Customer experience doesn't end once an order is placed— it's an ongoing task that ecommerce businesses should be focusing on.

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Loyal customers are the treasure trove of any business, yet many ecommerce brands solely try to acquire new ones. You probably have heard this before: it costs 5 to 25 times more to acquire new customers. This means it’s far more cost-effective to lure existing customers to make a repeat purchase than it is to acquire a new customer.

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Moreover, you need your existing consumers to create a reliable customer base. So keeping them happy long after making a purchase is not an option anymore—it’s a priority.

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In this blog, you’ll learn what are post-purchase interactions, why post-purchase interactions matter, and how to delight customers with post-purchase interactions.

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What is post-purchase interaction?

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A post-purchase interaction is a communication between an ecommerce brand and a customer after a purchase. These interactions and engagements occur throughout the customer journey— from checkout to order fulfilment and beyond.

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Every interaction with consumers after they make a purchase is a chance to connect with them, delight them, and increase their retention and advocacy.

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Why post-purchase interactions matter?

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Delivering great products to customers isn’t enough these days, a stellar experience is what today’s buyers seek from ecommerce brands. Post-purchase experience plays a pivotal role in enhancing the overall customer experience.

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Customer engagement depends on the way you interact with them about everything regarding their orders status for creating a pleasant shipping experience. However, many ecommerce brands underestimate the importance of the post-purchase phase and consider their job done once customer orders are handed over to the shipping carrier.

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It may be possible that some consumers can be satisfied by your shipping, but only satisfaction does not create brand loyalty nor encourage positive reviews. You need to step out of the line and interact with your consumers in the post-purchase phase. With pleasant interactions with them at a time when they are most anxious about when their order will arrive, you can exceed their expectations. And ultimately, drive loyalty.

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In addition, focusing on post-purchase interactions comes with the following benefits:

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1. Creates brand differentiation
   Ecommerce is a highly competitive environment where consumers have endless options while shopping online. Post-purchase interactions can help you create a distinct brand image and stay ahead of the competition.
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2. Builds customer trust
   With frequent post-purchase interactions, you can assure your customers that their orders will be delivered to them on time. Additionally, you can ensure a stress-free experience and build their trust in their purchases.
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3. Triggers repeat purchases and increases CLTV
   A great post-purchase experience can act as a trigger and attract consumers into making a repurchase and improve customer lifetime value (CLTV). Whereas, a negative experience can make customers switch to a competitor.
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4. Drives positive reviews and referrals
   Another outcome of positive customer interactions is that customers will leave positive reviews about their experience and the product on your product listings and recommend your online brand to others.
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5. Provides insights about customer satisfaction
   By continuing the conversation after purchase, ecommerce brands can gain valuable insights and feedback for improving their products and services. Moreover, such post-purchase experiences can boost customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Score (NPS).

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How to delight customers with post-purchase interactions?

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1. Branded order tracking pages

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On average, customers track their orders four or five times per order. Such interactions where customers try to interact with you are the golden opportunities for your ecommerce brand to enhance their experience.

Shipping carriers' tracking pages are often devoid of any brand personality, visually boring, and do not encourage any further brand interaction. Moreover, the carrier’s brand gets imprinted on the customers’ minds rather than your ecommerce brand.

You can enable your customers to track their orders in your own branded tracking page that aligns with your brand elements such as logo, domain, and more. This ensures that your brand imprints your consumer’s mind and you can continue a pleasant relationship with your customers.

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Eshopbox enables you to enhance the customer experience at every stage of order fulfilment. Eshopbox's customer portal is a secure page that enables you to deliver a great post-purchase experience at ease. You can provide real-time order tracking while extending your brand experience. You can customise your customer portal by updating your brand logo, favicon, changing background colours and more.

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2. Shipping notifications

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Apart from real-time order tracking, 82% of consumers state that it’s important for ecommerce brands to proactively communicate every order fulfilment and delivery stage. If you don’t send post-purchase notifications, customers can start to get anxious and may lead to multiple WISMO (where is my order) calls.

You can start by sending order status to customers when their order is confirmed, shipped, out for delivery, and more via email, SMS, or WhatsApp. You should also inform your customers in case there is any delay.

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Eshopbox enables ecommerce brands to ace post-purchase interactions via customer portal. You can customise your customer notifications to notify to your customers about their orders, returns, and refunds via email or SMS or both as per your preference.

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3. Customer support interactions

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You have the opportunity to delight your customers by showing how much you value them and turn unhappy customers into loyal ones. You can start by assisting your customers through customer support. With the help of the customer support team via a toll-free number and support email IDs, live chat, and FAQ (frequently asked questions), you can resolve customer queries at the earliest. Thus, these interactions to proactively resolve your customer’s issues enhances the overall shopping experience.

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4. Social media interactions

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Social media is a valuable communication tool with a massive reach. You can use social media to create brand awareness, promote your products, and engage with customers at a higher level. However, social media is also the first place where angry customers share any grievances in their order delivery or overall shopping experience.

Negative comments may look unpleasant but ignoring such reviews can tarnish your brand reputation. Your customers deserve a response from your customer support team to instil confidence and make them believe that their opinion is valuable. This can help you delight your customers and build stronger relationships with them.

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Final word

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“Delight your customers whenever you can”. It’s the best way to enhance the post-purchase experience and drive customer loyalty. You can have meaningful interactions with your customers by simply offering visibility into your orders in transit, sending post-purchase notifications, providing customer support and engaging with customer on social media. Such interactions on a regular basis can help you reduce customer churn and ensure long-term success of your ecommerce business.