Wouldn’t it be great if you could create an email marketing campaign with higher open rates and increased click-through percentage? You spend so much time curating the content of your promotional offers only to see them land in the spam folder or lost in an overloaded inbox. There is a way. Marketing to your customers during the post purchase experience can increase customer satisfaction, reduce marketing costs, increase your average order value, and boost your marketing ROI.
Millions of dollars are spent on marketing campaigns focused on driving customers to their ecommerce retail websites, but very little attention is paid to post purchase marketing opportunities. Unfortunately, most retailers feel that their job is done when the customer clicks the buy button. Adding marketing strategies during the post purchase process not only gives you an edge over the retailers that aren’t doing it, but it will also help you retain your existing customer and increase your average lifetime value.
What is Post Purchase Marketing?
Post purchase marketing is the promotion and branding activity that takes place after a customer has made a purchase. From the customer’s perspective, the customer journey does not end until they have your product in their hands. That means that while they are waiting for their order to arrive, you still have their attention. Order tracking and purchase confirmation emails have open rates up to 90% and click-through rates of 45%. With those numbers, why would you pass up an opportunity to speak to the customers during the post purchase experience?
Why is Post Purchase Marketing Important?
Successful ecommerce retailers don’t just want to get the first sale, they want to get the second and third purchase from returning customers. Repeat sales lead to lower acquisition costs, higher customer lifetime value, and higher profits. This is not just because it is 5 times more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to keep them, purchases from returning customers mean that the customer was satisfied with their experience on your website, and they come back for more.
How Can I Boost My ROI Through Post Purchase Marketing?
Communicating with existing customers to increase sales is a straightforward process, but there are a few simple things you can do to make your post purchase marketing more effective.
1. Create a Branded Tracking Page
The best way to maintain the customer relationship during the post purchase experience is to create a branded tracking page. A branded tracking page gives the same tracking information as the shipping company but does it on a site that looks and feels like your ecommerce website. In addition to the tracking information, you can personalize the page to create a branded experience.
2. Cross-selling and Upselling
During the post purchase experience, the customer is still highly engaged with your brand. Using the order confirmation email and a branded tracking page to recommend items related to their original purchase is a great way to grow your business. Using the post purchase experience to cross-sell products that complement their purchase or upsell variations or discounts on additional items will get the customer to return to your site and increase customer loyalty.
3. Use Data to Customize the Message
When a customer visits your ecommerce site for the first time, they leave behind hints and clues to their preferences and tastes. When they make a purchase, they provide you with even more valuable information such as where they live and products that they like. You can use this information to create customized marketing offers and make recommendations to help them explore more of your website. When your customers tell you what they like, use that information to help them make decisions that will make them happy.
Conclusion
Extending your marketing efforts to the post purchase experience can boost your marketing ROI by lowering acquisition costs, increasing customer lifetime value, and improving customer retention. WISMOlabs Post Purchase platform easily integrates with most ecommerce platforms to create a complete customer journey by keeping customers engaged and giving you the insights to make data-driven decisions. Contact us today to see how we can boost your marketing ROI.
