As consumers, we are all familiar with the emails that are sent to us following a purchase online. Typically you will first receive an email confirming your order with the items listed, as well as the tax, shipping a total you paid. These emails usually see open rates of 60-70%, astronomically high in comparison to their marketing email counterparts. We know that transactional emails are being underutilized. Today, we explore the various types of transactional emails being sent.
The Standard Transactional Email Flow
Under normal circumstances, consumers encounter only three transactional emails. When operations are running smoothly, the company doesn’t have a need to contact their customers more than three times per order.
The above flow is familiar to any of us that have ordered something online, but there are other transactional emails that we see less often, and some may hold a hidden opportunity to appeal to our customers.
Other, Less Common Transactional Emails
If you’re a store owner that allows for refunds and returns and exchanges, the following transactional emails should be incorporated into your portfolio.
Some retailers offer backorders or preorders on their products. If you are one such retailer, ensure that the following emails are incorporated into your transactional flow.
Unfortunately, sometimes issues arise with orders that need to be addressed with the customer. All retailers run into these problems at some point and need the appropriate emails to communicate with customers. With both of these emails, you should ensure that you include a way to complete the transaction and order, as well as access to your customer support, in order to keep the customer loyal and happy.
In our next post, we will continue to investigate transactional emails and the missed opportunity they hold by discussing real examples of order confirmations and how they can be improved upon.