Customer behavior segmentation: how to engage behavioral segments as an ecommerce brand

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Imagine walking into a coffee shop for the first time. The barista greets you with a warm smile, ready to suggest a popular drink or offer a sample of a delicious pastry. Their friendly approach makes you feel welcome and helps you feel more comfortable in a new environment.

Now imagine you’re a regular. The barista knows your name and your order—a caramel macchiato with an extra shot of espresso. They might ask if you’d like to try a new flavor or if you just want your usual. This personalized attention makes you feel recognized and appreciated, strengthening your connection to the coffee shop.

Just like that coffee shop, your ecommerce store is filled with diverse customers, each with unique behaviors and preferences. And with customer behavior segmentation, you can act like the barista who knows how to tailor each interaction to your customers’ unique habits and needs.

What is customer behavior segmentation?

Customer behavior segmentation is the practice of analyzing how customers interact with your brand and using that knowledge to group them into relevant categories. When you can group like minded audiences together and understand how they behave online, you can more easily send the right messages to the right people at the right time.

In ecommerce, where customers can interact with your store without ever speaking to a person, behavioral segmentation is critical for personalizing each customer’s journey.

Types of behavioral segmentation for ecommerce brands

While there are many approaches to behavioral segmentation, these 5 types are especially important for ecommerce brands:

1. Website behavior-based segmentation

Website behavior-based segmentation groups people based on their interactions with your online store. By tracking people’s actions on your website, you can better understand what they’re interested in. For example, you might notice that a visitor:

• Browses multiple product categories without making a purchase
• Spends a lot of time on a specific product page
• Frequently returns to the homepage or certain landing pages

These behaviors give clues about purchase intent. If someone spends time comparing products, they’re likely close to making a decision. But if they leave your website quickly, it could mean they need more content to keep them around.

Common segments revealed through this type of segmentation include:

• Window shoppers who browse without purchasing
• Engaged visitors who explore multiple pages on your site
• Cart abandoners who might require reminders or incentives to complete their purchases

2. Purchase behavior-based segmentation

Purchase behavior-based segmentation groups people based on their buying habits, such as frequency, timing, and price sensitivity. For example, you might identify customers who:

• Regularly purchase items at full price
• Wait for sales or promotions before buying
• Tend to buy in bulk or order the same items repeatedly

Understanding these behaviors can help you create segments based on distinct purchasing patterns, such as:

• Loyal customers who consistently choose your brand
• Deal seekers who are motivated by discounts
• One-time buyers who might need more nurturing to return

3. Customer lifecycle-based segmentation

Customer lifecycle-based segmentation identifies where customers are in their journey with your brand, from initial discovery to the point of purchase. Customers might display behaviors such as:

• Landing on your website for the first time through ads
• Comparing products on your website
• Making their first purchase after careful consideration

By recognizing these stages, you can segment customers into groups such as:

• New visitors who are just learning about your brand
• Research-focused individuals who are comparing multiple options
• First-time buyers ready to take the plunge

4. Interest-based segmentation

Interest-based segmentation involves categorizing your audience based on the lifestyle factors that drive their engagement with your brand. Many customers are naturally drawn to brands that align with what they care about most. For instance, you might notice customers who:

• Follow your brand on social media for updates related to their hobbies or values
• Frequently read or posts that match their interests
• Join community events, discussions, or brand initiatives that resonate with their passions

Identifying these interests can lead to various segments, such as:

• Lifestyle-focused people who value alignment with their passions
• Functionality-oriented customers who prioritize practical benefits
• Trendsetters on the lookout for the latest products or innovations in your industry

5. Customer satisfaction-based segmentation

Customer satisfaction-based segmentation focuses on how happy or dissatisfied your customers are with their experiences with your brand. You can gauge people’s satisfaction based on actions they take, such as:

• Leaving positive reviews about their experiences
• Sharing constructive criticism or feedback
• Referring your brand to friends and family

Identifying these behaviors can help you group customers into segments like:

• Brand advocates who love sharing their positive experiences and often act as ambassadors for your brand
• Neutral customers who are satisfied but may need a little extra engagement to feel a stronger connection
• Dissatisfied customers who might be at risk of churning

How to engage with customers based on their behavior

Behavioral segmentation can help brands meet people on their terms, when they’ve taken an action with your brand. Here’s how you can strategically connect with different customer segments based on their behavior:

1. Website behavior: tailor responses to visitors’ actions

When a customer spends time on your website, their actions reveal what they find interesting, what they’re unsure about, and what might be holding them back from buying. By recognizing these patterns, you can deliver precisely what they need to move forward.

