’s edition:
✨ A look inside Omnisend’s new glow up sup and
🤖 An AI prompt that will turn those testimonials collecting dust into email gold
💸 The tool that Founders are calling their “finance team that never sleeps”

Let’s get into it 👇

💅 Omnisend just got a glow-up

And it’s not just about looks—it’s about making your day easier.

Running a business means you're constantly pulled in 100 directions. The last thing you need is a clunky marketing platform slowing you down. That’s why Omnisend just rolled out a brand-new interface—and it’s built to work with you, not against you.

They took real user feedback and made 140+ improvements (yes, really).

🎯 Sharper visuals that help you move faster
👀 Fonts and colors that are easier on the eyes

⚡ A cleaner, more intuitive experience from top to bottom

No distractions. No fluff. Just thoughtful design upgrades that make sending campaigns, building automations, and tracking results feel effortless.

Ready to see the new Omnisend in action?

🙃 Meme Drop

Sometimes the customer is, in fact, not always right.

🪴 Inside Lively Root’s Customer Journey: Great Vibes, But Some Room to Grow

Inside Lively Root’s Customer Journey: Great Vibes, But Some Room to Grow

Lively Root sells plants—but their real product is a lifestyle: greener spaces, happier homes, and a fun, low-pressure approach to plant care. Their tone is warm and approachable, and their creative is consistent from popup to post-purchase.

But when we walked through the full customer journey, we found a few cracks: overlapping coupon codes, misfired email timing, and small UX gaps that could cost them repeat purchases. Here’s what they’re doing well, what could use a refresh, and what you can take away to grow your own brand’s retention strategy.

1. Opt-in Popup

Wins:

✅ Bold, high-contrast CTA (“10% OFF?”) grabs attention instantly.

✅ Visual is playful and brand-aligned (person holding plant wearing sunglasses = memorable).

✅ The “Yes” vs “No Thanks, I’ll Pay Full Price” microcopy adds just the right nudge.

Areas for Upgrade:

🚀 Could segment or personalize the opt-in for plant experience (e.g. beginner vs plant lover).

🚀 Adding the option to take the “Plant Quiz” via the pop-up would be a great way to collect valuable data from the get-go.

🚀 No mention of what kind of content the subscriber can expect post-signup—quick value prop could improve conversion.

2. Welcome SMS

Wins:

✅ Friendly tone ("Thanks for dropping us your digits!") matches brand personality.

✅ Immediate value delivery with a personalized discount code.

✅ Includes a link to shop right away.

✅ The contact card is a great touch for shoppers to save their information.

Areas for Upgrade:

🚀 The coupon code is not copyable—this UX flaw becomes problematic during checkout.

🚀 Swap the copy order so the coupon code comes after the CTA text—Get 10% off your first order with code: WELCOME… would read much easier.

3. Browse Abandonment Email (Received before the welcome email)

Wins:

✅ Fun, cheeky subject line ("Were you checking us out?") fits the tone of the popup.

✅ Eye-catching visual continuity from the popup image creates consistency.

✅ Personalized product reminder and quiz CTA are smart conversion plays.

Areas for Upgrade:

🚀 Trigger timing is off—it arrives before the welcome email, which creates confusion.

🚀 Two different discounts in circulation at this point (one from SMS, one from email).

🚀 Could reinforce trust here with social proof such as reviews of the abandoned product.

4. Welcome Email

Wins:

✅ Clean layout, easy to read, and packed with brand story.

✅ Mission and sustainability claims build credibility and emotional connection.

✅ Visuals feel premium and calming—good alignment with a plant brand.

Areas for Upgrade:

🚀 Should be the first email, not second in line behind browse abandonment.

🚀 Yet another coupon code—now we have at least 3 different ones in play (SMS, browse, and this).

5. Add to Cart Experience

Wins:

✅ Clear free shipping threshold bar (“You’re only $47.90 away from free shipping”) creates urgency.

✅ Smart product recs (“You may also like”) with review stars and pricing = conversion-friendly.

✅ Visual UI is tidy, clean, and on-brand.

