Look at all of the outlets people have when it comes to shopping. It’s no longer segregated to brick-and-mortar stores. Now there is an ever-growing web of competition in the market.
Because of this, it is important now more than ever to retain customers. Don’t let them walk out the door unless you plan to pay a hefty price to increase your marketing efforts tenfold, starting the marketing funnel all over again.
Email marketing is a thriving strategy. It is a powerful tool in your back pocket to use, especially for customer retention. Pull it out of your back pocket, and let’s get started with post-purchase emails.
What Is a Post Purchase Email?
Grab a paintbrush, and let’s paint a picture. A company works hard, dedicating hours and hours of labor to create brand awareness with a targeted group. The hard work pays off, and the potential customer base is built.
Additional hours are spent to convince potential buyers that the company is a trusted brand. They convince the customer that they would be happy at the end of their product or service purchase, completing the sale.
Then what happens?
For many, the answer is nothing. The purchase is a one-time celebration, and then it goes ignored. But that’s not a good answer. This is the opportunity for a company to continue building the relationship with the customer, to retain them.
Post-purchase emails are the answer. As the name suggests, these are emails sent to the customer after a purchase is made, usually while the customer still carries a feeling of excitement. Even better, these emails can be set up to send automatically after purchase.
Keep customers thinking about your business, not that of your competitors. Post-purchase emails are tied with conversion. They are equally important. When done right, post-purchase emails:
- Provide an exceptional customer experience
- Welcome customer feedback, allowing you to enhance your strategy
- Encourage customers to keep coming back for more
Importance of Retaining Customers
Did you know that 80% of small businesses rely on email as a way to communicate with customers and retain them? That speaks volumes.
You don’t have to cease operations and stop marketing efforts to intrigue new customers to your brand, but you should put effort into retaining your current ones. Here are a few reasons why:
- Customers feel valued. Their customer experience may be off the charts if they feel tailored to. A positive experience leads to a positive review. Watch as testimonials, product reviews, and referrals begin to increase.
- The average lifetime value of customers is bound to increase. This leaves your pockets more full per customer if you track the metric.
- Retention results in a higher return on investment (or ROI). It’s cheaper to retain customers than to hit replay on the funnel.
What Does a Post Purchase Email Subject Header Look Like?
No question is a dumb question. In a post-purchase email, keep the subject header concise. You don’t need to add flavor or flare here. Keep it simple enough to grab the customer’s attention and get your point across.
Types of Post Purchase Emails To Send To Customers
There’s no doubt that customers want to hear from you. They want to feel included in the brand. Need proof? Statistics show that 49% of customers encourage promotional emails.
Now let’s talk about the types of emails to send. Queue the emails, get them rolling!
Transactional Emails
A transactional email is prompted at the time of purchase or return. Examples include:
- Order confirmation emails
- Shipping notification emails
- Delivery confirmation emails
- Account updates
Each is equally important, as they are a conversational piece between you and your customer. This is where you can build on trust and loyalty with your customers using these types of trigger emails.
Use transactional emails and remove the guesswork. Remember, these are not focused on marketing. Instead, they are communications or operational messages. That means customers do not need to opt-in to receive them as they do for promotional emails under CAN-SPAM and GDPR.
Order Confirmation Emails
Your customer is now the new owner of a product or service you offer! Now what?
Since the item doesn’t teleport to their door, here’s your opportunity to send them an order confirmation or a receipt.
Order confirmation emails serve as a reminder to the customer that the order has been placed, that you are working on fulfilling it, and that they are welcome to contact customer service with any questions or concerns.
Shipping Notification Emails
The next notification to send relates to shipping. Customers want to be in the know. Keep them informed, telling them where their order is through shipping notification emails.
Once the package is out of your hands and in those of the shipper, you lose a level of control. But, you can still set expectations for your customer by notifying them the package is on the way and including a tracking number.
Deliver Confirmation Emails
Did you receive notification that the order has been delivered to your customer's doorstep or mailbox? The delivery person may not have rung the doorbell or knocked on the door at the time of delivery.
Be proactive and notify them! The customer will appreciate it.
On the flip side, also notify your customer if you receive notification that an order is expected to be delayed. Nothing is more disappointing than planning for the arrival date, not receiving it, and wondering if it was lost in the mail or delivered to the wrong door.
Account Updates
When a customer goes into the portal to update their address, telephone number, credit card information, and other personal information or preferences, use a transactional email to acknowledge the update.
