Actually, getting money into your account isn’t the end of the story. Post-purchase phase is the golden opportunity for you to deepen the relationship with customers. If you can nail post-purchase satisfaction, you can earn more repeat and loyal customers in the long run.
Customer engagement after the purchase is no doubt crucial. Is your post-purchase engagement strategy running on the right track? Check out these 7 tips below to figure out.
1. Social sharing
Word of mouth is powerful. It can make or break a brand in a short time. So if customers are happy about your service, why not make it known to the world?
On your thank-you page or order confirmation page, leave an option for customer to share the product they just buy on their social accounts. Many of their friends and friends of friends will see it. This helps increase your brand awareness and get you more potential customers.
Meanwhile, by sharing your product and getting involved in the social discussion around it, your customer would feel more attached to your brand. This is the first step in tying the knot with them and turn them into repeat buyers.
2. Newsletter subscription
Some retailers may subscribe the buyers to their newsletter by default, but you should always ask for customers’ permission. Though they choose to purchase from you, it doesn’t mean they want to hear from you weekly or monthly.
If you ignore their choice and keep popping up in their inbox with content they have no interest in, your emails may be marked as spam and you can never approach them again.
After the purchase, you can ask the buyer nicely if they want to subscribe to your emails. It only takes a tick to a box, but some may not feel the urge to do it. That’s when you need to change the way you ask or promise customers some incentives. For instance, “Subscribe to get access to our freebies” or “Subscribe and be the first to know every of our promotions”.
3. Free gifts
First-time buying experience is important. It decides whether the customer is going to buy from you again. So why not make their experience memorable by giving them some small gifts? People love receiving small gifts, since it makes them feel special, recognized and appreciated.
You may not need to offer free gifts for the next purchase but you can consider giving customers discount or coupon code instead.
4. Cross-sell/Upsell offers
Confirmation email doesn’t have to be boring. It’s not just some bland notice about order receipt and delivery date. You can make use of this chance to engage your buyers by sneaking in some upsell/cross-sell offers. Why not? They trust you with their first purchase and the high chance is that they’re going to buy from you again.
The offers should be closely relevant to the purchase. Or else, you may be giving the impression that you’re just trying to steal more from their wallet. Make your offers customer-oriented. Express yourself as the brand who puts customer’s benefits on top priority and all you’re trying to do is give customers a way to add more value to their first purchase. That’s how you make a successful upsell/cross-sell offer.
5. Product reviews
Asking for product reviews is a great way to collect customer testimonials. It work as a social proof for your product. The more positive feedbacks you get, the more prospects are willing to buy from you.
A product review request should be sent after the customer has some time to experience the product. But don’t wait too long, like after a month or more. By that time, most customers may have lost their excitement with the product and it’s hard to get some words from them.
If you forget to contact them sooner, you can always win them over by offering them some discount, coupon code or membership privilege for their reviewing effort.
6. Referral program
Referral marketing is a clever method to acquire new customers through old ones. It works as a form of word-of-mouth marketing, in which buyers tell their friends and acquaintances about your product/service and get something in return. This is incredibly powerful since it not only acts as a type of social proof but also helps you target the better audience. People know their friends better than you do.
Ideas for a good referral program may vary across different industries, but the gift value in general should not be too high. Or else, people may think you are trying to bribe them to talk sweet things about your product.
7. Loyalty program
We all know old customers bring higher value. In fact, 80% of your company’s future revenue will come from just 20% of your existing customers, according to Gartner Group. Therefore, it’s critical to know how to retain customers.
Your journey with a customer doesn’t stop at the delivery date. You can turn them into a loyal fan by showing how grateful you are for their concern towards your product. A great way to say thank you is through loyalty programs. You can offer customers some exclusive gifts or benefits based on their purchase value or on their personal anniversaries.
Are you applying any of these practices to enhance post-purchase engagement? What other tactics do you employ to improve customer retention for your eCommerce business? Just comment below and share with us. We’d love to hear your ideas.
