Marketing automation scenarios: a powerful tool – but can they backfire?

Marketing automation scenarios are a powerful weapon in every marketer’s arsenal. But is it possible to go too far? Can an overly complex setup actually hurt conversions instead of boosting them? Unfortunately, yes — and today we’ll show you a real-life example of how that can happen.

Abandoned cart – the king of e-commerce that failed this time

The abandoned cart scenario is one of the most effective automation workflows in e-commerce. It typically ranks in the top 3 campaigns when it comes to performance. However, for one of our clients, it didn’t even make the top 10. What went wrong?

Together with the client, we reviewed the entire funnel and discovered that the scenario had simply become overengineered.

What went wrong? Key issues that hurt conversion rates

• Overly granular segmentation – Instead of broad, logical audience groups, microsegments were created. These were too small to generate meaningful results.
• Endless A/B testing with no takeaways – Testing is only useful if the insights are applied. In this case, tests ran for months… with no conclusions drawn or changes implemented.
• Excessive personalization based on micro-behaviors – The data used was too fragmented to form reliable insights, resulting in disjointed, inconsistent messaging.
• Incorrect entry point setup – Many users who abandoned their carts weren’t being captured by the automation at all.

The result?

Instead of recovering lost sales, the automation was excluding users from communication. Many entered the funnel, but never received any message – or got stuck midway through the scenario.

How did we fix it?

• We streamlined the structure – less complexity, more clarity.
• We refocused on the core goal – recovering the abandoned purchase.
• We reduced conditional logic and improved segmentation – ensuring larger, more actionable groups and more predictable outcomes.

The outcome?

Within the first month, the Abandoned Cart scenario returned to the client’s Top 5 campaigns.

Key takeaway: in marketing automation, simplicity often wins

Marketing automation isn’t a contest for the most complex scenario. What matters is effectiveness. If your workflow isn’t delivering results, start by:

• Running a technical audit (is everything functioning as it should?),
• Reviewing your segments (are they too narrow to be effective?),
• Verifying your entry points (are users actually being captured?),
• Evaluating your A/B tests (are they completed and leveraged properly?).

Often, the real issue is technical debt — legacy automations built by a previous team that no one has touched or updated since.

Optimizing marketing automation: less is more

If your automation workflows aren’t delivering results, don’t rush to create new ones. First, fix what’s already in place. Simplify, focus on clear goals, and analyze your data carefully.

And remember — A/B testing is powerful, but only if you actually use what you learn 😊

Need help reviewing or optimizing your automation scenarios? Get in touch – we’re here to help.