by 
We Received Your Order. Insert Happy Dance.
If you’re reading this blog, there’s a high likelihood you’re an online shopper and you know the joy of receiving an email stating your order has been received. You get even MORE joy out of the subject line “your order has shipped.” If you open those emails, you’re among 70% of the audience receiving these types of emails who engages at that level. A 70% open rate is a marketer’s dream! So why do some marketers fall flat and how can they take better advantage of the attention received on these coveted communications?
64% of consumers consider order confirmation emails among their most valued emails. So much so, they’ll spend 14 seconds reading them. That’s twice the amount of time a Gen Z’er spends on… anything before moving on.
Creating order confirmation emails seems simple and straight-forward. An item number, an order date, maybe an image and you’re set. Right? Sure, if you don’t want to engage your highly valued consumer any more than that.
Let’s talk about some ways you can enhance this communication
Start with a Thank you.
We’re all taught manners at a young age; brands should follow suit. Show this customer, who just purchased from you, how much you appreciate them with an acknowledgement of their business in a consumer-friendly way.
Give them a resource to correct errors
Mistakes happen, providing a quick way to reach customer service or change an order goes a long way in allowing consumers to self-sufficiently solve an error that may have occurred. This shows you’re providing them the support they need without sending them on a wild goose chase.
Follow up and ask for feedback.
No one is more excited about a product than on the day it delivers. It’s fresh, new and hopefully not damaged from shipping. This is your opportunity to ask for a review with a well-timed, easy to navigate email or link to a review site. As an added bonus, ask them to tag you on social media, with their review, to get even more reach.
Promote your brand communications
Give this engaged customer a reason to join your list, if they haven’t already. Place an easy to notice content block or CTA to join your mailing list for future communications, offers, whatever you have to give.
Start your retention efforts.
Thanks to Amazon Subscribe and Save and Prime Now, consumers’ desire to have access to products almost immediately is satisfied. Grocery stores that offer pick up or delivery services often allow you to see your recently purchased or frequently purchased items – making the “tedious” task of online shopping faster.
This could be your first touchpoint toward customer retention – a place where only 18% of companies actually focus time. It’s far cheaper to maintain an existing customer than to acquire one. Offer them a discount on their next purchase, a coupon code to use and share with a friend, or cross sell some other products you think they may like to purchase next time.
Brands spend a lot of time thinking about their next promotional campaign and the emails associated with it, but very little time evaluating and improving their transactional emails. Don’t miss out on a 70% open rate and highly engaged time spent with your content by doing the bare minimum. The payoff is there – go get it.
Reference Links: Order Confirmation Email Best Practices to Help Your Business Stay Ahead
