Frequently Asked Questions

We help ecommerce brands on Shopify and Shopify Plus increase:

• Conversion rate
• Average order value (AOV)
• Customer lifetime value (LTV)
• Email and SMS-driven revenue

We do this through:

• Custom & Templated Shopify Design & Development (including Shopify Plus migrations)
• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) & A/B Testing
• Klaviyo Email & SMS Lifecycle Marketing
  

We are Shopify Plus Partners specializing exclusively in Shopify since 2010.

We are Klaviyo Master Elite Partners, a status reserved for only the top 1% of agency partners.

When you work with us you get the personal, devoted attention of our expert team working to help you achieve your goals. As a small team, we choose a select number of projects each year that suit us well. We have honed our systems and processes, and they get results. We have a strong focus on quality, and on doing things right the first time.

We’re typically a great fit for:

• DTC ecommerce brands doing $5M–$100M+ in annual revenue
• Brands on Shopify, Shopify Plus, or Klaviyo, or considering switching to Shopify, Shopify Plus, or Klaviyo
• Teams that have found product-market fit but have hit growth plateaus
• Brands looking to improve retention, AOV, and/or conversion rate
• Companies that want a senior-level strategic partner (not a junior execution shop)

We are likely not a fit for:

• Brands without validated product-market fit
• Companies looking for off-the-shelf Shopify themes
• Companies looking for PPC or social ad management

We work with established DTC brands. We don’t specialize in any particular vertical, and that's intentional. What our clients share isn't a category, it's a profile: a real customer base, a functioning acquisition engine, and a CRO/retention program worth investing in.

There's no copy-and-paste playbook here. Every brand gets a custom strategy built around their specific data, customers, and opportunity.

That said, there are some industries in which we have the most experience and know really well. These include:

• Apparel
• Skincare & beauty
• Nutritional supplements
• Pet products
• Home goods
• Grooming & personal care
• Eyewear & watches
• Sporting goods

We have been working with Shopify since 2008, and became a Shopify-exclusive agency in 2010, and a Shopify Partner in 2011.

We are one of the original 8 agencies who became designated a Shopify Plus Expert (later renamed a Shopify Plus Partner) in 2016.

We are a group of ~20, which means you get very personal service. We're large enough to handle big and important projects, but small enough that you get lots of focused attention.

We strive to become an extension of your team, focused on your goals with you. When you work with us, you get a senior-level team focused on your project who will guide you through every step of the process.

Meet our team.

Our headquarters are in Washington state, but we are a distributed team scattered primarily across North America.

1. Discovery & Strategy

• Business & technical audit
• Data & market analysis
• Competitive research
• Clear growth roadmap

2. UX/UI Design

• Data-informed, conversion-focused page design
• Desktop & mobile optimization
• Accessibility is baked in

3. Custom Shopify Development

• High-performance custom theme
• Scalable Shopify architecture
• Advanced integrations

4. Launch & Optimization

• Migration support (if needed)
• QA & testing
• Launch support
• Post-launch CRO roadmap

It depends on the complexity of your needs, and the type of project, but typical custom website builds take somewhere around 4 to 6 months, initially.

Our templated solutions take around 2 to 4 weeks, since we’re starting with a pre-built theme rather than building something from the ground up. Fuel Made’s timeline is faster than most agencies because we've refined our process over 15+ years of Shopify-exclusive work, but we are thorough to ensure brand alignment and back-end code are properly set up for a smooth, bug-free launch. 

• Full custom website engagements generally start around $50,000
• Template-based solutions generally start around $20,000
  

Project costs are spread over the length of a project, and paid on a monthly basis. We’ll help you calculate ROI before we engage! (Our business model is to produce a positive ROI for our clients.)

Absolutely. We work with all Shopify plan types. As experts in all things Shopify, we'll help you understand when or if it makes sense to upgrade your plan.

Yes. We handle:

• Platform migration
• Data transfer
• Subscription migrations
• Wholesale builds
• International expansion setup

We support both.

Some brands benefit from a fully custom Shopify build, while others can achieve strong results by optimizing and extending an existing theme.

