Thank you! Your submission has been received!
If your acquisition funnel is a sprint, your retention funnel is the marathon. Most brands obsess over the sprint - but sustainable growth comes from the marathon.
At Propel, we specialize in customer journeys that don’t stop at conversion. As a Platinum Customer.io Partner, we design retention marketing funnels that actually keep customers engaged, loyal, and coming back for more.
Let’s walk through how to design a retention funnel that drives revenue - not just clicks.
_______________________________________________________________________
A retention marketing funnel maps the stages a customer goes through after they convert. While the acquisition funnel brings them in, the retention funnel keeps them buying.
Let’s say you’re a subscription brand. You’ve acquired a customer. Now what? You onboard them → engage them → reward them → turn them into brand advocates. That’s the retention funnel.
Each stage needs dedicated flows and strategies.
Acquisition: awareness → interest → consideration → purchase.
Retention: post-purchase → habit-building → LTV expansion → evangelism.
To see where strategy comes in, check out our customer retention strategies.
_______________________________________________________________________
Retention isn’t magic - it’s architecture. Let’s talk about how to map the right journey.
Let’s assume you run a DTC vitamin brand. Key touchpoints:
Use:
If users churn after the first order - ask why. Did they:
If you need external help building this, our retention marketing agency does it all - from mapping to execution.
_______________________________________________________________________
Each funnel stage needs its own playbook. Let’s break it down.
Let’s say a user signs up for your software. You should:
Think:
This includes:
If someone’s ordered 5 times - give them a shareable referral code.
_______________________________________________________________________
You can’t improve what you don’t track. Let’s talk metrics.
Example:
Our full set of customer retention statistics breaks down what “good” looks like.
_______________________________________________________________________
Let’s look at three types of companies who’ve nailed this.
For ecommerce-specific examples, explore our retention guide.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Retention funnels aren’t just about emails - they’re about systems that guide every post-purchase action. From onboarding to loyalty, each stage should nudge the user closer to repeat value.
At Propel, we help brands do exactly that. As a Platinum Customer.io Partner, we build automated funnels that grow LTV, reduce churn, and turn customers into superfans.
Book a call now - and let’s design your retention engine.
_______________________________________________________________________
Good learners always have follow up questions! If you have one, see whether our FAQs list covers it. If not, shoot an email to the expert at - raj@propel.bz!
Sales funnels aim to convert. Retention funnels aim to keep.
Track churn rate, repeat purchase rate, CLV, and funnel drop-offs. Use cohort analysis to see where you lose users.
Customer.io, Klaviyo, Braze, and MoEngage for automation. Mixpanel and Amplitude for funnel tracking.
Quarterly at minimum. Review data monthly and optimize based on segment behavior.
Yes - and even more than big ones. Small tweaks = big revenue shifts when done right.
Use our free Retention Impact Calculator to see how much revenue you’re leaving on the table — and how much you could unlock by improving retention.
👉 Calculate My Impact