Areas for Upgrade:

🚀 Could include estimated delivery date or guarantee badge to reinforce urgency.

🚀 Add gifting options more prominently, especially since it’s a plant brand.

6. Coupon Experience at Checkout

Wins:

✅ Discount applied successfully, code field works as expected.

Areas for Upgrade:

🚀 Major usability friction: SMS coupon is hard to recall and can’t be copy/pasted.

🚀 Could auto-apply code for logged-in users or SMS subscribers or include a shopping link that automatically applies the SMS coupon.

7. Order Confirmation Email

Wins:

✅ Personalized and visually welcoming (“Thank you for your order!” over a cozy plant photo).

✅ Clear order summary and gift preview flow is a great touch.

✅ Strong post-purchase call-to-action: “Create My Account” to join the Garden Club.

Areas for Upgrade:

🚀 Could promote care instructions more prominently here.

🚀 “Join VIP” should highlight benefits again (e.g. $$$ for birthday).

🚀 No estimated delivery date or shipping update info yet.

8. Post-Purchase Update Email

Wins:

✅ “Congrats on becoming a plant parent!”—fun, branded messaging.

✅ Behind-the-scenes info builds anticipation and transparency.

✅ Sustainability and mission messaging reinforce value.

Areas for Upgrade:

🚀 Lacks a next step: no CTA to share socially, refer friends, or shop again.

🚀 Could include tips for plant care or a video for deeper engagement.

What Lively Root Is Doing Well:

🌿 Consistent, playful brand tone across channels.

🌿 Strong visuals and high design quality.

🌿 Personalization and upsell/recommendation tactics are well-executed.

🌿 Customer education and sustainability messaging are a strong brand moat.

Opportunities to Improve:

🛠️ Fix message timing: Welcome email should come first, and coupon logic should be unified across channels.

🛠️ Make codes more user-friendly: SMS discount code must be shorter, easier to enter, or copy-paste friendly.

🛠️ Tighten post-purchase experience: Hold off on order updates until delivery tracking is available, add care content, and post-purchase upsells.

💡 Final Takeaway for Other Brands:

Lively Root nails vibe and value—but even great brands lose momentum when the journey isn’t sequenced right.

A well-timed flow with frictionless discounts, consistent messaging, and educational follow-through is what turns a one-time buyer into a lifelong plant parent.

💡 Your Finance HQ—Built for eCommerce

If you’re still managing money across spreadsheets, clunky portals, and outdated banks… you’re not alone.

But you don’t have to settle for it either.

Highbeam gives you a centralized command center for your brand’s finances.

It’s not a bank—it’s better.

✅ Integrated capital and custom credit solutions

✅ Automated bill pay and spend tracking

✅ Real-time visibility into cash position and forecasting

✅ Earn yield on idle cash in both checking and savings accounts

✅ Finance agents that handle tasks like scenario planning and reporting

Founders using Highbeam call it their “finance team that never sleeps.”

🤖 AI Power-Up: Turn Testimonials into Email Gold

Most brands let their best reviews collect dust on a landing page. But with the right AI prompt, you can turn them into email copy that sells without sounding salesy.

Try this prompt:

"Take the following customer testimonial and turn it into a persuasive marketing email that highlights the benefit they experienced, adds social proof, and ends with a strong CTA. Here's the testimonial: [insert text]."

Why It Works:

✅ Adds authentic, relatable proof—straight from your customers

✅ Helps build trust without needing heavy sales language

✅ Scales easily across different segments and campaigns

Bonus Move:

Feed AI 3–5 testimonials at once and ask it to spot patterns or common themes. That insight? Gold for your future messaging.

Let your customers do the talking—AI just helps connect the dots.

Annnnd that’s a wrap for this edition! 

Thanks for hanging with Chase and me—always a pleasure to have you here.

If you found this newsletter helpful (or even just a little fun), don’t keep it to yourself! Share ecomemailmarketer.com with your favorite DTC marketer. Let’s get them on board so they don’t miss next week’s drops.

Remember: Do shit you love.

🤘 Jimmy Kim & Chase Dimond

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