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What is Post Purchase Experience?

What is Post-Purchase Experience and it is important for Your e-Commerce Business?

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Most people have heard the saying it costs more to create a new customer than keep an old one. With the advancement in technology, this is now more true than ever. Putting a well-designed post-purchase strategy is a must.

There is a lot to be done during the post purchase phase to get a customer to return and purchase again from your store, and it involves what happened the first time and how happy they were left with the experience.

Think of this as a marathon. Seasoned marathoners get through the finish line and have a process to cool down, recover, and get ready for the next race. A novice marathoner will more likely sit down right after the race is over, without a proper cool down, and be left the next day sore.

Sadly, many eCommerce store owners take the novice approach and don’t consider the post purchase experience. They run a marathon to convince a customer to purchase and fail to make them repeat customers.

Don’t be a novice marathoner.

Did you know Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) is one of the most important eCommerce metrics? This is because it provides a picture of the business’s long-term and financial viability.

After purchase, different touchpoints can impact future conversions, and if you optimize these points, you will see higher revenue.

Jump to:

What is the Post Purchase Experience?

In eCommerce, the post purchase experience consists of activities, messages, actions, and brand interactions that are designed to increase retailers’ brand loyalty while creating a positive impression about the purchase after the transaction. In other words, it is how you treat a customer after purchasing a product or service from you.

The post-purchase experience typically consists of several key phases:

Order Confirmation

The customer receives an immediate confirmation after purchase, detailing their order.

Shipping Notification

After fulfillment, once the order is shipped, the customer gets a notification with tracking information. This phase usually starts with Label Created notification or Shipment confirmation.

Delivery Updates

Customers receive updates about their package's journey, including any delays or changes in delivery time. This may include notifications related to changes to estimated earlier delivery time and out for delivery notifications.

Delivery Confirmation

A notification confirming the delivery, asking for any feedback or offering returns/exchanges if needed.

Feedback Solicitation

After delivery, customers are often invited to provide feedback on their experience or review the product.

Returns/Exchanges Management

Information and support for customers wishing to return or exchange products.

Customer Support

Ongoing support for any post-purchase questions or concerns.

Why do retailers miss out on Optimizing the Post-purchase experience?

Reduction of brand and customer loyalty

The importance of gaining new customers cannot be understated. However, it is easier to get existing customers to complete additional purchases through cross-selling and upselling, and 60-70% more likely to make a repeat purchase. (Marketing Metrics – The Definitive Guide to Measuring Marketing Performance)
So, in short, repeat customers tend to become more valuable over time.
With WISMOlabs’ post-purchase platform implementing a well-crafted post purchase experience journey is now cost-effective and available to small and medium-sized businesses.

How Customers Make Decisions – A Non-linear Customer Journey.

When we think of the customer journey, we often think of it in linear terms or a funnel. However, a cyclical journey is more fitting for understanding the importance and the effects of a post purchase strategy on the bottom line.
Enhancing Customer Loyalty through Effective Delivery Status Communication in the Post-Purchase Journey
The post purchase experience shapes the customer’s opinion for every following decision in a given product category and can provide several touchpoints to influence consumer decisions. Customers have the post purchase experience in mind when something triggers them to reenter the loop of initial consideration or choose to remain loyal to the brand.

The question remains, “How do I get more repeat customers?”

The best way to increase repeat customers is to offer high-quality customer service right after a customer makes their first purchase. The period when the customer gives you their money and when they actually receive their order is crucial for forming a solid relationship. You can take this time to educate your customer about the product they purchased, answer their questions, and build excitement for the arrival of their package. All of this can be done through a branded tracking page, tailored emails, and messages. This extra effort will help along the way to forge customer loyalty to your brand.

Why Post Purchase Communication is important

Communication is the foundation of a successful relationship. Effective communication after the sale helps reduce buyer’s remorse while building anticipation for orders.
Sending updates as the package moves throughout its journey can reassure buyers. When people spend more, the updates seem more crucial. The more a customer spends, the more they expect real-time delivery communication.
In addition, shipment-related post-purchase communication reduces “where is my order?” (WISMO) calls in two ways:

Proactive tracking updates tell customers their order status

Customers can receive emails and texts with updates. This eliminates pressure points that lead to WISMO calls.

