Understanding purchase nature and customer psychology are not that simple. The general attitude of a customer after purchase can be considered as Post-purchase behavior that may vary concerning individuals. Let’s put it this way, the journey of a prospect to a customer. Here product satisfaction is the main factor that considers this behavior. 

Customers have raised the bar in terms of what they expect from a purchase experience. Factors like personalization, free shipping, and easy returns are now part of customers’ expectations. There is at least one-third of global customers who make online purchases weekly, and the rest are making purchases through marketplaces rather directly ie: from a website.

When the purchase is not satisfying it leads to regretting a product purchase. Nowadays, due to social media and fast-moving trends, the human mind is more attracted to better opportunities. 

So, what do you think can be done to change this behavior of people?

When product attributes are best described the way the consumer feels this is appropriate for him/her, there is a possibility of retaining the customer to some point. An email campaign can also play an imperative role here, assuring quality customer service which is smooth and hassle-free will have countless chances of customer retention. Customers pass through endless emotions before they make a purchase. There will be a mixed emotion of excitement and anxiety, understanding this makes jobs effortless.

Listed are some factors that will influence the post-purchase experience:

1. Showing empathy
2. Always respond to them
3. Offer discount
4. Provide product care tips
5. Build a return and refund policy
6. Provide a free trial
7. Make customers confident about their purchase
8. How-to use guides
9. Customer engagement process

Showing Empathy

“Stepping into other’s shoes and seeing through their eyes” helps you to figure out what situation they are in. 

Show your customers that you care and value their purchase decision. Take the product description wholeheartedly and provide them with the best choice instead of trying to sell the product that is of minimal value to them. Create a sense of feeling that you want best for them. Maintain good contact and don’t forget to thank them. Showing empathy improves the post-purchase experience of a customer and retaining them for future purchases.

Always Respond to Them

Any query arises about the product purchase, make sure to administer them with the best support possible. Acknowledge the concern, if the response will take a while. Make sure to respond without fail as you are obliged to reciprocate to them. 

Providing customer support is crucial, as we are unsure of the concerns. Consistent support with the customer will give them a secure feeling, which may pave the way for repurchases. There may be concerns from non-customers which we are obliged to deal with as we might be able to turn them into a customer in the coming future.

While shopping on an e-commerce site there are more chances of disorientation, missing, damage, delay, etc. The team should be able to provide proper support to the customer for the queries they raise. 

Offer Discount 

Promotional discount, End of Season Sale, Festive discounts, etc.. are some of the commonly seen offers and the customer’s love offers. They attract you like you can’t stand a chance to lose the products on offer. Offers also prompt you to make multiple product purchases where you wanted only one. 

Some offers are provided at the end of certain purchases which have several months of validity. This is a way of retaining customers where you provide them with an offer to reconsider when they are planning for a purchase. This is a long term marketing strategy adopted by most of the outlets. 

Provide Product Care Tips

Using new products is quite annoying if you don’t know how to use it. You might be insightful with every detail if you are the creator of the product. But for a new user, it might look very sophisticated. Equip your customers with tips that will help them for the safe functioning of the product and in keeping them in perfect working conditions. Providing such tips, the customer will feel that you have value for the purchase and will appreciate it for considering them.     

The one thing you can do is gather as much information that you can equip and provide them as ‘how-to’ guides, information booklets, and FAQ, to give them direction. The customer will have the belief that it will be easy to use with the proper guidance provided.  

Build a Return and Refund Policy

The shopper’s frustration is seen in the situation where he has to return a purchased product. Customers are unlikely to buy again from a company that has disappointed them with a return experience. When compared with the traditional stores the e-commerce stores have more return rates.  

It may be in the initial stages of product usage that the customer finds out that the product is not apt for the requirement and thought of product return comes in. The next question will be “Do you have a refund policy?”. If you don’t have one your customers will be put off by it that will result in a poor post-purchase experience. 

Policies are set when a company commences.  If you are a product company, a refund policy is essential. A customer will demand a refund or return if they are not 100% satisfied with the product. Clearly state the refund policy to the customer at the initial stage of purchase as they shouldn’t be unaware. Defining the product return policy will provide a direction to customers who are uncertain of the product. 

Provide a Free Trial

What will happen after a free trial? By providing a free trial will you be able to retain the prospect? Well, a free trial helps the prospect know more about the product and decides if it is something he requires. 

Let’s see some tips for using a free trial for post-purchase experience

• Email is the best way to communicate with a customer in a trial period. Here we have access to their email which can be stored in our database and rescued for marketing purposes. 

• Sent regular updates concerning the trial period ie: when the subscription will end. Add links to paid subscription on the same mail so that if they are upgrading to a paid plan is simplified.

• Create offers for the people who are upgrading plans before the subscription ends.

• Provide an extended trial period of people who are recommending it.

Make Customers Confident About Their Purchase

Clear cut display of product details using variation swatches creates a memorable digital experience. This helps to fill the gap between customer expectations and product requirements. Providing professional pictures of the product from different angles assures the customers what they get. 

A post-purchase customer survey can indicate the level of customer satisfaction on the product they have purchased. Always make sure to send the survey two to five days after the delivery date. Segment the buyer based on buying history and send the questionnaire. Focus the questions on the area which is highly recommended.  

How-To Use Guides

How to use guides and FAQ are some material that will help improve user experience. This will help to function the product smoothly for the customers in case of any doubts that might have arisen in the time of product usage. They also accept queries, regarding anything that comes in and provides solutions for the same. 

Make sure to send the customers with personalized recommendations, notifications, and best deals which will keep them excited about their product purchase. The tips should be such that the customer can easily understand, avoid unwanted data and use simple language.

Customer Engagement Process

A lot of effort is put into the pre-sale process, all customer-facing sectors like the website UI enhancements, site load speed, etc are given much prominence. These play a very crucial role in attracting customers. But to build customer loyalty and improve customer lifetime value the post-purchase experience should have potential. Creating a memorable and delightful experience with customers will help to build trust. Considering this we can send an email newsletter and this should be email updates that are valuable and timely for customers. The ultimate aim of customers is to want to receive their orders with the least amount of hassle.

Let’s Conclude

Just because the customer has purchased from you doesn't mean that it's the end of the journey, you should try to maintain long term association with the customer to deepen the relationship. Create an experience they wanted so as to keep them coming back to you for purchases. 

When we are considering the case of retailers they should outperform their competitors by providing a seamless experience to retain the customer.  The delivery partner they opt for performs a significant role here. The initial stage of selecting a product is not challenging but to ensure an incredible customer experience throughout is not an easy task.

There are several other ways in which we can improve the post-purchase experience of a customer. The thing to remember is to keep working on improving it as the techniques used for one customer might not be apt for the other customer. Understanding customer psychology is thus very important.