How to Build Relationships and Boost ROI... With a “Thank You” Email

In the eCommerce space, Mailchimp’s latest benchmarks showed that the average open rate for marketing emails is 15.68% and the average click-through rate is 2.01%.  

But when it comes to thank you emails... the numbers speak for themselves. According to Remarkety, thank you emails received (on average):   

• An open rate of 42.51%
• A click-through rate of 18.27%   
• A conversion rate of 10.34%   

So, if you don’t invest in a well-crafted “thank you” email... well, you’re missing out on a major opportunity. Saying “thank you” helps you build long-term relationships with your customers, humanize your brand and even re-engage customers. Here’s how you can turn a simple “thank you” into a powerful avenue for relationship-building.   

The Power of a Post-Purchase Campaign 

If a customer makes a purchase from your site, they’re expecting to hear from you. In fact, they’ll probably be alarmed if they don’t get some sort of email from you. Of course, that’s why eCommerce companies have trigger-based emails, especially to confirm a purchase. But this is basically an invite into your customer’s inbox. They want to hear from you. They’ll open it to make sure everything is correct. So, are you taking advantage of it? 

You can elevate purchase confirmation emails to express your gratitude. Thank your customer for their purchase, give them the details they need to know and then go one step beyond that. 

You can also… 

Invite them to complete a customer experience survey. This is most effective when paired with an incentive, like an entry into a giveaway. Since this information is extremely valuable to your company, you should reward people who volunteer their opinion.  

Promote your social channels. Include prominent links and even applicable hashtags. Encourage your customer to share their purchase… and provide inspiration by showing posts from other customers. It helps build your following and turn customers into brand ambassadors.  

Recommend similar products. Upsell products in the same category and include a discount code for a future purchase. Or cross-sell with related, less expensive products that pair well with their purchase. You can weave in re-engagement strategies within this format.  

Gratitude Goes a Long Way  

You don’t have to relegate “thank you” emails to the post-purchase journey. You can use them to celebrate milestones for your customers and your company.  

If you have a loyalty program, make sure to celebrate achievements that your customer reaches. You should hyper-personalize this content by including their name, program number and the date they joined. Make it exciting, too. You could have an animated GIF charting their progress to the next level of rewards (think: frequent flyer miles or credit card points). This subtle “gamification” is a proven tactic that sparks interest and delight in customers.  

And if you have the data, make sure to thank customers for their loyalty on important days, like their birthday. Include a heartfelt message and maybe even a discount with an expiration date. This kind of trigger-based email can strike a chord with people, making them feel special and remembered. It helps build a human association with your brand. 

You can also celebrate achievements of your brand… but be careful not to be too self-congratulatory. You couldn’t have done it without your customers, so make sure the message is customer-centric, rather than self-congratulatory.  

Evaluate Your Data Analytics  

All of these strategies require an eye on your analytics. Make sure to test your emails and see what yields the most engagement. This data is key to building an effective eCommerce email strategy. You can even segment your “thank you” emails based on purchase behavior, with higher rewards for VIP customers and enticing new customers with incentives to come back.  

As experts in the science and art of customer engagement, J&C understands the impact of effective eCommerce marketing. From data-driven analysis to audience segmentation, trigger emails to retention strategies and beyond, J&C creates campaigns that get results. If you need help building a successful campaign, contact J&C today.