In this post, you will learn about the best practices for you to take advantage of your confirmation emails.
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Your customers have a problem. They are receiving 100s of emails daily. Your marketing emails and even subsequent reminders are likely being lost in the continuous "bing" of every other email showing up for their attention.
Confirmation emails however do not suffer the same fate. Not only are confirmation emails among the highest opened they also have one of the highest click-through rates at roughly 15%.
In a distracted world, having these types of metrics means you have a captured audience. And, given they have already purchased something from you (hence receiving the confirmation email) you already have a level of trust. This is why being intentional and strategic about what is included in your confirmation email is so important.
A couple of other reasons why you should be doing more with your confirmation emails:
Let's remember, the confirmation email has a singular priority purpose - to confirm a purchase. Knowing this it's obvious that you will need to include information about what the customer has bought. But how much information is useful? When is too much just overwhelming?
Below are some recommended best practices for creating your confirmation email:
Remember to keep it simple!
Sharing everything your guest needs to know in the confirmation can be tempting. However, even though most people are opening this email, you want to keep them engaged.
Include only the essential information and whatever next steps that are most important for them to do for you.
A confirmation email is a place for you to build rapport. So, regardless of the purchase amount, thanking the customer for choosing you will have an immediate impact on their trust.
Unlike an upsell, (although this is also on the list of recommended best practices) providing direction on what they can expect next keeps them engaged and allows you to capture all required information prior to their arrival.
The Flybook reservation software prioritizes conversions in the website booking flow. This means the customer will be asked to provide a minimal amount of information prior to payment in order to create ease of paying/converting. Because of this, there is still information that needs to be collected post-payment but the first step, the sale, is set.
Here are a few "Nest Steps" examples:
According to BrainRules visualizing information commits details to memory 6x higher than reading text.
Creating confirmation emails that are more visual in nature can help reinforce the confirmation as the go-to resource for reference or contact. Provide images that create brand recognition or promote an action you want from your customer.
Resources say adding images can assist with the following:
In practice, this means that customers are using order receipts as a reference point for future email engagement.
Here are a couple of key things to think about when including images:
One of the first and highest-priority images to include is your logo. This will keep your customers recognizing who you are.
With a 65% open rate and up to 15% click-through rate, offering your already won customer other ways to purchase from you becomes essential.
Here are a few ideas on what to offer:
Remember, the confirmation email can become the primary resource for your customer. This means they tend to "star" or save this email to return to for details, questions, and contact information.
Make sure to provide clear and visible contact info so that if your customer has a question they can get help quickly. This small action provides a perceived level of service that can help you stand out.
Sharing contact and resource information can be done in the following ways:
If you are wondering if making these updates is worth the time, the answer is yes. According to @chamaileon, 50% of people make a purchase from marketing emails at least once per month. By updating your confirmation email to be a go-to resource for additional purchase items, information about their trip, or contact details for making adjustments to their reservation you are opening yourself up to:
Begin by reviewing your current confirmation emails and incorporating as many of the best practices as possible. Don't have a confirmation email? Build a template and start using one today.
In today's digital age having a useful and efficient confirmation email will help you stand out to your already-won customers, helping them to remember who you are. Remember to keep the information simple and to make adjustments to try different tactics to see what works.
Confirmation Emails Ultimate Guide