Here’s how to effectively engage the most common types of visitors:

Fitness brand Gain The Edge targets engaged visitors who previously browsed the site with a personalized follow-up email designed to drive action. The brand compliments the customer’s “great taste” and reminds them they were viewing gear to help them “perform at their best.”

With motivating phrases like “better performance is just a click away” and cleverly placed CTAs, this email creates urgency and makes it easy for customers to return to the website.

2. Purchase behavior: encourage repeat purchases and brand loyalty

When you understand customer purchase patterns, you can start to create separate experiences that match how people typically buy. By leaning into how people already behave, you’re automatically creating a familiar experience that can come off as friendly and inviting.

Here’s how to engage different types of buyers:

Take inspiration from NON, a brand specializing in non-alcoholic beverages. They engage loyal customers with a personalized email inviting them to an exclusive pre-sale for their new product. The email emphasizes that recipients are valued members of the NON family and offers them early access to a limited release.

By highlighting the product’s unique qualities and its limited availability, the email creates a sense of urgency. With clear details about the pre-sale opening time, this straightforward email encourages loyal customers to act quickly.

3. Customer lifecycle stage: meet customers where they are

Depending on where they are in their customer lifecycle, people interact with your brand in different ways. Some are just getting to know you, others are comparing their options, and some are ready to make a decision.

Whether they’re new to your brand, actively researching, or ready to make a purchase, here’s how you can engage them:

Underwear and sleepwear brand Harper Wilde engages subscribers who are likely in the consideration stage. With an enticing discount for first-time buyers, the brand offers a helpful fit quiz, guiding customers to find their perfect size without the hassle of measuring.

4. Interest: show you understand customers’ motivations

Interest-based segmentation appeals to people’s motivations. Engaging these customers in the right way shows you understand them on a deeper level and can cater to their unique preferences.

Here’s how you might engage different customer segments based on their interests:

Take inspiration from PinkCherry, an adult novelty product retailer. In an informative email that likely targets functionality-oriented customers, the brand provides practical tips and answers to common questions about using their products, specifically wand vibrators.

The email highlights product benefits and includes a curated list of discounted items, making it easy for customers to understand their options. By educating customers and addressing their needs, PinkCherry helps them feel more confident in their purchases and improves their overall experience with the brand.

5. Customer satisfaction: ask for and respond to customer feedback

Customer satisfaction-based segmentation focuses on how pleased or disappointed customers are, guiding you in how to improve their experience and build loyalty. Whether they’re loyal advocates or customers who have had a less-than-ideal experience, addressing each segment shows your dedication to their satisfaction.

Here’s how to engage each group:

Here, see how olive oil brand Graza engages neutral customers with an inviting email that encourages feedback through a quick survey. The friendly tone and casual language create a sense of warmth, making recipients feel appreciated and valued. By offering a promo code for their next order as a reward for completing the survey, Graza effectively incentivizes participation.

Take behavioral segmentation to the next level with Klaviyo

Now that you have a foundational understanding of the main ways you can segment your audience based on their behavior, it’s time to take it to the next level.

With Klaviyo, you can easily segment your audience based on data points not only within the categories we’ve discussed in this article, but also across and between them. For example:

• Website visitors who are already subscribed to your email list
• Email subscribers who clicked an email in the last 72 hours but have not placed an order
• Customers who have purchased a specific product in the last year and also left a review, either positive or negative
• SMS subscribers who have purchased twice in the last 6 months and have spent at least 3x your average order value
• Customers with high lifetime value who aren’t subscribed to any of your owned marketing lists

When you take the time to understand and respond to the unique ways customers interact with your brand, every message becomes more than just marketing—it’s a chance to build a lasting connection. By making it simple to turn customer data into tailored messaging, Klaviyo helps brands strengthen connections and drive repeat business.