"Post-purchase communication" - what sounds like "another buzzword" is actually the English term for customer communication after the purchase. Because even if the order process on paper represents the end of the order for the customer, there are very good opportunities for providers to significantly increase the customer experience at this point.
For example, various studies show that customers react more sensitively to incoming e-mails after a purchase. This means that there is great potential hidden in post-purchase communication. Mails sent while the package is on its way have an opening rate of 80%. And that's not all: 70% of recipients can be led back to the online store through clever communication.
Doesn't that sound promising? Ready to take your customers' customer experience to the next level?
Why Post Purchase Communication?
The short version: for a better customer experience, higher customer loyalty and increased competitiveness. Of course, post-purchase communication is only one of many possibilities - there is more to a very good customer experience than just "communicating a little" - but it is one that should not be underestimated.
Because unfortunately, there is still a great imbalance between the efforts up to the conclusion of the purchase and the efforts after the conclusion of the purchase. Many online store operators are mistakenly of the opinion: purchase is good, everything is good. But leaving the customer alone after the purchase and not informing him/her about the current status of the order is a mistake:
More and more customers are becoming accustomed to a high-quality customer experience. Demands are rising, and the field of e-commerce is changing. And you have to keep up. Because the bond with your customers takes place primarily thanks to and during post-purchase communication. Nowadays, customers expect personalized experiences, quasi all-round care and individualized communication.
In this way, you not only strengthen the relationship with your customers and establish a better customer experience - but you also stand out from the competition and secure high customer loyalty, which is extremely practical: After all, customer loyalty is 5x cheaper than acquiring new customers.
Post Purchase Communication in Detail
Although it sounds like a small aspect of e-commerce at first, post-purchase communication can be quite broad. As the name suggests, this includes all types of communication that take place after the purchase. The channel is relatively unimportant - whether you give your customers several pieces of information via SMS, WhatsApp or mail is irrelevant: the main thing is that you still take care of your clientele after the purchase has been made. We assure you: it's worth it.
The nu company impressively demonstrates the great influence post-purchase communication can have on relationships with your customers. With an individualized and humorously written order confirmation, the company even went viral on platforms like LinkedIn because everyone was so enthusiastic about the communication. An excerpt:
"Today was not a normal day at the nu company. [...] But then suddenly it rang through the office: Guys, it's finally time! We have received an order from *insert name*! What happened next is hard to put into words: Founder Thomas fell over while trying to optimize his handstand push-ups. Julius jumped up euphorically" etc. etc.
You know where we're going with this, right? ;)
How do I strengthen the relationship with customers?
The order confirmation from the nu company is an e-mail. However, you have countless other ways to keep your customers up to date. For example, you can let them choose which channel they prefer and put them in charge. Once selected, order and shipping confirmations, tracking links, or prompts to rate the purchase are all part of the fun.
Even if something supposedly bad happens, you can still get something positive out of the whole thing. Customers perceive negative news as less bad if you play your cards right from the start. If a package is delayed, for example, simply score points with a charming piece of information about the delayed delivery, such as "Hello xy, we know how difficult it is for you to wait so long for your package. Unfortunately, the waiting time will be delayed a little. To sweeten it for you, we hereby send you a 10% voucher."
Thanks to the incentive, the personalized message and the early notification, the customer is appeased. The likelihood that he/she will order again and remain loyal to the brand increases and the individualized post-purchase communication improves the buying experience.
Even with simple emails that you normally don't think twice about, you can strengthen the connection with your customers. How about an evaluation of the purchase process, for example? Or an email reminding you to pick up the package as soon as possible? All of this may sound almost trivial - but again, it's all about the subtleties and how you package the information.
Because, as you've already seen: Even a "simple" order confirmation can be a trigger for good customer loyalty, high-quality customer experience and ultimately higher profitability. And if it goes super well, networks like LinkedIn will use your post purchase communication as a best practice example...
Anticipation is the best joy
After clicking on the order or payment button, the anticipation of the ordered product is usually at its highest. The customers have done what they were supposed to do, sit back and await the order. This period, directly after the order process, is extremely well suited for post-purchase communication.
One attractive way to keep customers happy while they wait for their package is to provide them with tips. If you run an online store in the food industry, for example, you can send your customers emails with sample recipes. This would be something like "What you can do with your nut puree".
Make sure you don't speak in logistics jargon: Bureaucratic officialese is just as unwelcome as the complete omission of information about the order. Whether the package made it from hub A to hub B is also not important for customers. Instead, use tips and tricks, understandable information, and the tracking link, which we will discuss in the next paragraph:
Post Purchase Communication good, all good!
Contrary to the widespread opinion that the hard work is done after the purchase, there is actually a lot of potential hidden in post-purchase communication. A study shows, for example, that 73% of all customers prefer to store in stores where personalized communication is practiced. While the open rate for post-purchase communication emails is often between 80 and 100%, the click rate is as low as 14%. By comparison, the open rate for normal promotional emails is around 14% and the click rate is only around 4%.
Doesn't that sound like a dream come true for every marketing manager? For successful post purchase communication, you don't need a lot of time or resources. Your company's own customer service will also thank you: for example, you can use a personal tracking link to ensure that each of your customers always knows where his or her package is at any given moment.
And that's not all: in addition to the information about the whereabouts of the order, it is also possible to offer other products on the track and trace page and thus entice customers back into the store. According to Paqato, customers open the tracking link up to three times while waiting for their package!
Conclusion
As you can see, the numbers speak for themselves. Post purchase communication is more than just "Thank you for your order." Post purchase communication is customer satisfaction, better custom experience and more loyal customers.
Reason enough for us at Liefergrün to also place a lot of emphasis on this part of the ordering and shipping process. Not only do we ship sustainably and quickly - but we are also aware of the importance of Post Purchase communication. After all, we also want you to build the relationship with your customers as strong as possible. That's why we offer to optimize your customer experience, for example by responding to customer inquiries within just 10 minutes.
In addition, each customer receives a personal tracking link that shows live where the package is. This way, your customers are already excited before the package has even reached its destination. The only downside: We deliver so fast (keyword: next-day-deliveries) that you wish you had more time for Post Purchase communication...
Would you like to learn more about how we can strengthen the relationship between you and your customers? Feel free to write us, we look forward to hearing from you!
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