We’ve all been there as shoppers. We find an item that we can’t live without at a great little online boutique, place our order, and then never hear from the shop ever again. It’s kind of a letdown, right?
One major ingredient when it comes to whipping up a successful email marketing strategy is to keep in mind that the customer journey doesn’t end when they finish the checkout process. You have to continue to give them reasons to return again and again.
In the past, we have spoken on how a welcome email series is key to brand success. Our sweet team here at CAKE has put together this guide to help you understand the importance of a post-purchase strategy and post-purchase emails. Let’s begin!
What is a Post-Purchase Strategy?
Simply put, a post-purchase strategy is a plan for how you intend on staying in touch with customers after they’ve completed a purchase. This can be through fliers in the mail, email, sales, special offers, and more. Some online brands have even found success by picking up the phone and making a personal call after someone buys a large ticket item.
The reason behind going to all of this extra effort is to ensure that one-time customers become lifelong fanatics. How you choose to do this is ultimately up to what makes the most sense for your brand. But in most cases, it will include a combination of an email series plus another method.
Why Do You Need to Send Post-Purchase Emails?
So, what’s the most important reason to have this type of email strategy? To get customers to buy from you again and again. And email is generally the most cost-effective and easily accessible way of getting in touch with online shoppers after they’ve purchased at least once.
Campaign Monitor framed the importance of post-purchase emails perfectly. “Getting a new customer is a big deal — it can cost a lot of money, and it usually takes quite a bit of time for small businesses. Returning customers, though, are a great way to boost your company’s ROI. That’s why you need to send post-purchase emails to your first-time buyers. Post-purchase emails are your gateway to customer success. They improve customer experience, decrease customer complaints, and encourage customer retention. They can also improve your bottom line when used properly."
Think of it this way. If they’ve subscribed to your email list during the checkout process, they’ve given you access to their inbox and genuinely want to hear from you. They want to know if you have new items in stock or are running a sale. And they want to receive special coupons or offers tailored directly towards them.
To display how essential post-purchase emails are, Klaviyo provided post-purchase email statistics that prove it. "These emails help increase customer retention by turning your subscribers into loyal, repeat customers. According to our data, these types of emails see a 217% higher open rate, over 500% higher click rate, and 90% higher revenue per recipient than your average email campaign."
Customers Need Their Own Unique Engagement
Of course, you can’t send out the same email to all of your customers and expect to have similar results. Certain groups have a better chance of conversion and it makes sense to segment your list according to their buying habits. Three of the most common ones to consider include:
First-Time Customers
You want to turn first-time customers into brand loyalists and the easiest way to do this is with a customized email campaign. After they buy, be sure to prompt them to subscribe to your newsletter from the checkout page. This can be done by introducing them to a loyalty program or offering a special discount off their next purchase. Then continue to send them emails welcoming them to your community, proving your value, and getting them to purchase again.
Repeat Customers
These are customers who engage with your brand and buy from you regularly. For this group, your post-purchase message should recognize, thank, and reward these individuals for being such loyal customers. Other items you can include in your messages can be updates about the loyalty program status, upsells for a subscription service, and even requesting product reviews. You can also utilize AI technology to predict product recommendations and give them information on other items they might like.
Big Spenders
Finally, you want to make sure your big spenders feel important, too. And that includes messaging them differently. All you have to do is decide on what your brand deems as a high purchase or order value and split your automation between customers who have spent that or not. From there, entice them to continue to make big purchases by thanking them for their business, providing special discount codes, or giving them a chance to join a VIP program. You can even offer a checkout code that gives them extra samples with their next order.
Nurturing Buyers Can Lead to Loyal Customers
Having a plan to nurture your customers from basic buyers to brand fanatics is important. Everyone wants to feel special and receiving a post-purchase email with a special offer is one of the easiest ways to help show them that you care. And, as an online brand, this is an incredibly vital piece of growing your business.
Are you ready to discover what having the right marketing mix can do to sweeten up your eCommerce business? Contact our team at CAKE today to start the conversation.
