“Wait a sec! Did my order go through?” 🙄
“OMG! am I scammed?” 😨
Do you want your customers to have such thoughts when buying from you?
Definitely not.
Why Should You Continue Reading This Article?
Thank God you landed on this article because we’re going to show you how to do the following perfectly;
Firstly, How to write the best order confirmation emails, and secondly, how can e-commerce stores make the most out of it to their business’s advantage?
What we can do well is lay down the basic components of order confirmation emails and how to spice them up with promotional extras. But it’s up to you to find the golden spot between necessary and captivating information, and then success will be yours. 😉
Sending emails has never been easier. Migrate your online store to ExpandCart and enjoy integration with the top-performing email platforms.
Order Confirmation Emails Definition
“Congrats! Your sneakers are on their way 😊”
That’s it. An order confirmation email is sent automatically to a user on placing an order on an online store.
It’s different than the promotional email with targets a specific segment of people with promotional content.
Unlike the promotional ones that usually get deleted or unopened, order confirmation emails get around a 70% open rate among users.
A smart store owner or marketer will take advantage of this high open rate and be a little bit both informative and promotional. Click To TweetOrder confirmation emails are simple. Just Basic information about the order, payment, shipping, and the like.
Yet, they should be well planned and personalized to reflect the tone and image of your brand.
💡 Keep reading on but don’t forget to check the 5 Superpower Email Copywriting Techniques That Really Convert
Why Send an Order Confirmation Email?
Believe me, such emails are very effective to your business, no matter what you’re selling on your e-commerce store: products, service, courses, subscription, whatever.
Order confirmation emails have a great impact and it helps you to:
- Fulfill an important psychological need to the customer.
- Reassure the first-time online shopper that their order is going to make it to their doorstep.
- Enhance customers’ experience with your business.
- Get customers excited about what they’ve just bought, which helps with eliminating buyer’s remorse and minimalizes the order-cancelation rate.
- Successfully generate positive feelings about the transaction and lay the necessary groundwork for future engagement with your brand.
- Help you cultivate a long-term customer relationship and pave the way for your new customer to become a regular one.
- Give you a golden opportunity to invite customers to engage with your company in other ways: make another purchase, follow your business on social media, join a loyalty program, etc.
📊 Interesting Fact: It costs five times more to attract a new customer than to keep one you already have.
How to Write the Perfect Order Confirmation Email to Buyers?
What buyers look for in a good order confirmation email are key details about their purchase, in a way that’s clearly visible and skimmable.
Let’s see below what to include in your order confirmation template email to buyers — the perfect combination of information, promotion, and humor. 👇
1. Order SKU/Number
At the top of the email, provide the buyer with their order number or ID.
This way, they’ll have a reference number in case they contact you through live chat or WhatsApp or else, and customer service agents can easily access the details of the purchase and respond to any issues quickly.
2. Customer Contact Details
Why? Doesn’t the customer know his/her contact information?
Yes, they do. They are just not sure YOU do 😁
Reassure the buyer that you’ve got the payment details they entered, the name of the person who made the purchase, and the phone number.
3. Shipping Address
Confirm that you’ve got the right address the product is being shipped to. This works in your favor as you’ll be able to avoid any possible mistake before the package is sent to the carrier with the wrong destination.
4. The Cost
Customers feel better when they know exactly what are they paying for and where their money goes in detail:
- Cost of the purchased product
- Taxes, if applicable
- Shipping fees
- Savings from discounts or promotional codes
💡 Important Note: Include an image of the purchased product; it builds excitement and anticipation which minimalizes order cancellation.
Sending emails has never been easier! Integerate with the top-performing email platforms and start using ExpandCart!
5. Payment
Include the total amount of money that the buyer paid, in case of online payment, or has to pay in cash on delivery of the package.
📊 Interesting Fact: Customers who enjoy positive experiences are likely to spend 140% more than customers who report negative ones.
6. Estimated Delivery Date
Shipping is the most important factor in the e-commerce and online shopping world. It can make or break your online business.
Include as many details as you can in the email:
- The carrier company name.
- The estimated date the order is going to be shipped from your warehouse.
