Transactional emails are usually sent to facilitate transactions like order confirmation and shipping confirmation emails.
They offer information about your purchase, but that’s not all they’re useful for. Personalized transactional emails with recommendations, next purchase discount codes, and real-time tracking can drastically change a customer’s experience along with promoting repeat purchases.
Econsultancy reports that 74% of marketers believe that targeted personalization can boost their overall customer engagement rates. Instapage also found that personalized email marketing can generate a median ROI of 122%.
It’s clear that consumers are more appreciative when their emails are tailored based on their interests and shopping behavior — they’re keen on engaging with messages that are meant for them. This incentivizes repeat purchases, and that’s the outcome you’re looking for.
Now, how do you personalize your transactional emails? Here’s what you need to know.
Give personalized product recommendations
How often do you look at personalized product recommendations from brands?
We bet you regularly check them out, especially if they’re similar to past purchases or products that you browsed. There’s no denying that personalized recommendations work, but how effective are they?
Econsultancy found that 49% of consumers have purchased products that they didn’t intend to buy after they saw a personalized recommendation. Interestingly, 40% of these consumers purchased an item that was more expensive than what they originally planned to purchase.
Personalized product recommendations are undoubtedly very influential in making repeat purchases.
For example, Lowellita’s email recommends similar items based on the item that’s placed in the shopping cart.
Even if customers don’t want to purchase the items in the abandoned cart, the recommendation might encourage them to return to the online store. It can also increase the value of their order.
Alternatively, it’s just as lucrative to display the best selling, trending, or new arrivals within your transactional emails, especially within an order confirmation, or a shipment delivered email. Our advice would be to experiment with different types of recommendations, and see what works best for your store.
Offer next-purchase discount codes
Next-purchase discount codes are one way you can get consumers to make repeat purchases.
There’s no need to offer a 90% discount to encourage customers to make another purchase. A small 5% to 10% discount can keep your store on the back of their mind when they plan to buy again.
In fact, Invesp found that two-thirds of consumers surveyed believed that a coupon often closes the deal when they were hesitant to make the purchase. Additionally, 54% of shoppers will purchase products left in a shopping cart, if they were offered at a price lower than the original.
Not surprisingly, people are tempted to buy when they receive a discount. Even if they’re still giving away money by making a purchase, they perceive that the small discount landed them a good deal.
Old Navy uses next-purchase discount codes to promote buying behavior. During their 40% storewide sale, the brand offered an extra 20% off their next purchase. This encourages consumers to check out the store and eventually make a purchase.
Utilize referral marketing
People are more likely susceptible to referrals from family and friends when making purchase decisions.
According to Radius Global, word-of-mouth ranked as the top influencer when customers purchased clothes, electronics, financial products, and packaged goods. Baby Boomers also believe that it was ranked as the most influential when making purchases related to financial products and high-priced items.
Not surprisingly, people are more likely to trust people within their network as opposed to sponsored messages. Since word-of-mouth has a big impact, e-commerce stores must create referral programs to facilitate and boost the referral process.
For example, Acton Global’s referral email rewards customers and their friends for a successful purchase. A customer is rewarded with $50 for every successful referral while their friends can enjoy $20 off.
You can alternatively include a referral component within your transactional emails as well, instead of queuing up a dedicated email.
Add a navigation bar
Having a navigation bar that lets users reach their desired web page or product category is crucial.
Customers are very impatient and they want to reach their desired page immediately. If they become interested in a product, they want to reach your site with just one click. Otherwise, they’re not going to click at all.
This is where navigation bars become an advantage. A simple navigation bar with a few product categories can help customers reach your site faster. After all, not everyone might be interested in clicking your CTA button so it’s a good alternative.
Beardbrand’s navigation bar lets readers visit their home page and product page. It’s very useful because it lets customers return to your site.
Offer real-time tracking
One way you can drastically improve the customer experience is to provide real-time tracking.
Customers want to know when they’ll receive their package, and usually immediately after they make a purchase. Sending emails with real-time tracking will let them know when they can expect their package so they’re not left guessing or making WISMO “Where Is My Order?” calls.
For example, Amazon launched the Amazon Map Tracker feature which provides customers with a real-time map that indicates the location of their package. They only need to watch the dot on the screen and wait for the Uber driver.
“The Amazon Map Tracking feature is another delivery innovation we are working on to improve convenience for our customers and provide them greater visibility into their deliveries,” Amazon spokeswoman Alana Broadbent told CNET.
Shopify stores can replicate the real-time tracking feature by using Tracktor so customers track orders from your site. By integrating this tool with Spently, an app that lets users personalize their transactional emails, users can add tracking features in their transactional emails.
For example, Etsy’s shipping confirmation email has a CTA button that lets customers track their orders.
Ready to personalize your transactional emails?
Personalizing your transactional emails starts by adding the right elements.
Get customers in your webpage with just one click by utilizing navigation bars.
Next-purchase discount codes can entice customers to visit your store and make repeat purchases. Don’t forget to add personalized product recommendations so customers are tempted to check out products based on their behaviour and purchases.
Loyal customers can be your top marketers too so encourage them to join your referral program. Real-time tracking can drastically boost your customer’s satisfaction so don’t forget to integrate them.
How can you get started? You can use Spently’s drag and drop builder to build your first transactional email.
How do you personalize your transactional emails? Let us know in the comments below.
About the author
Sal Noorani- Product Manager at Spently, whose application allows Shopify merchants to leverage their store emails as an additional sales channel by embedding marketing components to cultivate engagement, and queue follow up sequences to foster customer retention.