Which first product brings customers back?
Customers who start with one product can return far more often than those who start with another. Find your best entry products and lead with them.
The Wizel Team
Email marketing strategist · · 2 min read
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Not all first orders are equal. A customer whose first purchase is your everyday staple may come back for years. A customer whose first purchase was a one-off gift may never return. If you know which products start long relationships, you can put them in front of new subscribers on purpose.
What a product cohort is
A cohort is a group of customers who share a starting point. Here, the starting point is the product in their first order. Group every customer by first product, then follow each group forward: how many came back, how quickly and how much they spent.
90 days
a fair first window for seeing whether a first product leads to a second order
Ninety days suits most stores, because it gives slower buyers time to return. If you sell something people use up quickly, like coffee or pet food, a shorter window works too. If you sell furniture, you'll need a much longer one.
What to look for
- Repeat rate: the share of customers who placed a second order within the window. This is the headline number.
- Time to second order: how long the returning customers took. It tells you when your follow-up emails should land.
- Spend after the first order: some entry products lead to a second order in the same category, others lead people across your range.
- Group size: a high repeat rate from twelve customers is a hint, not a finding. Look for products with enough first orders to trust.
The best entry product is the one that brings people back, not the one that sells most on day one.
Putting it to work
Once you know your strongest entry products, use them where first orders happen: the welcome series, signup offers, ads aimed at new customers and browse abandonment emails. For customers who started with a weaker product, use your post-purchase flow to introduce the products that more often lead to a second order.
Ask your own numbers in Wizel
With Klaviyo connected, ask the Wizel chat:
- “Which first products lead to the highest lifetime value?”
- “What's the 90-day retention rate for customers who bought [product] first?”
- “Which first products lead customers to buy from other categories?”
Frequently asked questions
What is an entry product?
The product in a customer's first order. Comparing entry products shows which ones tend to start long customer relationships.
How many customers do I need for this to be reliable?
Enough that one or two people can't swing the result. If a product has only a handful of first orders, treat its repeat rate as a hint and check again as more customers arrive.
Should I discount my best entry product?
Carefully. A discount can bring in more first orders, but customers who start on a discount may expect one next time. Check the repeat rate of discounted first orders before you make it a habit.
