How to Create a Clear and Concise Order Confirmation Email

Say you own a custom products store on Etsy and would like to increase the customer experience you provide. Sending confirmation emails can be a great step forward. A confirmation email is sent once a customer places an order or takes a desired action on your website. It has the potential to convey to the customers that:

You care about your business with them;
You're committed to serving them.

The main goal of a confirmation email is to:

Getting the customer's approval of the purchase, registration, or terms and conditions.
To prepare the client for future promotional emails from the firm.

Depending on the kind of business you run and the products or services you may provide, there are four main types of confirmation emails:

Order confirmation;
Booking confirmation;
Registration confirmation;
Subscription confirmation.

Sending confirmation emails will consequently improve the overall brand image and create the foundation for a stronger connection with customers to enhance client retention rates.

The Structure of Order Confirmation Emails

Most order confirmation emails follow a generic structure that includes:

Order number: Each purchase has its own unique identifier, which is the order number. It's a quick way for buyers to refer to while communicating with your support staff.

Product or service information: So if you’re selling baby blankets using print on demand services, this will include details like:

Color;
Size;
Quantity.

Cost Breakdown: Display the unit cost, plus any applicable taxes, shipping charges, and any applicable savings.
Payment information: Depending on the price tag or the type of product, your customers can choose between numerous methods of payment. Most confirmation emails include how the payment is made for their reference.

Shipping details: Verify the chosen shipping option, the shipping address, and the contact number, along with an anticipated delivery date. A shipping email with tracking details is sent once the order is shipped.

The primary goal of a confirmation email is to ensure that the customer's expectations have been met. If not, the customer should be able to get in touch with someone easily to get it corrected. Give your consumers many contact options in case they need assistance, such as:

Live chat;
Email;
Phone;
Self-help through the Zendesk help center;
Text message support.

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Here’s an example:

Source: https://www.privy.com/blog/order-confirmation#what-to-include-in-your-order-confirmation-email

Now that we’ve outlined what a basic structure includes in an order confirmation email let’s look at some essential components of an order confirmation email.

Essential Components of Order Confirmation Email

It’s important to personalize an order confirmation email if you’re hoping to build a relationship with your customers and encourage a repeat order. These essential components of order confirmation can help you personalize your email:

Personalized Greeting: Personalization starts with the name. When you address the customer by their name, it can create a sense of personal connection. So make sure to start an email by calling your customer with their name.

Personalized Subject Line: It’s important that the subject line is clear and straightforward; however, you can include your customer’s name here too, and make them feel special.

Express Gratitude: Showing appreciation for the business with customers shows that you value them and every transaction you get. It’s always a good idea to thank your customers for choosing your brand over a variety of options available on the internet.

Itemized Order Details: It’s important that there’s clarity in all the order details so the customer can understand how the costs break down as per the order details. While this isn’t specifically a way to customize the email, it does make it easy for customers to review their purchases.

Order Status: When the customer places an order, there’s going to be a lot of excitement to receive it in the mail. It’s important to keep that anticipation built up; however, if the order isn’t shipped, clearly mention that the order is confirmed and being processed.

How to Create Clear Order Confirmation Email

Clarity and straightforwardness triumph over overly complicated confirmation emails as the latter may risk confusing customers and them on missing specific details. Here’s how you can provide clarity in order confirmation emails:

Avoid confusing or frustrating your consumers by giving them too much information. To avoid confusing your audience, just provide the necessary information.
Write in a clear and accessible manner, avoiding the use of jargon or technical terms.
Use your company's colors and logo to increase customer confidence in your products.
Make sure the email can be read easily on all devices, particularly on smartphones.

Order Confirmation Emails: Better User Experience

Click-through rates (CTRs) for confirmation emails range between 12% and 20%. That's around five times more often than regular mass mailings. As a result, it's easy to deduce that consumers like receiving confirmation emails. But what can you do to enhance the user’s experience through it? Here are our tips:

Set expectations: Prepare the customer by giving them specifics on what to expect next, such as shipment information or a tracking number.

Use data for customization: In the order confirmation email, use client information to suggest and promote related products and provide appropriate discounts.

Upselling opportunities: Encourage more sales by subtly recommending items that go with their current purchases and recommendations based on best selling items on Etsy.

Provide social proof: Add social proof in the form of customer reviews or testimonials to increase trust in a purchase.

Provide CTA: Include some compelling calls to action (CTAs) at the end of your emails, such as:

Follow us on social media
Join the loyalty program
Subscribe to our mailing list
Get a discount for your next purchase

Branding and Design Matters

While we’re talking about how your confirmation email can add to the customer experience, let’s not leave behind the importance of branding and the design of your email as well. Sending the standard information doesn't highlight your brand's unique selling points and display its identity.

Choose a color scheme that conveys the essence of your brand at all times (this can be similar to your website).
Create a memorable impression no matter where your customers find you by sticking to one brand color and logo.
Leave space to promote your brand, its values, and cross-selling/upselling items at the bottom.

Make sure that your email is thoughtfully designed to reflect professionalism. Pay attention to details and arrangements to not make it look cluttered and reflect the brand’s tone. Customers' trust in your business may be increased by sending them branded, aesthetically attractive order confirmation emails.

Test and Analyze Data

Once you’ve got your confirmation email ready, you’ll have to test it and analyze it over time to see if it garners the results you want or not. The greatest way to learn what your consumers want is to study data on how they interact with your emails on a regular basis. A/B testing on subject line and call-to-action (CTA) might provide useful data for optimization.

In addition, it's a bad idea to assume you won't need to make any more adjustments to the email flow once it's been established. Broken emails might result from even a little coding update. Don't sit back and wait for customers to complain that their confirmation emails were corrupted.

Conclusion

The customer service process is not complete without a well-written order confirmation email. Supporting it with a self-service support option, such as Zendesk Help Center, can boost the customer experience and customer service of your online store. Use this article as a guideline to draft your confirmation email, and always remember to put the needs of your customers first, maintain a welcoming tone, and remain loyal to the spirit of your business. Most importantly, have fun while working on it!
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