Author: Shaliq

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.

Contrary to the popular notion that coupons are mere discounts, coupons actually help you build potential customers, boost your sales volume, and promote customer repeat business. When provided with a coupon, it’s literally the offers or discounts that seize the customer’s attention. Coupons are a great way to draw customers who wouldn’t otherwise visit your online store to make a purchase.

Coupons when used constructively, can significantly add top-line revenue to your business.

Digital Coupons: What?

Digital coupons are just like the conventional paper coupons that your fellow customers can utilize for redeeming discounts or offers. These are aimed at capturing the customer’s attention and persuading them into making the purchase by providing them with attractive offers and discounts.

It’s cost-effective when compared to the conventional coupons which require printing and other costs. It can even be sent by text, email, or even any other communication methods.

Digital Coupons: Why?

Coupons have increasingly become a necessity these days. Coupons play a crucial role in attracting potential customers into the online store. They help in boosting your brand image without any funding. This, in turn, makes your brand name popular among the end-users.

Convincing new customers into purchasing your products is indeed a difficult task. Once the purchase is made, you can look for more ways to build their trust and making them come back for more. Coupon marketing is one such tactic to get customers on the hook.

Here are some of the reasons why digital coupons must be added to your marketing strategy:

• Entice customers and generate more traffic

> Many studies show that there has been a significant increase in foot traffic when discounts are offered to customers.

• Reduce the advertising costs for businesses

> Make sure that your discount coupons contain your company name, address, and other information so that potential customers may recognize your brand as one that offers exciting discounts and hence draw in more customers which otherwise would’ve cost you a considerable amount for the advertising purpose.

• Acquire customer database

> Coupons can be used as a method to collect customer information like phone number, email address, or even location. This can be used to build a database of potential customers who would be interested in coupons and discounts.

• Move older products

> At times, some of the products won’t be a hit. This could be because of many reasons. In such a case, these products can be reintroduced to the customers by incorporating appropriate offers and discounts into it.

• New customers for the business

> Providing offers and discounts is a great way to attract customers into your online store. You can even turn those ordinary customers into potential customers. 

Digital Coupons: Different Types

The online store owners are always looking out for newfangled ways to increase customer engagement on their website. This may include a bonus that may be in the form of digital coupons that can be used for redeeming discounts and other benefits for the next purchase.

Let’s have a look at some of the different types of digital coupons.

• Downloadable coupons

These are the coupons that are accessible to users all around the globe. The customers can have these coupons from either the company’s website or directly from an email or even from social media. Downloadable coupons can also be accessed from mobile devices as well.

• Mobile coupons

Mobile coupons are sent to the customer’s cell phone as a text message or can be downloaded using smartphone applications.

The coupon barcodes are scanned directly from the user’s mobile phone and the benefits are applied to it.

• Promo codes

Promo codes are being increasingly used these days. They are faster than the typical discount coupons and are easy for the customers to use.

They consist of strings of letters or numbers that the customers can make use to avail of the discount. These are often intended to encourage customers to make purchases.

• Automatic discounts

These are yet another major discount coupon that is gaining popularity these days. Here, the customer doesn’t have to do anything in particular in order to claim the discount. These are automatically applied on proceeding with the purchase. The cart abandonment rate is reduced while using these coupons. Hence, it’s a great option to have it in your online store.

Digital Coupons: Strategizing Coupons

Incorporating coupons to your marketing process can significantly boost sales, thereby add considerable revenue to your online store.

Here are some of the potential benefits of having coupons in your marketing process:

1. Rule out low-selling products

Some of the items in your online store won’t be a big hit! You can easily get rid of these items by offering exciting discounts. Couponing is a great way to increase your coupon amount over a long period of time.

2. Encourage your customers to buy more

Improve your sales by adding appropriate spending thresholds. Incorporate suitable discount messages too. This is a great way to ensure increased customer engagement on your website, thereby adding on to your sales conversions.

3. Form an email list

Do not underestimate the power of data! Especially the data that is from your potential customers is very much valuable. There are many brands out there that offer a considerable amount of discount for every signup for their email. Even by offering a mere discount of 10% can help you build an email list of 1000+ persons. 

4. Measure the effectiveness of channels

Coupons can be used to measure the effectiveness of channels. Try to put a different 10% code each on different social channels like Facebook, Instagram and you can see which of these channels works the best for you! You can make use of the results to have a fair idea on which channel your customers are likely to take up the offers.

5. Add a time limit

Adding a time limit for the offers can actually drive in more customers into making the purchase. Create a sense of urgency or Fear Of Missing Out(FOMO) for this.

6. Foster your referral marketing

It ain’t surprising that the majority of the referral programs increasingly make use of coupons and discounts. It’s for both new customers and existing customers as well. This is a sure-shot way to improve and promote your brand image. Here, the existing customers are rewarded for spreading the brand image and thus bringing in more customers.

7. Acquire customer feedback

Sometimes, surveys are better than giving a 10% or 20% discount. Surveys are extremely useful in obtaining information like customer expectations, requirements, etc. It’s more like customer feedback.

Digital Coupons: Marketing Coupons

Now that you are acquainted with the digital coupons, let’s have a look at how to incorporate coupons into your marketing strategy.

1.  Social media

Firstly, put in 24-hour-only coupons as your story on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms. This will create a sense of urgency and the customer will be prompted to grab the offer before the time runs out!

Make sure that you make it as creative as possible. There are a myriad of other offers and discounts all over social media and if you really want to make your products stand out, then this is what you can do.

2. Email

Whenever you launch a new product, try to incorporate discount coupons into your emails, be it system-generated emails or transactional emails. Adding coupons is a good way to measure the results. Also, just sending coupons along with your email doesn’t make them appealing! Make sure that you use your creativity to make them enticing to the customers.

3. SMS

More and more stores these days prefer to send offers and discount coupons via text message. Offering discounts to allow SMS messaging is a great way to create a customer base.

4. Advertisements

Advertising on different social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, etc can help you to identify which channel is the most sought-after and that which works the best for you.

5. Influencer coupon codes

Influencer marketing is what most of the business brands make use of these days. Connect with an appropriate influencer whom you think will work the best for you, provide them with a unique coupon code, and analyze the results.

6. Affiliate links

Offering affiliate links along with the coupons are the easiest way to prompt the customer into buying. Utilizing affiliate marketing can actually cut down advertising costs.

7. Social events

Attending a promotional event, festivals or any other local events is actually a brand-building tactic. Offering discount coupons along with this can actually boost your sales conversions and turn the prospects into your potential customers.

Coupons are an effective way to boost your sales and thereby add in more revenue to your business. Incorporating them into your marketing strategy can build your customer base and gradually increase your sales. Now, most of the business brands are employing coupons to bring in more revenue. 

If you’re still not using coupons, then it’s high time you use coupons for your business. However, you can use coupons the way you would like to more than just offering simple discounts.

In the end, everyone loves to bargain and coupons indeed foster a feeling of getting a bargain. This paves the way for the very existence and success of coupon marketing!

Zennode was founded keeping the fact that WooCommerce is the next big thing. Staying strong with this idea, we have developed varied WooCommerce Plugins some of which are the market leaders. We believe the best can be delivered from a team effort, and we have the best among teams.