Article

6 Shopify Post-Purchase Emails That Turn Customers into Repeat Buyers

The hardest part about marketing your online store with emails is getting people to actually open your emails.

But your customers are already 8 times more likely to open post-purchase emails, such as confirmation notifications.

Why? Because people are excited about their order and want peace of mind knowing their order was placed successfully.

Additionally, when people receive shipping confirmations, they’re more likely to open up those emails, so they know when to expect their delivery.

Because post-purchase transactional emails have much higher opening rates, they are the perfect opportunity to include special promotions, discounts, and personalized recommendations to boost sales.

Now when you send a post-purchase email, you’re not only informing your customer of their order but also promoting the other products they’re likely to be interested in. This can turn your one-time buyer into a repeat buyer.

What are post-purchase emails and why are they important?

Every time a customer buys a product from your Shopify store, they will receive an automated transactional email, also known as a Shopify notification email. 

For example, immediately after completing their order, your customer will receive an order confirmation.

Not only is this customary, to reassure your customer that their order went through, but it’s also legally required for businesses.

Later, when the product is shipped, your customer will receive a shipping notification.

It may seem that post-purchase emails are simply good business to inform your customer of important information about their purchase.

However, post-purchase emails are also a powerful marketing tool for a few reasons including: 

  • Retaining customers
  • Encouraging repeat purchases
  • Improving your customer’s journey
  • Selling more to your existing customers

Instead of spending money on a marketing campaign to acquire new customers, it’s easier and more effective to target your existing customers through post-purchase email campaigns and to build customer loyalty.

A personalized, fully brandable post-purchase campaign can convert first-time buyers into repeat customers, and eventually turn them into brand advocates who promote your store to all of their friends.

6 post-purchase emails to keep customers coming back to your Shopify store

Studies show that you can get a 25% increase in sales from as little as a 5% increase in customer retention. This is why customer retention strategies, which include sending optimized post-purchase emails, are so important for your bottom line.

Use these six different post-purchase email templates to keep your new customers coming back to your Shopify store.

1.  The post-sign-up “thank you” customer account welcome email

When customers sign up for an account with your Shopify store, you should send an automated customer account welcoming email.

This may be your first point of contact with your customer, so it’s important to send them a branded email to familiarize them with your online store and provide a personalized experience.

Be sure to include links to your website’s blog and calls-to-action (CTAs) to get them to your store and to buy products.

You should also consider running a limited-time-only discount for signing up for your newsletter, such as “10% off your first order when you sign up for the newsletter.” 

2. Shopify order confirmation email

The Shopify order confirmation is the most ubiquitous post-purchase email.

They are necessary to inform your customer that their order was received, paid for, and placed without any issues. 

Your order confirmation email should include:

  • The order number
  • Customer’s contact information
  • Shipping details
  • Order summary
  • Date of order
  • Price breakdown
  • Payment method information
  • Estimate delivery date and shipping service

Your order confirmation email is a great place to add recommended products and unique discounts to encourage customers to make another quick and easy purchase.

To optimize your order confirmation emails for growth and sales:

  • Send a fully branded email notification reflecting your company’s colors, brand, and aesthetic
  • Add two to four product recommendations, such as cross-sells and upsell products
  • Add links to your company’s social media accounts
  • Embed helpful blog posts to your emails for more engagement and traffic
  • Include a one-time discount code to encourage an instant repeat purchase

3. Shipping confirmation emails

The shipping confirmation post-purchase email is second only to the order confirmation email in terms of excitement.

Your customer has placed their order, and now they’re waiting to see when they can expect it. You can definitely count on them opening this email when you send it.

Make sure to include:

  • A tracking link that directs to the package’s shipping carrier status page
  • Order number
  • Items being shipped
  • Delivery address
  • Billing information
  • Expected delivery date

Consider making these optimizations to your shipping confirmation emails for another opportunity to make more sales and engagement:

  • Include more product recommendations, including cross-sells and upsells related to their product
  • Add links to more blog posts
  • Ask for a product review and feedback
  • Add a referral code to encourage sharing the email

4. Shipping updates email

Not to be confused with the shipping confirmation email, the shipping update email is automatically sent to your customer if there is an update in your order’s shipping. 

The shipping update email is another touchpoint in your customer’s journey — it’s not necessary, but it’s nice to send them another update on their product’s whereabouts.

Shipping update emails can further be optimized to receive repeat purchases by adding:

  • Custom branding to reflect your store’s colors, logo, and aesthetics
  • Loyalty offers to offer customers a one-time, limited use discount offer
  • Product recommendations, including cross-sells and upsells

5. The follow-up “win back” email

If a customer hasn’t purchased a product from you in a while, you can automatically send them a “win back” email to encourage them to come back to your store. While it’s technically not a post-purchase email, the “win back” email is highly effective in bringing customers back.

Consider writing “We missed you” in the email title and offering a special discount to get your previous customer re-engaged with your company again.

To personalize the email, include product recommendations based on the customer’s purchase history to make the offer more unique and increase your odds of making another sale.

6. The replenishment email

Also referred to as a “replenishment flow,” the replenishment email is sent to remind customers to purchase another product before their supply runs out. 

Like the “win back” email, the replenishment email also isn’t technically a post-purchase email, but it’s a very important follow-up email that can increase sales easily.

These are sent out to buyers who frequently buy similar products on a regular schedule, such as cosmetics, food, soap, shampoo, and other consumables. 

Even if the buyer is a new customer, they can also get this email if they purchased a consumable product that is likely to run out quickly. 

Instead of waiting for them to make their next repeat purchase, it’s more effective for you to proactively reach out and remind them to place their next order. 

Try UpOrder — post-purchase email templates for Shopify

UpOrder is a Shopify app that gives you the power to optimize your transactional emails and send personalized post-purchase campaigns to boost repeat customers.  

Increase sales by 15% by turning your boring Shopify notification emails into a powerful post-purchase customer experience.

Don’t take our word for it, see how Nudestix turned post-purchase emails into dollars by using Uporder.

Get started with a free trial for 30 days and see how it can generate more revenue for your store.

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