Content for the customer buying process: post-purchase behaviour

by Stratton Craig

image overlay

In this last blog in our series looking at content for the customer buying process we look at how the messages your buyers are exposed to can greatly influence their post-purchase behaviour. At this stage you have the chance to turn customers into brand champions, and gather vital feedback to improve your product or service.
Post-purchase behaviour explained
Post-purchase behaviour refers to the action your customers take once they have bought from you, based on the overall buying experience. Everything we have explored in previous blogs on this topic has an impact at this stage, as content helps to shape a customer’s view of your brand and their decision to buy from you again (or not).
The aim here is simple; to convince buyers that they want to do business with you again. Content can help you to do so, while also enabling you to glean helpful feedback from them. Here are two types of content to help achieve this.
Order confirmation email
When buying from an e-commerce site, the first post-purchase communication will be the order confirmation email. Just because you’ve secured the sale, don’t think that a hastily prepared templated email with only the essential details will do. This is a great opportunity to add value. You should start by making sure the copy is on-brand and speaks with the same voice to reinforce the messages that came before.
Receiptful, a company that helps firms to optimise their email receipts, has found that those who receive this type of content spend on average 14.8 seconds studying it. This is around 6.8 seconds longer than other emails, valuable time in which other messages can be seen. Take advantage of this extended attention span by advertising a relevant product, special offers, or promoting related blog posts that demonstrate your expertise. By adding value through complementing content you can strenghten the relationship between brand and customer, building trust and then loyalty.
Feedback surveys
Feedback from customers allows you to better tailor your product or service to their needs and gain informative insights into the buying experience. A feedback survey is a quick and simple way to gather these details. Brevity is key here. Asking concise but open-ended questions can garner more detail on a specific issue than a multiple choice or scale type question can. Start with a simple question such as “How did you find out about [company name]?” before probing further with questions such as “How would you improve our customer service?”
Feedback surveys or forms don’t need to be emailed after a confirmation. You can include them on the confirmation page that opens once an order has been made. Make the tool unobtrusive so that it doesn’t interfere with the user experience and, like a survey, keep things simple. Your customers will thank you for it with prized feedback.
What do you use?
These are just two types of content that can be called upon to add value to what you’re selling, enhance the perception of your brand, and also get a little more back from your customers. There are plenty of others, so why not share what you use with us by commenting below.
This draws our blog series on content for the customer buying process to a close. You’ll find all the related posts here, alongside other valuable insights into content and strategy. Want to talk more about it? Just give us a call.