How to Craft Killer Customer Journeys That Drive Retention and Revenue

Welcome to episode #43 of The Ecommerce Revolution Podcast. Each week, we feature a guest who’s an expert in their field to share real strategies to help you launch, grow, and win in commerce. If you want support on your journey, join our community of hundreds of entrepreneurs and get access to content, coaching, workshops, and a private network of fellow ecommerce entrepreneurs.

In this episode, host Ramin Ramhormozi sits down with Jason Donapel, a retention marketing strategist who’s helped ecommerce brands generate over $200 million in revenue using targeted email and SMS strategies.

Jason shares his inspiring journey — from warehouse worker to agency co-founder — and reveals the real-world flows, data points, and personalization techniques that drive long-term growth.

Whether you’re launching your first ecommerce store or scaling into 7-figures, this conversation is packed with practical advice on how to craft customer journeys that retain customers and boost lifetime value.

🎯 What You’ll Learn:

* Why so many brands misunderstand retention — and what it’s really costing them

* How to segment abandonment flows: cart, checkout, browse, and site

* What a “failure to launch” flow is — and why every brand should have one (this is pure genius - jump to 17:00)

* How Jason helped brands grow with thoughtful, personalized touchpoints

* How AI can supercharge your retention strategy

* Jason’s “doable personalization” philosophy and how to apply it

* The two most valuable data points to collect in your welcome flow

⏱️ YouTube Timestamps (Chapters):

00:00 - Intro and welcome01:14 - Jason’s ecommerce journey and early career insights05:08 - Why brands overlook retention (and what it costs)07:42 - What is a customer journey, really?10:06 - Understanding cart, checkout, browse, and site abandonment14:30 - Building personalization into your lifecycle flows17:00 - The “failure to launch” flow explained19:20 - A look at a strong post-purchase experience (AG1 example)22:11 - The two most important data points to collect24:03 - Leveraging AI to support retention efforts27:18 - The psychology of email segmentation30:02 - The danger of assuming you know your customer33:44 - Practical personalization vs. perfectionism36:15 - Jason’s take on metrics that matter in retention39:27 - Customer journey optimization with limited data42:16 - Challenges in hiring and team scaling in retention45:01 - Final advice for ecommerce entrepreneurs48:03 - Where to find Jason and learn more

📢 Resources:

* Jason's site

* The Email Experience

* Klaviyo

* Shopify ($1 or 3 months)

* Join the Community

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