Post Purchase Klaviyo Automations You Need To Retain More Customers

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Eddie Cmehil

Head of Revenue

This guide article was created by email marketing agency Fuel Made and shipment tracking app Malomo

An overlooked opportunity to increase customer retention

Shopify’s latest Future of Commerce 2021 Report highlights that retention will become a top priority for ecommerce merchants as acquisition costs continue to spike

Ecommerce is becoming more competitive, ad spend is increasing, and platforms like Facebook and Google are full of uncertainty. These factors are leading ecommerce brands to explore new growth channels this year, with a major focus on existing customers.

Shopify mentions that, “Historically, improving customer retention 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%.” That’s a massive increase in profits!

Email marketing has traditionally been a powerful channel for customer retention and it continues growing in value. Platforms like Klaviyo collect increasingly specific consumer data, enabling brands to create more personalized and meaningful shopping experiences.

Despite email marketing already making up a large portion of ecommerce sales, most brands fall short when it comes to automating a post purchase experience that captivates customers and builds long term loyalty.

After the customer buys, their excitement is at a peak. Most brands don’t take advantage of that time with customers or completely ignore it.

After working with hundreds of brands, Fuel Made and Malomo have teamed up to help ecommerce merchants make the best use of Klaviyo flows to create meaningful customer relationships post purchase.

This article will help you understand what emails you should be sending to your customers after they buy to build loyalty and increase repeat purchase.

===> Download our free ebook here to get detailed instructions and examples for setting up your own post purchase retention strategy.

This article will show you how attain three important post purchase goals with emails:

  1. Make your transactional emails work for you
  2. Get love letters from your customers
  3. Use data-driven upsells to increase lifetime value

Let’s get to it.

Make your transactional emails work for you

What are transactional emails?

These emails are sent to every customer who buys from your store. They contain information regarding the customer’s order. Brands don't usually consider transactional emails as opportunities to sell or make an impact. But you're about to see why they're missing out.

General tips for transactional emails:

  • Simple, straightforward subject line
  • Keep emails true to your brand
  • Include a call-to-action


Order confirmation email

Immediately after a purchase, customers want verification their order was received and processed (and to confirm they’ve ordered correctly!) – these emails serve as their reassuring receipt.

Here’s what you should include in your order confirmation emails:

  • Add brand personality - Introduce yourself with an engaging message.
  • Highlight order information - Do so in a way that is easily digestable. The goal is to remind customers of what they bought and help them catch mistakes ASAP.
  • Add a product feed - Personalized product recommendations help encourage customers to buy again.


Shipping notification emails

Think back to the last time you had a poor experience buying online. Many times, delivery is the issue.

That’s why we recommend holding your customer’s hand throughout the entire shipping process. Sending timely, relevant shipping notifications elevates your customer experience. It leads to less customer support requests, and happier shoppers.

The shipping process is made up of multiple steps; each step is an opportunity to show you care.


Core shipping notifications to send to customers

Pre-Transit: “Your order is packed and ready to go”

After your customers buy they’ll be curious about the progress of their package. Sending an email at this time shows customers you're moving fast and is an opportunity to connect with them.

In-Transit: “Your order has been shipped”

In-Transit emails are critical in order to share accurate estimated delivery dates and carrier tracking links.

Out for Delivery

Consumers are busy. Your Out for Delivery notification helps them be home to receive their package or make plans to evade the “porch pirates”.

Delivered

Receiving and unpacking their order is the most exciting time in your customer's relationship with your brand. . Make sure you share in that excitement with a timely, branded Delivered email.


Tips for engaging shipping emails

  • Focus on giving customers the information they want - Highlight information such as: estimated delivery date, carrier, type of shipping (1 day, 2 days, etc.), as well as the products in the order.
  • Share highly specific information - Give as much detail as you can regarding the status of their order.
  • Highlight your support options - Make it easy to contact your support team for any questions.


Get love letters from your customers

When you make the effort to share information with customers before they even realize they need it, you'll find they respond very well.

The emails in this section are sent when your customers are the most engaged with your brand–right after an order. Proactively showing up for your customers at this moment can turn a first-time purchaser into a loyal long-term brand advocate.

A real testimonial Beardbrand received from a customer


Thank you emails

Building your brand goes beyond selling your product. It's about telling a story and making your shoppers connect with you on an emotional level.

Sending a Thank You email after a customer buys shows you care about their business.

Here’s what you should include in your Thank You emails:

  • Show appreciation - Send gratitude for their recent purchase by letting them know how much it means to you.
  • Make it personal - Share a message from the founder.
  • Promote other channels - Use this as a chance to promote your Instagram or SMS.
  • Thank repeat customers - Send returning buyers a special “thank you!” and acknowledge their loyalty.


Product education email

If you consider the customer experience from end to end, how customers use the product has a big impact on how it performs (and whether or not they will write a review or recommend it). That’s why product instruction emails are important. It ensures customers know how to set up, use, or care for your product properly.

What you should include in your product educations emails:

  • Share instructions specific to the products in the order
  • Use videos of someone using the product
  • Show that you're not just selling a product, but that you're an expert at this product
  • Customers will turn to you as their go-to resource.


Use data-driven upsells to increase lifetime value

Now that you’ve “WOW’D!” your customers with such amazing, relevant content, it’s time for a smart up-sell or cross-sell.

To do this, you’ll need to dig into your data to figure out your ideal customer journey.

Here are some basic questions to think about:

  1. What do they buy first? (Usually best sellers)
  2. When do they typically come back?
  3. When they come back, what do they typically buy?


Cross-sell or Up-sell

On average, loyal customers are worth up to 10x as much as their first purchase! And, repeat customers spend 33% more than new customers.

If you send a timely and targeted email, you can help turn first-time purchasers into second-time, loyal customers.

Here’s what you should include in your cross-sell or up-sell emails:

  • Segment, segment, segment - Personalize your cross-sells or up-sells based on what customers have previously purchased.
  • Start with your best-seller - What is your go-to product? If a customer bought it, what is the best complimentary product that customers come back and buy? Promote that. If the customer did not buy a best-seller, promote the bestseller!


It’s time to retain customers with your post purchase experience

The first sale is the beginning of a relationship with a customer, not the end.

You’ve spent money and time to get people to the site, and have already eaten the acquisition cost. So the post purchase experience is where the opportunity is.

By taking some time to understand your customers’ needs, and putting effort into these post-purchase emails, you’ll show your customers that you care.

And they’ll thank you for it!

Want to know how to create these flows in Klaviyo and see live examples of these suggestions in action?

===> Download our free ebook here to get detailed instructions and examples for setting up your own post purchase retention strategy.

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