We all know about order confirmation emails. In the e-commerce world of 2024, they’re standard. Every time a customer makes a purchase, you send them a confirmation of their order, along with the details about shipping, delivery timelines, and payment confirmation. But while these emails have become standard and serve a clear practical purpose, many businesses don’t quite understand their potential when it comes to driving repeat purchases.
The Power of Order Confirmation Emails
So how does something as ‘boring’ as an order confirmation email hold so much power? Well, the question is not quite how it can drive repeat purchases, but how you can use it to drive those purchases. Emails are one of the most important avenues for customer engagement.
Whether you’re using abandoned cart Shopify tools that utilise automated emails or using a newsletter to further engage customers outside of the website, it’s an avenue that can help you build and maintain a relationship in a far more personal and efficient manner. This can also be true for order confirmation emails.
Did you know, for instance, that order confirmation emails represent one of the highest engagement touchpoints in the customer journey? Compared to bulk emails – which have a 17% open rate – order confirmation emails have an open rate of more than 70%, which makes them a goldmine of potential sales.
Once a purchase has been made, of course, most customers want to know the details. They want to know that the order has been processed, the payment has been made, and they want a good idea of when they can expect to receive the product. Instead of simply confirming the transaction, then, you have an opportunity to strategically use this email to enhance the customer experience, drive a repeat purchase, and ultimately boost revenue.
How to Use Order Confirmation Emails to Your Advantage
When it comes to how exactly you can do this, the answer is simple. It’s all about adding value to the customer experience and making them aware of something they may not have been before. One way you can do this is by suggesting items that complement the customer’s recent purchase.
Now that you have the data and you know what a customer is personally interested in, you have a better chance of placing a similar product in front of them immediately, increasing their likelihood of returning. Let’s say you’re running a smartphone accessory business and a customer has just bought a cover for their phone. In the order confirmation email, you have the opportunity to recommend a number of other accessories, such as a screen protector, a selfie stick, a tripod, or a Bluetooth speaker.
Along with these recommendations, you can also offer exclusive discounts as a thank you. This can be as simple as a percentage off their next purchase, free shipping, or exclusive access to a loyalty program.
Speaking of a loyalty program, you can also communicate to the customer that they’ve set off on a rewards-based journey. Offer them a certain number of points as a direct result of their purchase, and give them the chance to earn even more through the recommendations. Timing can be important here.
As mentioned earlier, one of the reasons strategic order confirmation emails are so effective is because they’re catching the customer immediately after a purchase, meaning you know they’re in a buying frame of mind.
To take advantage of this, you can introduce a sense of urgency by making the accumulation of more points time-sensitive, using CTAs such as: ‘Earn double points if you complete your next purchase by…’ This not only encourages them to act quickly, but also gives them a reason to return to your site sooner rather than putting off their next interaction.
Conclusion
It’s important to remember the purpose behind an order confirmation email: to confirm the purchase has been made, the payment, and the shipping details. You don’t want to overlook that and end up frustrating the customer.
But at the same time, you have a golden chance to include more details, make the email far more engaging, recommend other products, and ultimately elevate your chances of a repeat purchase. All you have to do is pay attention to the customer as an individual and take care to balance the message appropriately.
