Conversion / Testing

Improving Your E-Mail Confirmations Can Boost Profits Todd Follansbee , WebMarketingResources.net - Feb 1, 2011

Improving your e-mail confirmation and follow-up procedures will take a few low-tech improvements, but will make a big difference in customer satisfaction with your company, which leads to greater customer retention and follow up sales.

At the moment of "conversion," that is, when someone signs up, buys, or engages with your site, they feel positively enough about your company or product to trust you with valuable personal information. You have convinced them of your value and they are "buying in" to your business in a very real way.

It's time to convince new visitors that their confidence is justified. Failing to do so disappoints your customers. Good, professional follow up can increase this buy in enough to encourage follow up sales, referrals, "word of mouth" support, and help create a lifelong customer. Even simple "contact us" or support questions give you the chance to create a great first impression and demonstrate how you value your customers. Here's how.

For All Responses

Begin with a sincere (brief) note of thanks.

• Always state a specific and realistic time period to expect your follow up action, for example, 1 to 2 business days or 3 to 4 hours (include time zones). Saying you will respond "ASAP" is meaningless. Our testing has shown that "ASAP" is often more annoying than no answer at all. Customers want answers now -- or at least they need to know when to expect them. If your answer is "within 3 to 5 days," you simply imply that good customer service is not important to your company.
• New clients often appreciate making a personal connection with your business. If possible, provide a "real" follow-up contact and avoid "sales@ or info@" addresses. Sign the response with your name and title.
• List your business hours of operation with time zone. Include a chat link or phone number for immediate help.
• Provide links to additional resources in the form of FAQs, online forums, manuals, and search features, n case your business is closed when the customer is seeking help,
• Make a clear and friendly request to encourage sharing on social media and provide easy to use tools such as, social media "share" tools, links to videos, PDF documents or white papers, recent newsletters, or links to easily shared product/info. A substantial percentage of the general population are extroverts. They provide the backbone of viral marketing or "word of mouth" referrals. Extroverts naturally want to share their experiences -- so help them. Note: Using a reward to bribe customers to share is rarely effective and usually feels demeaning. It is not considered the same as a free gift.

For Product Sales

• List what they ordered and what it cost.
• Clearly state when to expect the product -- then try to get it there early.
• Include shipping information, such as tracking codes, carrier name and details such as "signature required," estimated shipping weight, shipping insurance, number of packages, and how to handle shipping claims.
• Offer links to download assembly manuals or detailed product specs in easy-to-print PDF documents. Suggest that your customer forward these to interested parties.
• List anything the product needs to operate, such as batteries, paint, etc. If you sell these necessities -- and maybe you should -- provide product links.
• Summarize your return and guarantee policies along with links to full policy details, including links to related FAQs.
• Check with your "help desk" for a list of common customer questions and if possible, use these answers in e-mail replies and FAQs. This will help you cut support costs and improve customer relationships.

For Newsletter, E-mail, or Blog signups

• Explain when to expect the next issue, how frequently you publish, and offer links to the archives to see recent or and past content.
• Outline "unsubscribe" options.
• If you accept suggestions or comments, explain your policies and contact options.

For Contact Us, Help Desk or Support Issues

• Respond to all inquiries with a "real" e-mail address and contact information, if possible, to ensure your customers' satisfaction.
• Take "the customer is always right" approach, that if your customer has a problem or needs your help, it indicates a shortcoming on the part of the product or your support information. Never imply that the customer is at fault.
• Welcome customer e-mails as an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to good customer service.

For Web Confirmations

• Begin with a sincere but brief note of thanks, but ensure that the confirmation page does more than just thank customers.
• Provide full navigation with the same header, logo, and branding information that appears on your home page. If it makes sense for visitors to stay engaged with your site after the confirmation, make it easy to do so and encourage it.
• Provide links to other products or resources that may be of interest.
• Advise them that they can expect a detailed e-mail confirmation in a specific number of minutes. Explain what to do if they don't receive an e-mail.
• Offer links to manuals, product information, and data sheets -- and make these easy to forward. Invite referrals.
• Invite comment on your products, user experience, etc.
• Include links to "print friendly" product information or "bookmark/save this" buttons.

New Customers

All new customers should be part of a follow up e-mail process.

• After a reasonable amount of time, check to see if they are satisfied with your product, e-mail, support etc.
• Solicit information on how you might improve the experience.
• Provide information on upcoming offers, sales, upgrades, etc.
• Provide links to your support, forums, and newsletters.

If possible, go the extra mile. Find something of value you can give to both new and existing customers that is unexpected. There is a good reason why the bank teller gives out dog biscuits and lollipops, the dentist gives a new toothbrush, and the hardware store gives paint stirrers. When you give someone something they appreciate, persuasion psychology teaches us that it often creates a desire to reciprocate. It doesn't take much.

You can implement many of these suggestions with only a few hours effort. Research is clear that acquiring new customers costs about five times as much as it costs to retain them. By retaining only 5% more customers, per customer profit can increase from 25 to 100%.

Taking the time to deliver a good confirmation will set you apart form competitors who are inattentive and less sophisticated marketers.

Some helpful resources:

• Frederick F. Reichheld, The Loyalty Effect: The Hidden Force Behind Growth, Profits and Lasting Value (book review by Bradley H. Hosmer in Journal of Management Consulting, November 1998). Reichheld's analysis shows that the cost of acquiring new customers is five times the cost of servicing established ones. Making loyalists out of just 5% more customers would lead, on average, to an increase in profit per customer of between 25% and 100%.
• John McManamy, "Introversion and Isolation,"McMan's Depression and Bipolar Web, 2003, updated June 14, 2010. Offers Meyers-Briggs Testing Institute statistics on introverts versus extroverts.
• "On Measuring the Cost of Customer Acquisition (Industry Trend or Event),"Entrepreneur Magazine, September 30, 1999. An Intermarket Group study revealed that Barnesandnoble.com spent $42 to sign up a new customer, compared to Amazon.com's $27.60, Priceline's $32.30, and Beyond.com's $29.30.

Todd Follansbee is founder of WebMarketingResources.net. He is a usability and persuasion consultant who has been helping sites improve conversions for over 12 years. His methodology won a top ten award in Entrepreneur Magazine. He has contributed to several books and his columns have reached millions of readers. Todd's performance based consulting plan enables you to profit within the first month by "hiring" a part-time virtual user experience expert.