Likelihood is, most of your advertising methods and workflows are geared towards acquisition.
As a result of and not using a fixed stream of recent prospects, you’ll by no means hit your development targets.
However, as entrepreneurs, our work is simply simply starting on the level when a consumer locations their first order. Now your focus shifts to constructing a mutually helpful long-term relationship with them by:
- Letting them know when their order will arrive
- Explaining your trade and returns insurance policies
- Serving to them get essentially the most out of their buy
- Encouraging them to evaluation your product
- Asking them to refer a pal
- Tempting them with an upsell or cross-sell provide
In brief, you want a classy post-purchase workflow that delights prospects, solutions their questions, makes them stay up for their subsequent order, and in the end turns them into fully-fledged model advocates.
With that in thoughts, on this article I’ll clarify precisely what superior post-purchase workflows appear like — and I’ll present real-world examples that will help you construct your individual.
However first…
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Why You Want Superior Publish-Buy Workflows for Ecommerce
Within the cut-throat world of ecommerce, it’s all too straightforward to fixate on poaching prospects out of your rivals on the expense of fostering relationships together with your present prospects.
That is borne out by the truth that simply one in 5 ecommerce professionals have a devoted buyer retention finances, whereas nearly two-thirds allocate extra finances to acquisition than retention.
That is smart in the event you’re confronted with a binary selection between acquisition and retention. In any case, so long as your merchandise are half-decent, you’ll inevitably retain some prospects — however you (in all probability) gained’t choose up any new ones with out making a concerted effort.
But it surely’s not a binary selection, is it? There’s no purpose you possibly can’t do each.
Entrepreneurs ought to completely be committing extra time, effort, and finances to retaining present prospects.
Particularly on condition that analysis from Gorgias reveals repeat patrons signify simply over a fifth of the common ecommerce model’s buyer base, but account for:
- 44 % of income
- 46 % of whole orders
In case you’re seeking to up your retention sport, constructing a post-purchase electronic mail workflow is an apparent place to start out.
It units expectations early and places prospects on the trail to turning into loyal repeat consumers.
And for the elimination of doubt, having a number of loyal prospects is unquestionably a good factor. Zendesk discovered that 52 % of customers exit of their method to buy from their favourite manufacturers, whereas Yotpo found that 56 % of loyal prospects will spend extra on a model — even when cheaper alternate options exist.
Sounds good, proper?
Okay, so we’re agreed: manufacturers needs to be focusing extra on retention. And post-purchase workflows are one of the efficient methods to show first-time patrons into loyal repeat prospects.
Now, let’s think about what a complicated post-purchase ecommerce electronic mail workflow may appear like…
Attempt This 8-Contact Superior Publish-Buy Workflow for Ecommerce (That Construct Loyalty)
The primary “part” of your post-purchase workflow facilities on transactional emails: these despatched to particular person prospects who carry out a selected motion (on this case, putting an order).
In accordance with Silverpop, transactional emails have a median distinctive open fee of 45 %, which is about twice as excessive as non-transactional emails.
That makes them a significantly worthwhile electronic message actual property. But many manufacturers don’t get the total advantages as a result of they solely present essentially the most primary info.
Add these electronic mail varieties to your post-purchase workflow to reply widespread questions, spark pleasure, and assist prospects get the highest-possible enjoyment from their new product…
E mail #1: Order Affirmation Emails
Order confirmations are the crown jewels of the transactional electronic mail world, with spectacular common open charges of 58+ %.
Clearly, they’re not predominantly a advertising electronic mail. Prospects count on order affirmation emails to include necessary info like:
- The product(s) they ordered
- The order worth
- The delivery methodology and deal with
However offered you give all of them these necessities, there’s nothing to cease you including slightly aptitude to your order confirmations.
In my first instance, razor subscription firm Estrid makes the shopper be ok with their buy by explaining {that a} portion of the sale goes to the model’s charity companions:
What higher method to guard towards purchaser’s regret than telling prospects that their actions will assist help a superb trigger or two?
E mail #2: Delivery Affirmation Emails
As soon as they know their buy went by easily, prospects eagerly await the delivery affirmation electronic mail, which tells them after they’ll lastly get their arms on their shiny new product.
Once more, open charges are by the roof for these transactional emails, so why not use them to help your advertising efforts?
Glossier does this by sparking pleasure with some efficient electronic mail copywriting that prompts prospects to clear some shelf area forward of their supply date:
E mail #3: Supply Affirmation Emails
The ultimate step within the transactional electronic mail part of your post-purchase workflow is to substantiate that the shopper’s order has been delivered efficiently.
Ostensibly, supply affirmation emails give customers a possibility to succeed in out if there are any points with their product (or if it simply hasn’t turned up).
However you possibly can additionally use them to share worthwhile details about their new buy, similar to flower supply firm Bloom & Wild does right here:
This straightforward electronic mail units prospects’ expectations about what their flowers ought to appear like, which little question saves a bunch of calls and emails to Bloom & Wild’s help crew.
If transactional emails are the meat and potatoes of your post-purchase workflow, the following part — your advertising electronic mail sequence — is the champagne and caviar.
