Building an effective post-purchase journey

Kerching! A customer has purchased your product or service, and the pound signs are no longer just in your eyes – they’re in your bank account too!

 Yet this is no time to rest on your laurels, because there’s still all to play for. The post-purchase user experience could be the difference between a repeat customer with whom you build an enduring relationship, or a flash in the pan.

 Unsurprisingly, email and CRM sits at the heart of any post-purchase journey, so have a read below to understand the best practices (and quick wins) to boost Customer Lifetime Value.

What are post-purchase emails?
The primary purpose of post-purchase emails is to provide confirmation of the order. But these emails also yield an opportunity to connect with the customer, and to give them valuable information, updates and incentives to encourage repeat business.

 As such, it’s best to build a post-purchase journey which encompasses a variety of emails. More on this below.

Why post-purchase emails matter
Research conducted recently by the e-commerce marketing platform Klaviyo found that post-purchase emails enjoy open rates which are 17% higher than traditional automated emails. These higher levels of engagement therefore present a golden opportunity to get your brand at the forefront of the customer’s mind.

One thing to keep in mind is that, unlike abandon browse emails (which aim to induce an immediate purchase), the post-purchase journey usually seeks to nurture the customer so as to lay the groundwork for a longer-term relationship.

How to craft the perfect post-purchase journey
As mentioned above, order confirmation is a fundamental part of the post-purchase experience, as you want to give the customer reassurance. An automated email to this effect should thus be the bare minimum for any e-commerce business. But of course, we want to go a lot further than ‘the bare minimum’, which is why we’ve put forward six ideas below to help you develop an optimal journey for this crucial area of your CRM estate.

 Say thanks!
Anytime someone parts with their hard-earned cash to support your business, you should do them the courtesy of expressing your gratitude. This basic gesture goes a long way to making the customer feel valued and appreciated – an essential component of developing brand loyalty. It doesn’t need to be over the top, but a thank-you message should be both personalised and sincere, making it clear that you genuinely care about the customer's satisfaction and experience.

 Keep them posted
If shipping and/or delivery are involved with purchasing your product, then be sure to keep the customer updated on progress – or, at the very least, give them the information they need to easily self-serve. Good communication during the delivery period will help customers keep track of where things are up to, and also increase confidence if and when they decide to make another purchase from you in the future.

Promote your loyalty programme
What better time to promote a loyalty programme than after a customer has just made a purchase? Now’s the time to pounce! Make sure your email content clearly articulates how the customer can benefit from the incentive(s), and outlines any steps involved with signing up (although these should ideally be kept to a minimum). Keep it simple: the barriers to entry need to be low, and the value of the reward(s) as high as possible.

Offer help and support
One of the main reasons customers reach out to a business after making a purchase is for support or assistance. To make their experience as seamless as possible, provide them with clear and concise information about how to find help, including phone numbers, email addresses and support hours. It’s also a good idea to pre-empt any queries by sharing links to useful resources you might have, such as guides, blogs or FAQs.

Request a review
Feedback from customers is an invaluable tool for any business. It helps you understand your customers' needs and preferences, identify areas for improvement, and ultimately improve your operation. And of course, user-generated content such as a review can inform the decisions of other customers about whether to buy from your business. One thing to keep in mind is that any request for a review is usually best suited as a standalone email sent days (or even weeks) after the customer has completed the purchase. That’s because you’ll want to give them a bit of time to actually use the product/service before feeding back.

Cross sell and upsell
The customer has already given your brand a vote of confidence by choosing to buy from you, and that gives you the chance to try and upsell, or cross sell other products/services. But the key is not to simply throw the kitchen sink at them. Besides, you already know a lot more about the customer now, based on their initial purchase. So use that data wisely to ensure any further promotional emails are well targeted, and as personalised as possible. Tick those boxes, and you’ll take a big step towards boosting customer spend in the short term, and building lifetime value in the longer term.