Article

9 Post-Purchase Emails That Make a Shopify Customer Journey Stand Out

Your most loyal repeat customers first came for your products but returned again and again because of their customer experience.

Repeat customers also make for happy Shopify store owners, because selling to existing customers is 3-4 times easier than selling to new customers. 

Not only that but 41% of most eCommerce stores’ revenue is created by their top 8% of customers. 

In this article, we’re going to cover the importance of sending post-purchase emails to Shopify customers, how they’re important for customer retention and providing a great customer experience.

What is a post-purchase email for Shopify stores?

A post-purchase email is an automated email notification that informs your customers about important changes made to their online orders, such as order confirmations, shipping confirmations, and more.

When a customer completes a purchase online, an automated order confirmation email must be sent to let them know their order was successfully placed.

After their order is fulfilled, a shipping confirmation email tells them when to expect their package, easing any anxieties about when their order will be sent.

Once the package has been delivered, a shipment delivery confirmation reassures your customer their order has been successfully delivered, which can be helpful when deliveries are made when the customer isn’t home.

With post-purchase emails, you can effectively communicate all of the important information your customers are expecting, such as:

  • Order number
  • Customer contact info
  • Shipping address
  • Order cost
  • Estimated delivery date
  • Shipment carrier information
  • Trackable links to monitor delivery status
  • Customer service numbers

Post-purchase emails aren’t just functional—they have the potential to generate serious revenue. Since they’re the most-opened post-purchase emails, you have the opportunity to cross-sell and upsell products, or even offer discount codes. 

This shows the customer that you appreciate them and will increase their chances of returning, meaning more revenue for your business. 

Why are Shopify post-purchase emails necessary for consumers?

Post-purchase emails help customer retention by confirming their order details. They’re also the most engaged with messages, meaning that if you want something seen by a customer, include it in this email. 

Not only are they required, but you keep your customers happy when they’re in the know about their order, which helps to build customer loyalty with a good shopping experience. 

Luckily, Shopify store owners have access to several automated post-purchase notification email templates so their customers can have a trouble-free eCommerce experience.

How can a post-purchase email improve the customer’s journey?

Be careful not to let any of your customers slip through the cracks and be ignored along their customer journey, or else it will hurt your bottom line. 

Luckily, you can stay in touch automatically with your customers using post-purchase email templates, making sure no single customer is ever overlooked and has easy access to valuable order information.

Show them that you can anticipate their needs by offering complimentary products that go along with their purchase, content about their product, and other recommendations. 

9 optimized Shopify post-purchase emails that enhance your customer’s journey

One of the easiest ways to retain your customers is through sending optimized post-purchase emails. 

Instead of using Shopify’s generic post-purchase email notifications, send beautifully branded and customized post-purchase emails that will enhance your customer’s journey, and keep their repeat business.

Here are the top nine post-purchase emails and how to optimize them to turn your customers into repeat buyers. 

Order confirmation

Keep your order confirmations on brand, with customized post-purchase email templates. 

Make sure your emails are mobile-friendly, as 58% of all internet traffic is done on mobile phones.

Include clickable buttons that direct visitors back to your online store, and include custom product recommendations for an easy cross-sell or upselling opportunity.

order confirmation example

Order edited

If your customer placed their order and needs to edit it, then make sure to send an order edited notification to reflect your customer’s recent order change.

Add a clickable button link so they can find their order’s summary on your website to double-check their change went through properly.

order edited template example

Shipping confirmation

Include a tracking link in the shipping confirmation that will redirect your visitors to the shipping carrier’s website.

But instead of inserting a long URL link, create a color-coded clickable button that says “Track My Order” or other fun calls-to-action (CTAs) such as:

  • “Find My Order”
  • “Find Santa” for seasonal orders
  • “Track Parcel” 
  • “Track Shipment”
shipping confirmation template example

Order refund

Nobody likes having to return a product, but if you can make the process simpler, your customers will be grateful and more likely to make another purchase.

Consider creating an order refund template that says “We’re sorry you’re not happy with your order. We’ll process your refund right away, and please use this promo code for 10% off your next order, as thanks from us.”

You can even create their own discount link to personalize the experience. 

order refund example

Order canceled

The number one cause of canceling an order is related to price — usually, your customer feels buyer’s remorse and then immediately cancels their order. 

This can be disappointing to store owners, but the order cancellation email gives you an opportunity to replace that purchase with another one. 

Include in your order cancellation template “We’re sorry to see you go, but on your next order, we’ll offer you free shipping and an extra 10% off if you use this promo code before this date” and include their own personalized link. 

order cancelled template example

Shipping update

If your customers need to update their shipping to receive their package at a later date, then make sure to send them a shipping update confirmation for extra reassurance and provide a new trackable link for the package.

Give them a new clickable button to allow them to “Track Order Status.”

shipping update template example

Out for delivery

Nothing is more exciting to your customers than receiving the out for delivery email notification — besides the actual “delivered” email itself.

Include a trackable link to track the package’s status, and consider adding limited-use discount codes and recommended products to redirect your customer to your store to make another purchase.

out for delivery email example

Delivered

If your customer isn’t home, then receiving a “delivered” confirmation email reassures their package has been delivered. 

Depending on the product shipped, you can include tutorials or blog posts related to your product to engage your customer and redirect them back to your online store, where they can discover complimentary products that go with what they’ve just purchased. 

delivered email example

Abandoned checkout

Sometimes your customers leave your store before they can complete their purchase. 

Just like customers who cancel orders after they’ve been placed, people who abandon their checkout cart do so because of perceived high prices.

Send an email with a subject line that says “Oops, it looks like you forgot to checkout!” and make sure to include a limited-use discount code to convince them to complete their purchase.

Abandoned checkout emails receive a 45% open rate, making them a worthwhile attempt to recoup losses from an abandoned cart.

And once again, remember that it’s easier to sell to existing customers than it is to new ones. 

abandoned checkout example

Try UpOrder — post-purchase email templates for Shopify 

UpOrder is a Shopify app that lets you customize your post purchase emails to send highly personalized post-purchase campaigns to boost customer retention.

Increase your eCommerce store’s sales by 15% by upgrading your generic Shopify notification emails using UpOrder’s customizable email templates.

See how UpOrder has helped Nudestix turn their post-purchase emails into more revenue easily.

Download your free 30-day trial and see how UpOrder can increase sales through your Shopify email notification channel.

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