We live in a technical world and are so immersed in the worldwide web where information can be lost or stolen. You could mitigate that risk and build on your customer's trust by letting them know you are looking out for them as changes to their account occur.
Request a Review
You should check in with your customers and ask them for feedback. Don’t wait too long in-between the time of sale or delivery and their receipt of the product or service.
On average, wait about a week. Give the customer time to process their experience from the beginning, browsing the website, to the end, using the product or service. Then, signal the email.
Here are some questions you can ask your customer:
- How would they rate their experience on your website? Include questions about navigating and whether the items you advertised were readily available for purchase.
- Did their product or service arrive on time? Perhaps it exceeded expectations and came early!
- Was the package intact, or were there signs of damage?
These questions get the conversation started. It lets the customer know that you are interested in their experience and how you can improve processes and procedures for the next order, the next customer.
Give the customer additional time, and after a few more weeks, request a review on your webpage. Give them the microphone, asking them to send the message to other customers on what they liked, disliked, or would have improved.
Generally speaking, you want positive reviews as those are the ones that will boost sales. Negative reviews are bound to happen, though, and it’s okay.
You can counteract negative responses by quickly jumping into the thread, offering ways to correct the issue.
Here Are Your Rewards
Reward programs, or loyalty programs, are another great way to engage with your customers. Usually, through some type of points program, it entices repeat purchases.
Be clear and concise with your customers on how the program works. You can also offer additional incentives, allowing points to accrue faster encouraging customer repeat purchases.
Take Starbucks, for example. They often send communications to earn bonus stars. Actually, they make it more like a game for customers, encouraging them to make a set number of purchases in order to earn them.
Customer Nurturing Emails
When you nurture someone or something, you grow and develop it. That’s why nurturing emails are used to retain and build on customer relations.
Nurturing emails:
- Increase sales
- Are cost-efficient and,
- Can be automated
Why wouldn’t you want to use them?
A Message of Thanks
Saying “thank you” is a polite gesture. It’s also a response customers expect to receive after doing business with you.
Thank-you emails are likely to retain customers. Those customers may even send referrals to you, especially if they had a great experience.
When sending a message of thanks, use the following tips:
- Show the customer you care, expressing your gratitude towards their purchase
- Make it personal. Include details that are meant for their eyes only.
- Keep the subject line positive or upbeat
- Speak in a conversational tone
A customer doesn’t need to make a purchase for a simple thank you to appear in their inbox. Use it to acknowledge when a customer, for example, subscribes to your site or newsletter.
We Miss You, Come Back, Don’t Go
Customers fall off the grid, but that doesn’t mean they won’t come back. Perhaps something changed in their personal life. Let’s face it; people get busy and distracted.
Use nurturing emails or win-back emails to let customers know that you are thinking about them, that you notice they have not been as interactive as they had in the past.
This is a good time to offer promotions or inspire customers with products or services that complement previous purchases.
Birthday and Milestone Emails
Give your customer the utmost feeling of importance on their special day! Or how about a month? Who doesn’t like to receive a treat or a free gift on their birthday?
You don’t have to go overboard here, and don’t turn your cheek when we mention “free.” You can offer incentives such as free shipping, a discount, or a freebie on their purchase by a specified date.
Give your customers a chance to treat themselves. You’ll both benefit from the offer.
Milestone emails are just as important. Let your customer know that you recognize their dedication as a customer. Years of service are just as important for subscribers as they are in the workforce.
Cross-sells, Upsells, and Other Recommendations
Whether it’s their first order, second, or more, keep your customers coming back for more through cross-sells, upsells, and promotions.
For example, allow them to come back and place another order for a percentage off after the first order. It’s possible they had their eyes on another item or had a positive experience with the current one and want to re-order more.
Send recommendations to customers frequently. They may not know they like or need something until you suggest it.
The Bottom Line
If a customer successfully crosses the finish line after filling up their cart, a congratulation is in order! It’s exciting for both the company and the customer! But don’t stop there, keep going!
Don’t kick your shoes off and relax just yet; continue to pride your customers, showing them that you care. You may be surprised how far a simple thank you can take your relationship.
Email marketing remains effective, catching the eyes of hundreds or more people every day. It no longer requires manual effort to make the process seamless.
Visit QuaGrowth for more information and to begin unlocking hidden profits today!
Sources:
Post-Purchase Automations You Need To Retain More Customers
10 Email Marketing Stats You Need to Know in 2022 [Infographic]
Improving customer retention with email marketing | CallRail