Our approach depends on your brand’s current site performance, technical requirements, and growth goals. In some cases we recommend a full rebuild. In others we improve an existing theme through targeted UX improvements, CRO testing, and performance optimization.

Yes, of course. Launching a new site is often just the start of our partnership. When desired, we’re happy to continue to partner with you after launch on strategic growth initiatives, UX optimization, and A/B testing, as well as any maintenance needs that may arise. That said, engaging with us after a project is not required. We don’t build in any dependencies on us when creating a solution for you.

Most Shopify agencies fall into one of three categories:

1. Design-focused studios that prioritize aesthetics over measurable growth
2. Generalist marketing agencies that don’t specialize in Shopify
3. Low-cost development shops focused on speed and volume

This is how Fuel Made is different:

1. ROI-First Model
We are laser focused on data-supported approaches that generate a real ROI. (No one cares how fancy your site or emails are if they’re not growing your business.) We only take on clients with a realistic opportunity for positive ROI.

2. Shopify & Klaviyo Specialists (Not Generalists)
We work exclusively in the Shopify ecosystem and are Klaviyo Master Elite Partners. We are top experts in the world with these platforms.

3. Senior-Level Team on Every Project
No interns, overseas outsourcing, or junior handoffs. You work directly with experienced strategists, designers, and developers. Our team is all senior-level and primarily US-based. Choosing Fuel Made means you get a dedicated strategist, project manager, designer, and developer who will guide you through every step of the process. Our experts boast some impressive accolades, including:

• Deep merchant-side experience
• Best-in-class devs (10–20+ years experience)
• MBA
• IAAP CPACC-certified (accessibility)
• Certified Shopify Experts in-house
  

Fuel Made is not a flashy start-up; we are an established partner. You’re going to love who you work with here.

Our Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) retainers are structured as ongoing monthly engagements designed to increase KPIs and generate ROI.

We combine strategy, design, development, and data analysis to drive measurable revenue growth.

1. Audit & Opportunity Analysis

• Full funnel audit
• Data analysis (quantitative + qualitative)
• CRO roadmap

2. Strategy & Sprint Planning

• Bi-weekly sprint structure
• Regular strategy calls
• Project sizing for flexibility (monthly work is categorized from Extra Small to Extra Large projects to maximize efficiency and clarity)

3. Strategic A/B Testing & Experimentation
We run structured experiments across key sections of the conversion funnel. Revenue-focused initiatives we typically optimize include:

• Product page layout
• Messaging & copy
• Cart & checkout enhancements
• Bundles & “buy more, save more” offers
• Upsell & personalization
• Subscription positioning
• Social proof (reviews, testimonials, USP icons)
• ADA and accessibility compliance
• Site speed performance
• Mobile conversion improvements
• Shopify theme modifications
• Custom code improvements

4. Design & Development Execution
All work is executed by a dedicated strategist, designer, developer, and project manager — senior-level and Shopify-focused.

5. Measurement & Reporting
Our goal is to improve and track performance across metrics such as:

• Conversion rate
• AOV
• LTV
• Revenue per visitor
• Add-to-cart rate
• Bounce rate

CRO engagements start at $6,900 per month.

Website redesign:

• Large, strategic overhaul
• Typically 4–6 month project

CRO retainer:

• Ongoing monthly optimization
• Focused on incremental lifts
• A/B testing & experimentation
• Compounding revenue increases over time

While you’ll quickly see wins in the first couple of months, most meaningful CRO gains happen over 6–12+ months as data compounds and larger experiments are executed. Some of our CRO clients have been on retainer with us for 8–10+ years because consumer behavior is constantly changing and we continually find ways to improve the site.

We prefer Intelligems for A/B testing on Shopify because it integrates cleanly with Shopify themes and allows for fast, statistically sound experiments without slowing down site performance.

That said, we’re tool-agnostic.

If your team already uses another testing platform (such as Shoplift), we’re happy to work within your existing stack. Our focus is on:

• Designing high-impact test hypotheses
• Executing clean experiments
• Ensuring statistical validity
• Interpreting results accurately
• Turning winning tests into long-term revenue lifts

In short, the tool supports the strategy — but the strategy drives the results.

The first month of a Klaviyo engagement focuses on deep discovery and strategic planning.