These emails are all about delighting the shopper by offering tons of added worth and (hopefully) encouraging them to:
- Write a evaluation
- Suggest you to family and friends
- Purchase extra stuff
Listed here are 5 electronic mail varieties to contemplate for this stage of your workflow…
E mail #4: Ship a Thank You E mail
Consider thanks emails as a midway home between transactional and advertising emails.
On one hand, they supply the kind of primary data you’d count on from a transactional electronic mail, resembling a short abstract of the shopper’s buy.
Canadian pet provides retailer Properties Alive exhibits us how that appears:
However this isn’t simply one other transactional electronic mail, as a result of it additionally shares slightly of Properties Alive’s model story — form of such as you’d get in a welcome electronic mail:
This helps prospects perceive who you’re and what you stand for — a wise play in a world the place 82 % of customers desire a model’s values to align with their very own.
E mail #5: Request a Product AssessmentÂ
Over 93 % of customers learn evaluations earlier than shopping for on-line from unfamiliar manufacturers.Â
So it’s clearly in your finest pursuits to generate as many evaluations as doable.Â
And there’s no higher time to ask than simply after a buyer receives their new product, as a result of they’re probably to be excited about it (and able to inform the world).
One phrase of warning: don’t count on prospects to do all of the work.Â
As a substitute, remind them of what they love about your product, or what led them on their path to buy. That approach, it’s so much simpler for them to seek out the phrases for his or her evaluation.
As an example, natural juice model Evergreen applauds prospects for placing their well being first by buying its natural wheatgrass juice, and prompts would-be reviewers to share their wheatgrass journey:
E mail #6: Share Extra Product Information
We customers are notoriously fast to leap to conclusions.
As an example, analysis revealed within the journal Behaviour & Info Expertise claims that it takes us simply 50 milliseconds to evaluate the visible enchantment of a web site.
Most prospects ought to take slightly longer to make their thoughts up about their newest buy. But when they’re not gained over quick, it’s extremely unlikely they’ll suggest it to their buddies or purchase from you once more.
For that purpose, it is smart to share supplementary details about your product to assist prospects get essentially the most doable profit and delight from it.
Plant subscription and supply model Rooted does this by sharing an introductory infographic explaining how prospects ought to unbox their newly arrived crops with out damaging them within the course of.
The entire thing is simply too huge to incorporate in full, however right here’s a short tidbit:
It is a good transfer.
As a result of if the shopper’s first notion of your product entails damaging it whereas opening the field, you possibly can kiss goodbye to a glowing evaluation.
E mail #7: Promote an Upsell or Cross-Promote Supply
Timing is the whole lot within the electronic mail advertising sport.
Certain, you’re determined to generate extra gross sales and income out of your newly acquired prospects.
However in the event you strike too quickly, you threat coming off as pushy, which might flip them off your model utterly.
As such, it pays to attend till late in your post-purchase workflow to focus on consumers with an upsell or cross-sell promotion.
When the time comes, be sure your provide is related. Three-quarters of customers count on manufacturers to grasp their distinctive expectations and desires, so don’t count on to get anyplace with a generic gross sales pitch.
As a substitute, take a leaf from Ten Thousand’s guide by encouraging prospects to “full” their order with a bunch of complementary merchandise:
Even higher, attempt boosting conversions by pairing upsell and cross-sell emails with a limited-time provide — resembling a share low cost or free delivery — if the shopper buys one other product within the subsequent 24 hours.
E mail #8: Ask for a Referral
Referrals might be a useful income, with one examine revealing that prospects referred by different prospects:
- Generate greater revenue margins
- Show extra model loyaltyÂ
- Present the next buyer lifetime worth
After all, prospects have to get to know your model and product earlier than they really feel comfy recommending them to their nearest and dearest.
However in the event you’ve nurtured them with a well timed upsell provide, shared worthwhile product info, and coaxed them into writing a evaluation, there’s an honest likelihood they’ll additionally really feel comfy referring family and friends.
Reductions are a robust pressure relating to driving referrals, with analysis from Point out Me citing them because the fourth-biggest purpose individuals refer manufacturers — solely behind model trustworthiness, nice customer support, and free delivery and returns.
Simply remember to maintain your provide easy, succinct, and engaging. As a result of prospects want a compelling (and easy-to-understand) purpose to exit to bat for you.
Style model Italic will get it proper with this referral electronic mail, which affords a $15 low cost for each the referrer and the shopper they refer:
Enhance Buyer Retention & Repeat Orders With Drip
Retention is all about understanding what makes your prospects tick.
Are they fascinated about a selected product class? Do they browse half-a-dozen merchandise then place an order the next day? Have they acquired an everyday buy frequency?
The extra you already know, the higher you’ll be capable to ship distinctive, extremely customized buying experiences — which, in turns, means your prospects are extra more likely to change into repeat patrons.
Drip provides you all of the instruments to make that occur.
Our highly effective segmentation options allow you to carry collectively advertising, retailer, and customer information to create conduct and engagement-based buyer segments — opening the door to laser-targeted messaging that compels consumers to purchase from you again and again.
Sounds good? Take us for a check drive by signing up to your 14-day free trial.