Manage expectations before issues arise

With real-time updates, retailers can manage expectations before issues arise. With technology, brands and retailers can identify shipping and delivery issues before they occur. Particularly important for time-sensitive deliveries like perishables.

How can retailers offer real-time delivery notifications?

Hello, Branded Tracking Pages with Shipment notifications! 

Many eCommerce platforms (like BigCommerce, Magento, WooCommerce and others) offer a limited scope of order and shipment notifications. To better post-purchase experience and increase brand exposure, WISMOlabs has created a platform that allows retailers to improve communications after the initial sale during the post purchase customer journey.
It gives retailers insight into customer behavior during the post-purchase while providing real-time visibility on eCommerce shipment logistics.
It includes personalized event-driven shipment notifications, a marketing engine, and branded tracking pages.

Did you know that 73% of customers prefer to buy from brands that use personal information to make shopping experiences more relevant?

What are Branded tracking pages

Branded tracking pages are a resource where customers can check their order status and shipment progress, interact with social widgets, sign-up for notifications, and engage with marketing assets and other features. 
WISMOlabs provides fully customizable order tracking pages for brands and retailers that match their aesthetics. The goal is to provide a frictionless experience throughout the entire order journey. 
While confirming the customer’s order through a branded tracking page is a fantastic idea, there is much more you can do with a customizable tracking page, for example, upselling and cross-selling. 
WISMOlabs post-purchase platform provides unlimited marketing opportunities, like automated cross-selling and upselling through customer segmentation. A retailer or brand can display different messages and banners to different segments of customers at different times! Why not offer those wool socks to go with those hiking boots? Or the perfect earrings to go with the necklace they are purchasing. 
The period of time between the purchase and when the order arrives at a buyer’s doorstep is when your customers are most receptive to receiving the messages from you.
Don’t miss the opportunity to display relevant marketing messages at the time when your customers are most attuned. This is a great time to make an offer and suggest complementary products.
Using a branded tracking page, you can experience incremental sales between ~20-30x ROI

How to improve the Post purchase experience for your customers?

Enhance your Post Purchase Communication - Send shipping messages

Communication is key! Keep customers informed about their orders every step of the way. On average, customers check the status of their packages 3-6 times for each purchase. Be proactive by sending shipping messages via SMS or email to let customers know their package status.

Branded Tracking Page

Avoid sending your customers to a third-party website or a look-alike standard tracking page to check the status of their purchases. A professional-looking branded tracking page can go a long way to creating loyalty. Send customized marketing messages to your customers and upsell products to them all from your branded tracking page.

Collect Feedback

Make sure you have your ear to the ground and collect feedback on your customers’ experiences. You will be able to get to know them better and see what types of products you can offer in the future or how to improve the post purchase experience overall.

Final Thoughts

The buyer’s journey doesn’t end when customers “add to cart.” In order to remain competitive, eCommerce businesses need to provide a top-notch customer experience after the initial purchase continuously. 
Optimizing the post purchase process is key to customer retention, after all, acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing customer. The success rate of selling to a customer you already have is 60-70%, while the success rate of selling to a new customer is 5-20%. 

So, what are you doing for your post purchase experience?

If you are ready to start creating a better post purchase experience that increases your ROI, and builds brand loyalty, WISMOlabs is here to help you make it happen! 
Request a demo today!

Frequently Asked Questions

The post-purchase experience encompasses all interactions and communications with a customer after they’ve made a purchase, aimed at increasing brand loyalty and creating a positive impression.

It’s crucial because it enhances customer retention and loyalty, which is more cost-effective than acquiring new customers, and it significantly impacts long-term revenue and CLV.

They can influence the customer’s decision to repurchase by enhancing their overall satisfaction and engagement with the brand, creating a loyalty loop.

They keep the customer informed about their order status, reduce anxiety and the need for “where is my order?” inquiries, thereby improving customer satisfaction.

They allow retailers to manage customer expectations proactively and address potential issues before they arise, enhancing the customer’s experience, and reduce WISMO calls.
Enhancing communication with shipping updates, utilizing branded tracking pages for engagement, and collecting customer feedback are key strategies.
Businesses can partner with WISMOlabs post purchase experience platform to implement comprehensive post-purchase strategies, including personalized communications and branded tracking pages, to increase ROI via upsell and cross-sell, and build customer loyalty by managing their expectations.

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