During this phase we:

• Audit your existing retention program
• Build your lifecycle strategy roadmap
• Prioritize the highest-impact opportunities

Months two and three focus on implementation and optimization, including launching automated flows, refining segmentation, and executing campaigns.

After the initial phase, we operate in a continuous optimization cycle that includes:

• Lifecycle flow improvements
• Campaign planning and execution
• Testing and experimentation
• Performance reporting and strategy updates

Over time, our team becomes an extension of your internal marketing team, continuously improving your retention program as your brand grows. That's the version of partnership we're always building toward.

Retainers start at $6,900/mo and flex based on scope, complexity, and the ambition of your program. If you have a specific project in mind, we're open to that conversation — though our best work tends to come from long-term partnerships where knowledge and results compound.

The best starting point is a conversation, followed by an audit if the fit feels right. From there, we can talk numbers with context behind them.

Ready to start that conversation? Let's talk.

Our one-time setup projects typically take 4–8 weeks, depending on the number of flows and integrations required.

For ongoing lifecycle marketing retainers, most brands begin seeing meaningful revenue improvements within 3–4 months as automated flows are implemented and optimized.

Because retention marketing compounds over time, many brands continue working with us for multiple years to continually improve performance.

Results depend on the maturity of the existing retention program.

Brands with underdeveloped lifecycle flows often see early revenue gains once foundational automations are implemented.

More mature programs tend to see incremental improvements over time through testing, segmentation, and optimization.

Across our client portfolio:

• Many brands generate 20–40% of total ecommerce revenue from email
• Most brands see revenue lifts within 3–4 months
• Brands typically reach a return on their Fuel Made investment within 4-6 months
• Long-term lifecycle programs can produce 6:1+ return on investment in the first year
  

Retention marketing is a compounding channel — the longer a program runs, the more data and performance improvements accumulate.

For established ecommerce brands, email typically generates 20–40% of total revenue when lifecycle flows, segmentation, and campaigns are fully optimized.

Revenue contribution varies depending on factors such as:

• Email list size
• Traffic volume
• Product purchase frequency
• Customer retention rate

For many brands, Fuel Made helps email become one of the highest-ROI marketing channels by optimizing it to drive repeat purchases from customers who already know the brand.

While revenue is the primary KPI, a successful lifecycle marketing program is evaluated across several metrics.

We monitor metrics such as:

• Email-attributed revenue
• Conversion rate from email
• Repeat purchase rate
• Customer lifetime value (LTV)
• Deliverability and inbox placement
• Engagement metrics like open rate and click rate

Clients receive regular performance reporting and insights that help guide future testing and strategy improvements.

Fuel Made is a specialized retention marketing agency focused exclusively on ecommerce brands using Klaviyo.

Unlike general marketing agencies, we focus specifically on:

• Email lifecycle automation
• SMS marketing
• Retention strategy
• Revenue optimization through segmentation and personalization
  

Our team is composed of senior-level retention specialists based primarily in North America, and we work with a limited number of brands to ensure high-quality strategic support.

We also begin most engagements with a detailed lifecycle audit to ensure there is clear opportunity to improve retention performance before moving forward.

Retention marketing produces the strongest results when programs are optimized over time.

Our average client relationship lasts approximately three years, with many brands continuing to work with us for five years or longer.

As brands grow, their lifecycle marketing strategies evolve — new automations, segmentation strategies, and campaigns are continually tested and refined

Many of the brands we work with previously managed email marketing internally or through another agency.

When transitioning a retention program, we begin with a comprehensive audit of the existing Klaviyo account to understand what is currently working and where improvements can be made.

If previous strategies or flows are performing well, we build on that foundation. If certain elements need to be rebuilt, we identify those opportunities early and implement improvements strategically.

Our goal during transitions is to protect existing performance while gradually improving the program over time.

Yes. While Fuel Made strongly recommends a combined email + SMS lifecycle strategy for most ecommerce brands, we absolutely offer email-only engagements.

