How can eCommerce companies improve post-purchase engagement and increase retention?

How can eCommerce companies improve post-purchase engagement and increase retention? Table of Content The duration between when a buyer checks out and product delivery to their home is the time when they are highly receptive to your brand's messaging due to built-up anticipation. It is the most critical time to strengthen the brand-consumer relationship by delivering them the best post-purchase treatment and offering them a memorable purchase experience. Focusing on post-purchase engagement results in better customer retention. As per studies, even a 5% increase in customer retention rate can bring in 25% to 95% of more profits to your company. So, here we will explore some of the top tactics e-commerce businesses can use to improve post-purchase engagement and boost their customer retention. Why are post-purchase engagement and customer retention important? It is evident that customer retention is profitable for any business. When you establish a good connection with your customers, you'll be able to offer them personalized services, like specific product or service recommendations, as per their interest. You can also incentivize your loyal customers through offers and discounts, hence further strengthening your relationship with them. When the post-purchase and customer retention strategies are followed correctly, you can connect with the buyers in a much more intimate way. Further, you will have a better understanding of their buying behavior and requirements. Needless to say, an active consumer base is a factor that saves a business, and it is especially important in this era of competition. Today, companies can even incorporate QR codes in their contactless marketing strategies to improve their customers' post-purchase experience. In fact, any brand or individual can create a QR code easily through a reputable QR code generator. Best ways to improve post-purchase engagement and increase retention 1. Use customer accounts Customer accounts benefit you in two ways. Firstly, by making it easier for customers to repurchase as they can instantly access your e-store through their accounts. Here, they can explore their past orders, and while repurchasing, they can use the pre-filled shipping information. Secondly, customer accounts are deemed to be long-term commitments for new buyers. Due to this, most buyers make a purchase as a guest if that option is available. So, it becomes crucial for you to effectively encourage buyers to make their profiles on your website without harming the conversion of new buyers. The technique is to offer them the choice to create an account right after they place their first order. You can also send direct invitations to your customers, encouraging them to activate an account once they complete a purchase. 2. Optimize your confirmation and shipping emails Set automatic delivery of emails to your customer both after they purchase something and after the item has been shipped. You can customize both of these emails in multiple ways to create anticipation for the launch of new products by your brand. Stimulate excitement among customers by delivering positive language, visualization, and links that redirect them to your e-websites or social media handles. You can motivate first-time buyers to follow your brand on social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram, through call to action. Also, allow them to learn more about your business through providing links that redirect them to your blogs or Frequently Asked Question page In fact, 64% of buyers are receptive to additional marketing quotes by the brand. By optimizing your emails in this manner, you can maintain a good post-purchase engagement of your customers. 3. Asking your customer for product reviews Asking customers to review your products is one of the valuable post-purchase engagement tactics. Today the digital world is all about consistent sharing of content; moreover, before purchasing any item, people want to see social proof of its authenticity. Regardless of a customer's experience being good and bad with the product, there is a high chance they would want to share it with someone. So, what if you redirect all that review information to your ecommerce store? Doing so will boost the authenticity of your product which will further encourage new visitors to buy things from your site. Also, the presence of online reviews on your website will give helpful and relevant content to your e-commerce store, further helping you carry out needed improvements. The best way to follow this tactic is by introducing a product/service review campaign. Once your customers receive your products, you can streamline sending order review requests through emails to your customers and also include the link of the products that respective customers have purchased. However, never send the review request immediately after the customer purchases the product. Always let your customer properly experience your products first. Waiting for 7-15 days after product delivery would be the perfect time to send the requests. Around 93% of buyers state that online reviews heavily influence their shopping decisions. So, integrate this post-purchase engagement method into your brand’s automatic email sequencing system. It will enable lead nurturing and help you bring in more conversions in the future. 4. Respond to all kinds of reviews, including good and bad You might come across a few customers every now and then who have some kind of complaints about the brand or product experience. So, make sure you are responding to each DM, comment, and tweet that mentions your brand or products. If you are dealing with a complaint, then firstly, you need to make an apology and then look into the issue. Doing so will satisfy your customers and enable you to maintain a good relationship with them. Also, even if the customer is not satisfied with the solution, they will still give you a thumbs up for your customer service. 5. Suggesting carefully selected complementary products Complementary goods are those that add value to the already purchased product. Businesses suggest such products to enhance the convenience of their buyers. However, ensure you are offering strong complementary goods meaning something that completes the main purchase item. 6. Building online communities for your brand Your highly loyal customers tend to show interest in participating in the post-purchase experience of your brand by seeking official as well as unofficial communities of your brand. Here, you can build brand-specific communities on social channels and invite existing and new customers to connect and share the experience of recent purchases. It will validate your customers' feeling of investing in a product of value and boost advocacy for your business in the market. Also, you can use such communities to circulate information about the latest updates on your services or products. Searching for Custom eCommerce Solutions CONTACT US 7. Provide how-to videos and guides Usually, customers like to use the product right away when it arrives. And, if they face any inconvenience at the time, there's a chance they will get irritated and return the product. Here, as a post-purchase strategy, you can offer educational guides to your customers regarding your products. For this, you can incorporate how-to-use videos and guide links in post-purchase emails. Also, you can redirect them to a written step-by-step guide on your website. Additionally, you can send newsletters to your buyers that specifically highlight qualities of the products they just purchased, all the ways buyers can use the product, tips on maintenance of your product to receive full value for their investment. It will enhance the customer experience and undoubtedly drive more post-purchase engagement. Furthermore, you can also create FAQ pages by analyzing the types of queries and issues that your customers ask/encounter more often. 8. Sending Replenishment Emails Depending on what your brand sells, it would be best to use replenishment emails to make your customers repurchase the item. However, you need to follow a suitable time frame while sending these emails, which will differ from business to business. For example, if you have a beauty brand, a timeline of 8 to 12 weeks for sending replenishment emails would be perfect. And, for industrial items, taking a leap of 12 to 14 months will be great to have better outcomes. 9. Celebrate anniversaries and milestones If a customer has a profile on your e-commerce website, you must have access to their personal details like birthdays as well as the date when the account was created. Everyone wants to have some special treatment on their birthdays, and your customers are no exception. So, why not treat them with something new like sending them a discount coupon, offering free shipping on certain orders, or a simple happy birthday wish can make your customers happy and want to engage with your brand more often. Conclusion By treating your customers past the checkout with the tactics mentioned above, you can significantly improve post-purchase engagement and customer retention for your brand. These steps will enable your customers to enjoy the best customer experience ever with a brand which will eventually make them loyal consumers of your business. Also, a happy customer is more likely to share the products with others. So, get ready to take care of your active customer involvement with your brand with these tactics.

Kapil Panchal

A passionate Technical writer and an SEO freak working as a Content Development Manager at iFour Technolab, USA. With extensive experience in IT, Services, and Product sectors, I relish writing about technology and love sharing exceptional insights on various platforms. I believe in constant learning and am passionate about being better every day.