Are you this guy?
An amazing amount of online business owners think conversions are the main goal of a website. They’re only part right, and the part that’s missing makes a big difference.
Too often, people focus on the single conversion, forgetting those that came before. It’s the whole attitude of, “They’re already buying our product. It’s a done deal. We don’t have to worry about them anymore.” Sometimes, this attitude seems to appear as soon as the visitor converts. It shows itself with one simple line:
“You’ll receive your product in 7 to 10 business days.”
Ouch.
Imagine your new customer, freshly taking a leap of faith. They chose your company over the competition. They gave you their email address, name, credit card number, whatever. They’re vulnerable. They need reassurance that they did the right thing… and they get that single, infinitely damaging line.
Why is it damaging?
Your new customer took a huge step here. That single line shows a complete lack of care. Instead of acknowledging that step and giving them the appreciation due (after all, your customers are your business), you didn’t even say thank you. You are losing out on an excellent opportunity to solidify this new relationship.
Here’s a hint: At no point, ever, do you want your customer to suffer buyer’s remorse. Even if the product is exactly as described, they’ll remember that moment of insecurity. It’ll take a lot of work to fix it.
6 Post-Conversion Tips – Solidifying the Bond
Rather than go to all that work after the fact, it’s much easier to just skip the trauma. Plan how you’ll build the relationship before they convert.
1. Say thank you
It’s not hard; it’s probably something your parents taught you when you were young anyway. You can say, “thank you for your order”, “thank you”, “we’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you”… however you say it, make sure you get it said.
2. Give a gift
You’ve seen it a dozen times if you’ve ever ordered online. Most of the time, the gift is advertised. “Order now and receive a free gift!” It doesn’t have to be advertised, though. It’s perfectly fine to show your appreciation:
Love your clients
Thank you for your order. You’ll receive your [product name] within 7 – 10 days. In the meantime, we want you to know we value your business. Please accept this (set of Ginsu knives, a report, a cheap plastic spoon) absolutely free in appreciation.
3. Remind them of what they bought
…which, in turn, gives them a little reassurance that they’ll get what they ordered. While you’re at it, if you had a satisfaction guarantee on the landing page, remind them of that, too:
We’re confident you’ll love your new set of country style dishtowels. However, if you’re not absolutely satisfied you can send them back within 7 days for a full refund.
I’ve seen some companies who do this in emails and bold the product description. Personally, I prefer not to do this. To me, it’s obvious the email is computer generated. You can’t help it if you send them to a conversion page with this information; they know it’s computer generated. However, where possible, don’t lose the human component.
4. Share your privacy policy
Okay, so you already have a link to your privacy policy. So what? Does that stop you from reassuring them? It shouldn’t, because this is an excellent way to continue building trust:
We value you and your privacy. We do not sell or in any way share your personal information. Please feel free to review our privacy policy [link to privacy policy].
5. Show your contact information
Many online product conversions happen through forms with no human contact. They gave their contact information, however, so it’s only right for you to give yours. Don’t make them hunt for a customer service number or email. Reassure your new customer that they can reach a company representative at any time:
For questions or comments:
Customer service by phone: 1-800-000-0000
Hours:
Customer service by email: abc-support@company.com
6. Ask for feedback
No company is so perfect they can’t do better. Asking for feedback, however, is more than strengthening your conversion process; it’s continuing the conversation. It shows you care about what the customer thinks in regards to the question, “How are we doing so far?”
We value your feedback! Please take a few moments to fill out this survey…
Or something like:
How are we doing? We’d like to know! Share your thoughts on how we can better our services:
[put a text box, so they can write whatever they want]
Thank you is easy
There are several, seemingly small things you can do to keep the B2C relationship going. The six above are only a few. The point, however, is this: the little details count. The visitors converting from that landing page are human; let them know you are too. Acknowledge what they did in taking that leap of faith, keep their trust in tact, and they’ll be your advocates forever.
About the Author: Gabriella Sannino