- The estimated date the customer is going to receive the order.
Include all or any of the above information if possible.
📊 Interesting Fact: Customers are likely to mention a positive experience to an average of 9 people, while they are likely to tell 16 people about negative ones.
7. Your Contact Details
Even if they won’t use them, just being there in front of their eyes is a reassurance that you’ll be a phone call away in case something goes wrong or they want to change or cancel the order.
📊 According to Deloitte, customers who enjoy positive experiences are likely to remain customers for five years longer than customers who had negative experiences.
Best Practices for Order Confirmation Emails
Well, now you know what to include in your email and how important it is to send one.
But, when and how should you send the email?
What are the best practices for order confirmation emails?
Because the above elements are only the backbone. The power is in the details.
1. Be Quick
Once the customer hits the button, the email should be sent right away.
Of course, email automation tools do this for you; you just have to set the rules, craft the email, and run the tool.
One of the best tools for email automation is MailChimp, which is available on ExpandCart’s marketplace of apps.
Using an email automation tool like MailChimp allows you greater flexibility in the look, feel, and timing of your order confirmation email.
The quick response after the purchase is done establishes the credibility of your company.
ExpandCart stores are backed with hundreds of marketing tools and services to help you automate processes and focus on growth
No limited trial, no credit card, and no hidden fees
💡 You might also want to send an order confirmation email to the vendor, if you’re a dropshipping store or marketplace, to confirm the order and shipping information.
2. Thank the Buyer
Based on research, emails that start by thanking the buyer for making an order have the highest performance and open rate.
3. Leave an Impression
Don’t just craft a good email that does the job and confirm the order.
Put your brand’s signature into it.
Write in the tone and voice you use to speak to your audience.
This email is an extension of your website and the company’s branding:
- Make the email visually attractive.
- Use colors from your brand palette.
- Create email templates to make sure future projects stay on track.
By doing so, your confirmation email will make a lasting impression and do the job at the same time.
4. Inform and Engage
This email is not meant to be read once and archived, your customers are very likely to return to it again for the information. So, use a clear email subject to make it easy for them to find in their inbox.
It’s always nice to spice the subject header up to help generate excitement before the email is even opened.
A powerful Thank-you message at the subject line or the top of the email can do wonders.
💡 An example of a good order confirmation email subject line could be “[brand name] can’t wait to get started on your order [#1234].”
5. Build Loyalty
Although this email’s main purpose is to provide information, it’s also a great opportunity for you to begin building brand loyalty.
The ideas are many; for instance, include a section at the end to suggest similar products or items that go great with what the customer has just purchased.
Now that they are customers, turn them into loyal ones by offering a good discount on their next purchase that expires within a month or promoting your brand’s loyalty program.
Invite them to follow you on social media channels for hot offers and the latest news or to subscribe to the email list.
List some hot products for up-selling and cross-selling.
📊 Interesting Fact: Order confirmation emails bring in four times more orders than a promotional email newsletter.
Some businesses take order confirmation so seriously that they create a page for that purpose.
💡 You might want to read about the 15 Email Marketing Success Tips
Order Confirmation Page
The order confirmation page is one where customers land after completing the purchase. It’s created to confirm the success of the transaction and that the order has been placed correctly. You simply tell your customer that “your order is confirmed”.
💡 Expand Tip. The order confirmation page is something that every e-commerce store must-have.
The main elements to include in an order confirmation page:
-
- Success message
- Order number
- Purchased products/services
- Order summary (total costs, delivery costs, taxes, etc.)
- Payment method
- Billing and delivery address
- Estimated delivery time
- Shipping confirmation
- Return policy (highly recommended)
To Sum Up,
Once the customer places an order, a well-crafted, detailed order confirmation email is expected.
The email should contain the basic information of cost, order number, estimated shipping time, payment method, shipping address, etc.
A smart store owner or digital marketer would make use of the high open rate and the positive mood the buyer is in and promote for some other action, be that social media following, cross-selling, upselling, or any other.
An all-inclusive online store for FREE: integrate with payment and shipping companies, sell on social media, track website users, and get detailed e-commerce reports!
No limited trial, no credit card, and no hidden fees