Communications
The 5 channels
High-engagement, conversational, time-sensitive messages. Highest open + click rates.
Workhorse for volume, longer-form content, and async customer comms.
Urgent, transactional, US/UK-first. Compliance-aware (A2P 10DLC).
24/7 storefront answers, lead capture, support escalation.
Built-in flows across all four channels — the highest-leverage automation in e-commerce.
Web push is covered in storefront widgets.
What this typically unlocks
| Outcome | Result |
|---|---|
| Tool stack consolidation | 3–5 tools → 1 |
| Cost savings | $3–15K/year depending on scale |
| Cross-channel unsubscribe leakage | −95% vs. multi-tool |
| Multi-channel orchestration | possible without integrations |
| Time/week on tool management | −4–8h |
| Compliance audit-readiness | always — single source of truth |
The shared layer (same on every channel)
| Layer | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Consent | Channel opt-in stored in Customer 360 with full audit; one global unsubscribe flips all channels off |
| Fatigue | Daily + per-channel + 7d rolling fatigue cap; same gauntlet for every send |
| Quiet hours | Time-zone-aware; configurable per region; email exempt |
| Templates | Brand-consistent template library across all channels |
| Attribution | Every send → open → click → conversion joined back to Customer 360 |
| Audit log | Every send (or skip with reason) logged |
| GDPR | Same erase + export pipeline for all channel data |
How channel-routing works
Routing is configurable per campaign or per journey, but defaults to the order shown — most engaging channel first, fallback to next available.
Real merchant scenarios
Scenario A — Brand consolidates from 4 tools to 1
Setup. $8M brand stack: Klaviyo (email + SMS), Whatsapp.com integration, Drift (chatbot), Postmark (transactional email).
Cost pre-consolidation: ~$1,800/month total. Migration: 3 weeks parallel-run, then cut over. Cost post-consolidation: $399/month (Pro tier).
Operational gain beyond cost:
- Single unsubscribe = zero leak tickets (was 6/month)
- Cross-channel campaigns possible (was: separate per tool)
- Single attribution view (was: stitching reports manually)
Scenario B — Channel routing for cart recovery
| Customer | WA opted-in? | Email opted-in? | SMS opted-in? | Channel used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer A | Yes (window open) | Yes | No | |
| Customer B | Yes (window closed) | Yes | No | |
| Customer C | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Customer D | No | No | Yes | SMS |
| Customer E | No | No (unsub) | No | Skip + log |
No channel ever sends to opted-out customers. The right channel sends to opted-in customers based on real availability.
Scenario C — Chatbot bridges the channels
When a chat ends without resolution and the shopper provided email/phone, the conversation transcript is attached to Customer 360 — and the next email/WhatsApp picks up the context. Customer never repeats themselves.
Best practices
✅ Set channel preferences carefully. Default WA → email → SMS works for most; tweak per campaign type.
✅ Use the right channel for the moment. Transactional → email or SMS. Time-sensitive (flash sale) → WhatsApp + SMS. Educational → email.
✅ Watch the fatigue posture across channels. A customer hammered on WA but quiet on email suggests adjusting the default routing.
❌ Don't blast every channel "to maximize reach." That destroys engagement.
❌ Don't pile multiple tools onto the same channel — fragments the consent picture.
See also
- Sales engine campaigns — multi-channel sends
- GDPR & consent — the consent layer
- Customer 360 — where every send joins
Why this exists — the long version
Most stores accumulate communication tools the way attics accumulate stuff. Klaviyo for email. A separate WhatsApp provider. A separate SMS tool. Maybe Tidio or Drift for chat. Each tool has its own consent model, its own fatigue logic (or none), its own attribution claim, its own unsubscribe list. The result is exactly what every regulator and every fatigued customer dreads: too many messages, contradictory experiences, "I unsubscribed but still got it" tickets, and a stack that costs $500–2000/month before any messages are sent.
Communications on this platform consolidates all of it. Every channel — WhatsApp, email, SMS, web push, chatbots — runs on the same underlying infrastructure: same Customer 360, same consent records, same fatigue gauntlet, same attribution. Switching channels is a configuration change, not a tool migration. Adding a new channel doesn't add a new tool — it extends the existing one.
The strategic shift: communications stops being about which tool to use and starts being about what message at what moment on what channel. Channel is just a parameter; the infrastructure is consistent.