Post Purchase Email Automation: 5 Tips for Success

You got the sale, but now it’s all about the follow-through. If automation isn’t a part of your eCommerce email marketing strategy, you could be missing out on valuable revenue. Whether you’re just getting started or are looking to jumpstart performance, we’ve outlined these five tips for post purchase email automation that will point you toward success.

Strategies for Post Purchase Email Automation:

1. Segment Your Audience
2. Send Related Products
3. Ask for a Review
4. Build a Cadence
5. Follow Up with Dormant Customers

Read on as we go into detail for each essential tip for post purchase email automation in 2018.

1. Segment Your Audience

Say you sell men’s and women’s shoes. Chances are, customers who bought women’s shoes only want information about that style. Enter list segmentation.

Segmenting your email list based on purchase history helps you personalize content based on user preferences. When you connect your CRM to your email automation software, you can sort contacts based on gender, age, product category and more to tailor their post-purchase email experiences. And if you're using HubSpot as a CRM, we created a nifty integration called HubShop.ly to automate post-purchase email marketing with your ecommerce platform.

2. Send Related Products

Sending follow-up information or suggested products drives users back to your site for additional purchases. The key here is to use a helpful tone that establishes trust.

“Purchased a new camera? Here are a few SD cards and carrying bags that might make your next shoot a bit easier.” If you're looking for subject line ideas, we recommend checking out our related blog about email subject line tips and tricks.

Stay one step ahead of your customer to anticipate their needs and offer valuable solutions. As an added benefit, you open the door for additional purchases (and revenue).

3. Ask for a Review

Don't be afraid to ask for a post purchase review. Customer reviews add unique, quality content to your product pages and boost your search engine rankings. We recommend automating your review request emails approximately one-to-two weeks after customers purchase. You can also sweeten the deal by offering a discount incentive for product reviews. The discount offered will likely be paid back many times over in valuable feedback and a search engine rankings boost.

If you’re looking to take a deeper dive into product reviews, we recommend exploring products like Yotpo. Among many other cool features, Yotpo directly integrates with your ecommerce platform to automate the product review request and display process.

4. Build a Cadence

This might seem like a no-brainer, but consistency is key. Although we discourage excessive emailing, regular and insightful communication helps build trust and drive revenue. Whether you’re sending product suggestions, discount offers or general information, staying top-of-mind is essential. Consider asking your customers to enroll in your newsletter for updates. This simple request can go a long way to growing your email list and increasing your web traffic as a result.

5. Follow Up with Dormant Customers

Sometimes customers just forget, and more often than not, it isn’t personal. Sending reminder emails can dramatically increase conversion. These emails work best when they include a special discount to re-engage your customers. Consider incorporating a time-constrained sale to create a sense of urgency and incentive. This approach can help drive traffic to your site, reinvigorate old customers and increase revenue.

HubShop.ly also allows you to send win-back emails at standardized intervals. Although the tool allows you to customize delays, many of our clients send reminder emails 180 or 365 days after purchase to revitalize their shopping and inspire purchase.

If you would like to learn how you can implement email automation with Klaviyo flows, check out our blog on the subject, "Using Klaviyo Flows For eCommerce Automation"

Overall, post purchase email automation helps you collect data, garner feedback and much more. But most importantly, it helps you nurture customers for repeat purchase. Looking for more-personalized email automation help? Request a free marketing assessment below!