If You're Not Doing This, You're Leaving 30% of Sales on the Table

Hey there! If you're anything like me, you pour your heart and soul into launching a new product or service. You nail the marketing assets. You spread the word on social media. You even run some paid ads to get the momentum going.

But then...crickets. Cue the tumbleweeds rolling through your online store.

It's disheartening, I know. You did all that work to get customers in the door. Don't you wish you could keep them coming back for more?

Well, my friend, you can. And it doesn't require complicated funnels or mastering TikTok dances.

I'm talking about post-purchase follow-ups. At its core, it's simply staying in touch with customers after they buy from you. But done right, it can skyrocket repeat purchases and word-of-mouth.

Let me show you what I mean...

The Power of Following Up

Imagine this scenario:

You launch a new line of handmade soaps. Clara, a small business owner herself, decides to buy a few bars to test out.

But after Clara places her order, she doesn't hear from you again. Maybe she tries the soaps and loves them. But with no follow-up from you, it's easy for her to forget.

Before you know it, Clara needs to restock her soap supply. But with so many options out there, she winds up buying from another brand.

You just lost a repeat customer - and missed out on more sales. Bummer!

Now imagine a different situation:

This time, after Clara places her order, you send a friendly email:

Thank her for her purchase
Share tips on getting the most benefits from the soaps
Link to a few complementary products she might like
Offer a 10% discount code for her next order

Now when Clara needs more soap, she remembers your brand - and uses the coupon code for a discounted reorder. Cha-ching!

See what a difference outreach makes?

Done consistently, post-purchase follow-ups can turn one-time buyers into lifelong customers. In fact, 80% of repeat sales come from only 20% of existing customers.

Talk about low-hanging fruit!

Let's look at some proven ways to capitalize on it...

4 Types of Post-Purchase Follow-Ups to Try

Generally speaking, you have 4 opportunities to follow up after a purchase:

The first follow-up comes right after a customer completes their order.

This is a chance to say thanks, share delivery timelines, and preview what's to come. Make sure to include:

Appreciation for their order
Order confirmation details
Next steps for delivery/fulfillment
Contact info for support

Delivery Notification

You know what that means: user-generated content!

When their order ships out, ask happy customers to share pics and reviews of your products. Not only does this help generate buzz, but you can also re-share the content across your own marketing channels.

Some ideas:

Ask for social media tags and reviews
Provide a branded hashtag to unify user photos
Incentivize with a discount code for their next order

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Post-Purchase Survey

Here's an opportunity to start a two-way conversation. Follow up 2-3 weeks after delivery to get their unfiltered take:

What did they like most?

How can you improve for next time?

Would they buy from you again?

Reward survey takers with a coupon to sweeten the deal.

Retention Emails

Now you can shift to longer-term retention. Continue nurturing customers with:

Tips and tricks for using your product
Exclusive sales and promos
Relevant educational content

Over time, seamlessly upsell them to higher-tier products.

See why it pays to stay top of mind? Don't leave money on the table by ghosting customers after purchase.

Speaking of money...let’s talk bonuses!

2 Hidden Bonuses of Post-Purchase Follow-Ups

Beyond driving repeat sales, follow-ups offer two other sweet perks:

They increase order values

Loyal customers spend 67% more than new ones. With retention emails, you can gradually upsell them higher-priced items.

They provide free marketing

Satisfied buyers are your secret sales weapon. Word-of-mouth referrals from happy customers pack more punch than any ad.

But you need to keep nurturing customers so they remember to recommend you.

Now let’s tackle an equally important - but often neglected - follow-up opportunity...

Don’t Abandon That Cart!

We've all been there. You find a product you love, toss it in your cart...and then ghost it.

Hey, life gets in the way. But from a seller's perspective, abandoned carts are the worst.

Luckily, cart abandonment follow-ups recapture tons of lost revenue.

Around 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned. Ouch. But cart abandonment emails recover up to 20% of those losses.

Translation? If you're not doing them, you're leaving piles of cash on the table.

Here are some cart abandonment follow-up best practices:

Time it right - First email 24 hours after abandonment, then a series over 2 weeks. Don't badger them!
Offer a discount - 10-15% off nudges forgetful shoppers to checkout.
Remind of value - Share testimonials and remind them why they wanted your product.
Be personal - Use their name, and remind them of items left in their cart.

And make sure your follow-up sequence is fully automated. The last thing you want is shopping cart jail!

Speaking of automations, let's look at some plug-and-play templates you can use.

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Plug-and-Play Follow-Up Templates

No need to reinvent the wheel on every email. To help you get rolling fast, I’ve included easy-to-customize templates at the end of this guide.

Feel free to tweak them to match your brand voice - just don’t skip these proven follow-ups!

Here’s a quick rundown:

Order Confirmation: Thanks for your order!
Shipping Notification: Your order is on its way!
Post-Purchase Survey: How are you liking our product?
Retention Email: Check out our new lineup of products!
Abandoned Cart #1: Left something in your cart?
Abandoned Cart #2: Still interested in that cart item?
Abandoned Cart #3: Last chance for 10% off!

And there you have it - a simplified blueprint for driving repeat sales through follow-up.

I know it can feel overwhelming when you're deep in the product launch trenches. But you owe it to yourself - and your business - to put these foundational retention strategies in place.

Because when you transform one-time buyers into loyal advocates...that's how you stop leaving 30% of sales on the table.

Now go on out there, take care of those customers, and watch your business grow. You got this!

To recap, here are some follow-up automations to set up:

Post-purchase thank you email
Delivery confirmation email
2 week post-delivery survey
30-60 day retention email series
24 hour abandoned cart email
3-5 day abandoned cart email series

And here are those email/SMS templates I promised:

1. Post-Purchase Survey Email Template

Subject line: Got a minute to give [brand] feedback?

Hi [name],

We hope you've been loving your [product] from [brand]! We wanted to check in and get your thoughts.

Could you please take a minute to fill out this quick 3-question survey on your experience with us?

[Insert survey link]

We value your open and honest feedback - it really helps us improve. As a little thank you for your time, we'll enter you into a drawing for a $50 gift card!

Thanks for being a [brand] customer, and have an amazing rest of your day!

[sign off]

2. Post-Purchase Survey SMS Template

Hi [name]! Have a quick minute to give us feedback on [brand]? We'd love to hear your thoughts via 3-question survey: [link]

Thanks for helping us improve!

3. 60 Day Retention Email Template

Subject line: We miss you! Get 20% off your next [brand] order

Hi there [name]!

We noticed it's been a while since your last order with us. We hope you've been loving your [product(s)]!

We'd love to have you back in our store soon. To welcome you back, here's a coupon for 20% off your entire purchase:

COUPONCODE20

Plus, check out our new [product] lineup - we think you'll love the new [feature]!

Let us know if you have any questions. Wishing you an amazing rest of your week!