Although the previous two years have seen explosive development in e-commerce, competing for consumers’ attention has never been simple.
Quite the contrary, by the end of 2020, both sponsored search and social media advertising budgets had climbed by double digits, leading to increased anxiety about the future and a sharpening of the already intense fight for consumers’ attention online. It will always be crucial for businesses to acquire new consumers, but rising customer acquisition expenses are causing many to try out new approaches and put more emphasis on their current clientele.
Considering the personal nature of text messages, they may be an effective method of re-engaging with clients who have previously made purchases from you. Read on to discover 9 distinct post-purchase SMS strategies that may increase consumer happiness and loyalty.
What exactly is post-purchase communication
The term “post-purchase communication” refers to correspondence sent after a product has been purchased. A post-purchase SMS message is a single text or a series of messages sent to a consumer after they have made a purchase from your online shop or used your services. After the sale is completed is a crucial phase of the client lifecycle that often gets overlooked. What a customer does or says after making a purchase may have a significant impact on the business in the form of repeat business, product returns, favorable or bad reviews, and word-of-mouth advertising. Simply said, sending post-purchase SMS may influence client behavior and push them in the correct path.
When should you send a message once a customer has made a purchase?
- Eliminate the worry that follows a purchase. Keeping in touch with customers after they’ve made a purchase may help you maintain open communication, provide them with additional information about your goods, and demonstrate that you’re available to assist if they have any questions. As a result, this may serve to calm clients’ fears.
- Boost customer loyalty and repeat purchases. If your customers have a positive experience with your business from the time they first learn about your brand until long after they’ve made a purchase, they are far less likely to shop elsewhere the next time they need a product or service like the one you sell.
- Decrease the number of problems and questions. You may reduce the number of times consumers ask you the same questions about shipping or the status of their transaction by sending them messages after they have made their purchase. By using short message service (SMS) to communicate order updates, directions, etc., you may head off customer service inquiries before they reach your inbox.
- Don’t lose sight of your clientele. In order to maintain your customers’ interest and keep your brand in their thoughts, it is important to provide them with communications that are both timely and useful.
Sample text messages to send to consumers after a purchase
SMS order confirmations
Customers who have made orders successfully and are waiting for them to be fulfilled will get an order confirmation via text message. For the sake of customer satisfaction, it’s important to send these confirmations as soon as possible after a purchase has been made to let the buyer know that everything went well and that they can now sit back and wait for their package to come. There is no hard and fast rule for what information must be included in an order confirmation text message, however, it is usual practice to relay the order number, payment verification, and expected delivery date.
Appreciate the text message you sent.
It makes sense to thank consumers when they leave a brick-and-mortar business, so why shouldn’t this be the case when they make a purchase through your website? A thank you message may be sent after an order has been delivered, or it can be included in the confirmation text. Aside from fostering a stronger relationship between the company and the customer, sending a heartfelt “thank you” by text message may also increase the likelihood that the recipient will make a repeat purchase. As an example, you might provide a one-time coupon good for a future purchase as a token of your appreciation.
Notifications of package status through text messages.
Yes, thank-you notes are appreciated and may help boost your score, but shipping and delivery updates are required.
Consumers who buy online have become more picky, expecting flawless service from purchase through delivery. The final impression left on your consumers may be made or broken by the delivery process. Customers may monitor the status of their orders and avoid any unnecessary tension by using the order tracking number provided in the purchase confirmation and receiving SMS shipment updates. In addition, the anticipation of the arrival will grow each time they see your name in their inbox.
Tips, including video guides, are also available.
If appropriate for your product, giving video guides and other helpful hints to your clients is a great way to demonstrate that you value their satisfaction. It’s also a terrific opportunity to introduce yourself and your company, and it may be far more helpful than going through lengthy manuals when explaining how to use your items.
If you’re selling a product or service that doesn’t need much description, consider what additional details a potential customer would find useful. If a client has just purchased high-quality hiking shoes, for instance, it might be helpful to provide them with maintenance advice through text message.
Requests for reviews and ratings after a purchase
Post-sale text messages may also be used to get feedback from customers regarding their most recent purchases. Getting feedback from “the outside” is crucial since you will never have a customer’s perspective on your company and its operations. You may learn more about your customers’ needs and how to better meet them by sending an SMS asking for comments.
Questions for Evaluation
For a number of reasons, sending a short message service (SMS) text is a great option for soliciting consumer feedback: Text messages have a high open-rate (up to 98 percent), implying that the vast majority of recipients will actually read them. Simply said, it’s enticing since it just takes a few clicks to finish. It’s crucial that you send them straight to the website where they may submit a review. Either ask them to post a review on your site or on a third-party site like Google or Trustpilot. In addition to helping you learn more about your items, this will also inspire other shop visitors to make a purchase, since (positive) customer evaluations have been shown to increase sales.
Possibilities for up- and cross-selling
Sending out cross-selling and upselling texts may boost your average order value and get clients interested in products they hadn’t planned to buy. Just as sending out SMS promotions can get them to buy more of your products. More sales are the end effect of both.
So what’s the deal? Post-purchase upsells and cross-sells are sent just to consumers who have previously purchased from you, as opposed to promotional communications. Which are sent to everyone on your subscriber list. This means they are more relevant and likely to result in a sale.
Reminders through text message
When a product or service needs regular maintenance, or if it has to be updated or bought again after some time has gone, sending a quick text message as a reminder may be quite helpful.
If you sell doormats and provide e-commerce subscriptions, you may notify clients every three to four months. That it is time to replace their doormats by sending them a text message. Or, if you’re in the dog food business, you may let them know that their canine companions are about to run out of their favorite goodies.
Invitations to sign up for loyalty programs
Utilize post-purchase communications to educate buyers about your loyalty program and increase your customer retention rate. They’ve already spent money with you, so why wouldn’t they think about becoming a member? Explain what more they’ll get out of it, or provide a link to further details they may read about on their own time. Two-way communication may facilitate client enrollment or guide interested customers to the appropriate form for joining your customer loyalty program.
Give them a sense of the exclusive nature of the deal by giving them the initial discount that only members may obtain. With effective post-purchase communication, you may convert one-time consumers into loyal patrons.
However, regardless of the sector in which a business operates, focusing on client retention is always a good idea. Customers who purchase from you again are the easiest to market to, spend more money overall, and are the most vocal advocates for your business. Contact Guni SMS Gateway for more information.
