Order confirmation emails: how to maximise their potential
You’ve just clicked the “confirm order” button for that much-desired item. What’s the first thing you eagerly await? Indeed, it’s that reassuring confirmation email in your inbox, signifying that the item is going to be yours soon. These emails fly high in open rates: not only do they serve to confirm a transaction but they are a golden ticket for further engagement with your customers.
So, the next time you are planning order confirmation emails for your ecommerce store, remember, you’re not just confirming a sale, you’re tapping into one of the most powerful touchpoints in the e-commerce journey. Just think that their open rate reaches up to 70%. Let’s discover how to make them count!
What is an Order Confirmation Email?
An order confirmation email is a transactional email, often automatic, sent in response to the client after they complete a transaction in an online store. Sending a confirmation email for a successfully placed order is a reassuring common practice for your customers. An order confirmation email should usually contain the following information:
- Confirmation of successful order
- Order summary: product name (with product thumbnail), price details, SKU, quantity, colour, and size (if applicable)
- Package tracking link
- Shipment address
- Estimated delivery time
- Return info and policies
Advantages of sending order confirmation emails
While marketing emails are very often ignored by customers, order confirmation emails represent quite a unique case. In fact, these confirmation emails are eagerly anticipated and, as a result, they boast the highest email open rate. This alone is relevant to their importance but there are a few more advantages of sending order confirmation emails you cannot ignore.
Establishing trust
Order confirmation emails are reassuring for your customers. Receiving them certifies that their transaction was successful and that your ecommerce website is reliable. This will encourage clients to make more purchases in the future.
Boosting sales
Order confirmation emails can become a powerful tool to increase sales, if used wisely. In particular, if you incorporate targeted offers or additional product selections under that precious order information your customers won’t ignore, not only will these emails be opened and saved but may also inspire additional future purchases.
Creating anticipation and interest in your store
Order confirmation emails subtly draw your customers’ attention towards their purchase and consequently pique interest in your store. Don’t you relate to that feeling when you start counting the days for your order to arrive? Well, order confirmation emails make customers think about your product and store, consciously or subconsciously. This feeling may even inspire them to open your website multiple times to anticipate their order and, while doing so, they may discover other items they’d like to buy.
Order confirmation emails best practices
Being quick and concise
Your customers expect to receive the order confirmation email as soon as possible. Therefore, it is important to be quick; this can be done by
incorporating an email automation tool to your workflow. Also, remember to be concise, including the information that is essential for your users.
Expressing gratitude
Customers are the driving force behind your business and it is important to express gratitude to them for trusting your store and valuing your products. Incorporate simple and direct phrases such as “Thank you for your order”. Here is an example:
Writing an engaging subject line and brand your email
The subject line is the initial hook that will capture your customers’ attention. Therefore,try to be creative with your design and subject line, making it a reflection of your brand’s image and tone of voice. In this way, the email is more appealing to users and they will appreciate your store even more. Here is an effective example:
Linking back to your website and including target offers or product suggestions
Given that customers are very likely to open an order confirmation email, why not include targeted offers and product selections to inspire them to buy additional products? Also, always include a link back to your website to give users the opportunity to easily re-engage with your website.
Conclusion
Order confirmation emails are not only a way to reassure your customers; they have the potential of unlocking plenty of opportunities for your business. By integrating our recommended best practices into your process, you can make sure to maximise the power of this form of communication.
