Article

How To Increase Sales With Post-Purchase Emails

You have a very precious window of time to make an impression after a customer has made a purchase. This timeframe presents you with the perfect opportunity to send post-purchase emails, which are transactional and marketing emails sent to customers following a purchase.

Post-purchase emails are highly regarded for their effectiveness – for one, it costs 6 to 7 times more to acquire a new customer than to convert an existing one! In addition, customers who have a positive shopping experience (and this includes after sales care) are 140% more likely to make a second purchase! Read on for some tips on how to increase conversions with post-purchase emails.

Post-Purchase Emails: Best Practices

1. Customize Transactional Emails

The first email you send after a customer has made a purchase is legally required which means all customers receive them. These include Order Confirmations, ShippingUpdates, Deliver Updates, etc. Customers want to confirm their order is correct and has actually gone through.  They are also the first touchpoint that you have with a customer post-purchase so it’s important to make a great impression.

Each transactional email should be customized with your unique branding so it feels like an extension of your store and include a list of the products ordered, a receipt clearly detailing the invoice, how the customer can track the shipment, and finally contact details for customer support. But don’t stop there!

Given how engaged customers are with these transactional emails, it’s the perfect opportunity to offer personalized suggestions and incentives to shop with you again based on their purchase history. This gives your customers an opportunity to see more products you offer that are related to what they’ve purchased and gets them thinking about shopping with you again before their first order arrives.  

An example of a customized transactional email that's fully branded and optimized for sales.

2. Send a Thank You Email to Incentivize Additional Purchases

While the first email will lay the foundation for a successful customer relationship, it’s important to follow that up with a thank you email. Businesses should never make the mistake of focusing too much on acquiring new leads at the expense of fostering good relationships with existing customers.

Because you already know something about your customer, you are in a better position to encourage subsequent purchases by offering customized product recommendations that will speak to your customers. With referral perks and discount codes offered at the right time, you are more likely to get a second purchase and with this in mind, remember that repeat customers spend 67% more on average than new customers!

Sending a thank you email makes your customer feel appreciated, giving them a positive brand experience.

3. Take Advantage of Cross-Sell Opportunities in Emails

When it comes to post-purchase emails, there is a balance between appearing too promotional yet nudging your customer towards reconverting. What you can do to convey the appropriate message is to identify relevant cross-sell opportunities based on purchase history and send out automated emails at the right time to capitalize on that opportunity. For instance, if a customer purchased an outdoor coat from you, they may be searching for boots elsewhere. With a carefully timed email and purchase incentive, they can be encouraged to purchase their boots from you instead of your competitor.

Other cross-sell opportunities to consider include customers’ birthdays, the anniversary of your brand, special occasions such as Black Friday, and lots more!

Post-purchase emails are a perfect opportunity to cross-sell products that your customer might like based on their purchase history.

4. Don’t Forget to Send an Email to Celebrate their First Purchase Anniversary

The first anniversary of a purchase is always a good time to send a post-purchase email, and keeps your brand fresh in customers’ minds. If customers tend to purchase from your online shop nearing a specific season, such as Christmas, a well-timed email can easily bring your brand forefront to customer consideration and make a repeat purchase more likely!

Strengthen your relationship with your customers by sending them a happy anniversary email. You can include personalized offers like one-use discount codes.

Want to see more content like this?

Thanks, you're all signed up!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Join the world's fastest-growing indie brands.

Request a Demo