12 Post Purchase Email Flows Every eCommerce Brand Should Have
You have your customer's attention right after they buy from you, why not make that interaction count? Post-purchase email flows are crucial for ecommerce businesses to engage with customers after a transaction and encourage repeat purchases.
In the simplest terms, the post-purchase experience encompasses anything that occurs after a customer has bought from a brand.
Here are some of the most popular post-purchase email flows:
Order Confirmation: Sent immediately after a purchase, this email confirms the order details, including items purchased, pricing, and shipping information.
Shipping Confirmation: Sent when the order has been shipped, providing tracking information and estimated delivery dates. Shipping emails should not be an afterthought. These emails have the highest click-through rate of any email you send. Make sure you’re taking advantage of it with branded order tracking.
Delivery Confirmation: Sent when the order has been successfully delivered, ensuring the customer knows their package has arrived.
Feedback Request: Sent shortly after delivery to gather feedback on the shopping experience, product quality, and customer service. This helps improve future experiences and products.
Cross-sell/Up-sell: Sent after the customer has received their purchase, recommending related or complementary products based on their purchase history.
Product Review Request: Sent after a certain period, prompting customers to leave a review of the purchased product(s). This helps build social proof and improves SEO.
Referral Program Invitation: Encourages satisfied customers to refer friends and family by offering discounts or rewards for successful referrals.
Loyalty Program Invitation: Invites customers to join a loyalty program or rewards system, incentivizing repeat purchases with exclusive discounts or perks.
Reorder Reminder: Sent when it’s time to repurchase consumable products or items that typically need replenishing, such as skincare products or food items.
Birthday/Anniversary Email: Sent on the customer's birthday or anniversary of their first purchase, often including a special discount or offer as a gesture of appreciation.
VIP/Exclusive Offers: Sent to high-value customers, offering exclusive deals, early access to sales, or other perks to foster loyalty.
Abandoned Cart Follow-up: While not strictly post-purchase, these emails are sent to customers who added items to their cart but didn't complete the purchase. They remind customers of their abandoned items and encourage them to complete the purchase.
These email flows can be automated using email marketing platforms, triggered by specific events or time intervals, and personalized based on customer behavior and preferences.
What’s the most underrated post purchase email flow?
Arguably the most underrated post-purchase email flow for ecommerce companies is the "Reorder Reminder" email. Here's why it's valuable:
Encourages Repeat Purchases: A reorder reminder email prompts customers to replenish consumable products or repurchase items they might need again, such as skincare products, vitamins, or household essentials. By reminding customers of their previous purchase and suggesting a reorder, you increase the likelihood of repeat purchases and customer loyalty.
Convenience for Customers: Customers often appreciate the convenience of being reminded to reorder items they regularly use. It saves them the time and effort of remembering to restock essential products themselves, enhancing their overall shopping experience.
Increases Customer Lifetime Value: By facilitating repeat purchases, reorder reminder emails contribute to increasing the customer's lifetime value (CLV). Customers who make repeat purchases over time are more valuable to your business than one-time buyers, as they contribute more revenue and are more likely to become brand advocates.
Builds Trust and Reliability: Proactively reminding customers to reorder products demonstrates that you understand their needs and are committed to providing a seamless shopping experience. This builds trust and reinforces the perception of your brand as reliable and customer-centric.
Opportunity for Upselling/Cross-selling: Reorder reminder emails can also serve as an opportunity to upsell or cross-sell related products. For example, you can suggest complementary items or upgraded versions of the products customers previously purchased, potentially increasing the average order value.
Personalization Potential: By leveraging customer data and purchase history, reorder reminder emails can be highly personalized. You can tailor product recommendations and timing based on each customer's preferences and buying behavior, increasing the relevance and effectiveness of the email.
Most Popular Post Purchase Email Flows
Shopify shipping notifications are the most popular type of shopify notification emails sent to customers on the platform. These automated notifications keep customers informed about the progress of their orders. From the moment an order is placed until it reaches the customer's doorstep, shipping notifications provide real-time updates on important details such as shipment tracking numbers, expected delivery dates, and any potential delays in transit. Merchants build trust and strong relationships with their customers by keeping them informed about their purchases.
The downside is there's only so much branding you can do within Shopify so many brands are moving their transactional post-purchase updates that happen during the shipping process to other tools that integrate with Shopify like Klaviyo. One of the biggest missed opportunities is the actual order tracking page itself that a customer lands on when they are checking the delivery status. If you stick with the Shopify default, you'll keep you customer informed but you're missing out on a massive marketing opportunity to drive cross-sells, upsells, education, subscriptions and more if you don't consider branded order tracking.
Here are 5 Post-Purchase Email Campaign Ideas to Improve Your Customer Experience and Retention.
And here are some top articles related to post purchase email flows that you won’t want to miss!
- Shopify Post Purchase: Everything to know and examples
- Post-Purchase Experience
- How to improve your post-purchase experience in 3 easy steps
- The ultimate post-purchase process swipe file
- Post purchase emails
- 5 Post-Purchase Email Campaign Ideas to Improve Your Customer Experience and Retention
- Best Order Confirmation Emails: Samples, Examples, & More
- Unleashing the Power of Shipping Emails: Best Practices to Drive Conversion Rates
Don't forget about Post Purchase SMS Notifications, too
Text messages tend to have much higher open rates than emails, making them an effective way to inform customers about time-sensitive information such as limited-time promotions or stock availability. Using SMS notifications in conjunction with email notifications can enhance the overall effectiveness of a store's communication strategy. We recommend choosing a delivery channel (email or SMS) for each type of notification you send or setting up logic so customers aren't constantly receiving the same type of update from both email and SMS.
Here are some examples of SMS updates you can send:
Shipping Confirmation: Send an SMS as soon as the customer's order is shipped, including the tracking number and a link to track the package. This keeps customers informed about their delivery status.
Delivery Updates: Provide real-time delivery updates via SMS, such as "Your package will be delivered today between 2 PM and 4 PM." This helps customers plan for the arrival of their order.
Order Delivered: Send an SMS notification when the order has been successfully delivered. Include a thank-you message and encourage customers to share their experience or leave a review.
Feedback Request: After the order has been delivered, send an SMS requesting feedback or a review. Make it easy for customers by including a direct link to leave a review on your website.
Exclusive Offers: Send SMS-exclusive offers or discounts to customers who have made a recent purchase. This can encourage repeat business and loyalty.
Membership or Loyalty Program: Promote your loyalty program via SMS, inviting customers to join and enjoy benefits such as discounts, early access to sales, or points accumulation.
Product Usage Tips: If the purchased product has unique features or requires special care, send SMS messages with tips on how to use and maintain it.
Reorder Reminder: For consumable products or items with a limited lifespan, send SMS reminders to reorder when it's time to restock.
Flash Sales and Promotions: Notify customers about limited-time offers, flash sales, or special promotions via SMS. Create a sense of urgency to encourage immediate action.
Holiday and Birthday Greetings: Send personalized SMS messages on holidays, birthdays, or other special occasions, along with exclusive offers or greetings.
Order Status Updates: If there are any delays or issues with the order, proactively inform the customer via SMS and provide options for resolution. Malomo customer use its Problem Orders data to enable this.
Remember to respect customers' preferences and obtain their consent before sending SMS updates. Also, be mindful of the frequency of SMS messages to avoid overwhelming recipients. Tailoring your SMS updates to match customer preferences and the nature of your products can greatly enhance the post-purchase experience and customer satisfaction.