Many brands begin with:

• Email flow optimization
• Campaign strategy
• Deliverability improvements
• List segmentation & cleaning
• Increasing email-attributed revenue

For most ecommerce brands, email and SMS work best together. Email drives the majority of lifecycle revenue, while SMS is extremely effective for time-sensitive promotions and high-intent customer segments.

At Fuel Made, our experts will recommend adding SMS if and when it makes strategic sense.

Shopify Plus starts at $2,300/month on a multi-year contract (plus variable fees depending on setup).

​​Fuel Made helps brands evaluate whether the ROI of a Shopify Plus upgrade justifies the investment based on their specific growth trajectory.

Upgrading to Shopify Plus is less about hitting a specific revenue number and more about operational complexity and growth goals.

Shopify Plus typically makes sense when:

• You’re scaling quickly and need infrastructure built for high-volume traffic and flash sales
• You want greater control over checkout through Checkout Extensibility (custom logic, UI extensions, advanced discounts, etc.)
• You’re running wholesale or B2B and need Shopify’s native B2B features
• You operate multiple storefronts (international markets, separate DTC and B2B stores, regional brands)
• Your internal team needs more granular permissions and workflow control
• You want priority support and a dedicated Merchant Success Manager

For many brands, Plus starts to make sense when:

• Annual revenue is in the $5M+ range, or
• The business model becomes complex enough that Advanced Shopify begins to feel limiting.

Fuel Made helps brands evaluate whether the ROI of Plus justifies the investment. Here's an article that dives into Plus features that should help you decide whether or not it's worth the leap.

Klaviyo’s pricing is primarily based on the number of active profiles (subscribers) in your account and whether you use email, SMS, or both. Adding solutions such as Reviews, Analytics, and Service will increase your monthly cost.

Email pricing scales with your contact list size. As your list grows, your monthly cost increases. SMS pricing is usage-based and depends on how many messages you send and the countries you’re sending to.

In general:

• Smaller brands with under 10,000 subscribers may pay a few hundred dollars per month.
• Mid-sized ecommerce brands with 50,000–150,000+ subscribers often pay $1,000–$3,000+ per month.
• Larger brands with substantial lists and high send volume can pay significantly more.

Since Klaviyo charges based on active profiles, so strong list hygiene and segmentation can meaningfully reduce costs while improving deliverability.

Fuel Made can help brands audit their list, clean inactive profiles, and optimize segmentation before or during a Klaviyo engagement to ensure they’re not overpaying.

If you’re unsure whether Klaviyo makes financial sense for your brand, the Fuel Made team is happy to evaluate expected ROI based on your current traffic, conversion rate, and retention metrics.

You should invest in lifecycle marketing when:

• Paid ads are becoming more expensive
• Repeat purchase rate is low
• Customer retention needs improvement
• You want predictable revenue from owned channels

Engaging an email marketing agency can be a turnkey solution to solving these problems. If you’re wondering if you should hire a retention agency, this article will help answer your questions.

For established DTC brands, our answer is always Klaviyo — and it comes from experience, not preference. The platform was built for ecommerce and designed to scale, with genuinely unmatched capabilities.

It integrates deeply with Shopify and enables:

• Advanced customer segmentation
• Automated lifecycle marketing flows
• Email and SMS messaging in one platform
• Detailed revenue attribution
  

For brands looking to scale retention marketing on Shopify, Klaviyo is often the most powerful and flexible solution available.

If you are currently using another email platform, we can also help evaluate whether a migration to Klaviyo would improve your retention performance.

• Shopify-exclusive agency since 2010
• Shopify Plus Partner
• Klaviyo Master Elite Partner
• Fully senior-level team
• Specializes in Shopify CRO, Shopify development, and Klaviyo lifecycle marketing
• Fully custom rebuild projects start at $50K
• Templated rebuilds start at $20K
• CRO retainers start at $6,900/month
• Email/SMS engagements start at $6,900/month
• Typical client revenue range is $5M to $100M annually
• Focused on ROI, CRO, and retention
• Improves conversion rate, AOV, LTV, and retention revenue
• Average conversion rate lift after site rebuilds is 22%
• Average revenue lift after site rebuilds is 15%
• Most clients generate 20–40% of ecommerce revenue from email
• Lifecycle marketing programs typically reach ROI within 4-6 months