2 Most Important Emails To Send After A Sale

It’s no secret, we are BIG fans of helping merchants cultivate the best possible customer experience for your store.

We are convinced the best way to do that is to develop an engaging series of emails that proactively update customers on their orders after checkout; from order confirmation, pre-delivery to a successful delivery.

We also recommend the use of emails to gather customer feedback on their delivery experience and even encourage you to communicate issues to them (with the right tone, they appreciate it!).

With the correct emails, you can ensure the customer relationship doesn’t end after their order is delivered but instead build a long lasting bond that can improve your CLV.

Customers love receiving and opening (!) valuable emails. They want to know what happened to their order and appreciate a heads up on their delivery at any point in time.

In our previous post, we shared with you 4 email types you need in your post-purchase communication arsenal. In this article, we share some best practices of post-purchase emails being used by retailers, analyze what they’re conveying and why they work.

1. Order Confirmation Emails

Example: Dollar Shave Club Upselling

Dollar Shave Club delivers razor blades and grooming products for men to their doorstep. They also deliver their marketing emails in their trademark humorous tone, while retaining their brand colors.

Customers immediately see when their delivery will ship out and the items they ordered; the most important expectation of an order confirmation email

After this, they turn their focus to winning the next sale. In the second fold of the email, they allow customers to add other related products to their order before their orders ship.

Lessons from Dollar Shave Club?

• Even the humble order confirmation email can be used as an opportunity to upsell customers

• They went beyond customers’ expectations. Customers expected a simple order confirmation and purchase receipt. Dollar Shave Club delivered on that expectation, but also made it humorous and bold – in line with their brand messaging.

• They showed them something personalized and relevant to their purchase.

This example shows even the humble order confirmation email can contain an opportunity to communicate your brand and continue your relationship with your customers. Don’t miss out.

2. Order Shipped / Pre Delivery Update Emails

Example: Fitbit

Known for their activity trackers and wearable technology devices, Fitbit has also become known for their simple, yet effective emails.

In 4 lines, they communicate:

• A confirmation that their order has finally been shipped

• Reminding the customer what they ordered

• How and where to go for tracking updates

• Reassuring the customer they will keep them updated on shipping information.

Lessons from Fitbit?

• You don’t need a complex design or copy to create a fantastic post-purchase email.

• Don’t be afraid to infuse a bit of personality in line with your brand. You will stand out from other emails out there.

• Creating good post-purchase emails doesn’t need to be complicated or take a lot of time. Fitbit’s order confirmation email is easy and simple and stays within its distinctive branding.

Order shipment confirmation emails are meant to assure your customers that they’re proactively being updated on their delivery information. As Fitbit shows, you can do all this and more.

Use these emails to put a smile on your customer’s face and reiterate your brand image towards them. Make your delivery update emails so compelling, they actually look forward to receiving and open them.

Go beyond bland and boring. Infuse some personality into your emails.

Pro-tip: You could even do more than what they have managed to pull off. How about including a tracking or even just the order ID which guides customers to your very own branded tracking page and delivering the latest tracking information within the email?

Excited? Well, we are too. Because this is exactly what we do. Use these examples of live emails being used by other retailers to inspire your creativity.

For more exclusive reports, insights, and interviews on the latest updates in e-commerce and logistics, follow us on LinkedIn or join our community as a member.