Ghosting is commonplace in dating, as it’s a shortcut-albeit unpleasant-to breaking up with someone.
However, it has inevitably caught on in the eCommerce industry as some retailers don’t have the decency to communicate with their customers following a purchase.
Disappearing on someone, whether a date or a customer, is never a good thing, but it has more serious repercussions in one’s business than in their personal affairs.
The reason is that you may lose everything that you’ve worked hard for-earnings and customer’s trust-with ghosting.
Whether it’s intentional or not, ignoring a customer after they’ve placed an order in your store is an act in eCommerce that’s synonymous with a mortal sin.
A survey conducted by Narvar and YouGov among 3,000 online shoppers in the UK, aged 21 to 65 years old, revealed that 61% of them expect a follow-up communication after making a purchase.
While 10% of the respondents said they would appreciate a guide on the different usage of the item which they bought, 20% said a short thank you message would be nice.
Did you know, though, the number one thing that infuriates 25% of online shoppers? It is not hearing a single word about the delivery status of their order.
Sending a post-purchase email to your customers after they buy something from your store is an unwritten rule you should take to heart in order to gain customer loyalty.
Failure to comply makes your dream of generating repeat sales relatively remote.
The implications of ghosting
There’s no such thing as an ill-fated business unless its owner wills it.
You can make up for products that don’t exactly stand out or slow delivery service, but not with ghosting customers. In fact it’s the easiest way to shatter your business.
When asked if they will ever buy from a retailer that failed to send them an email following a purchase, 65% of online shoppers said that’s very unlikely to happen.
Now now, don’t be too quick to consider acquiring new customers as it is estimated to cost five times more than retaining an existing one, says Narvar.
There’s no other way to succeed than by sending valuable email content to your customers.
Once they click on the Buy button, that should signal you to send something out to them which is worth reading if not useful.
Use email marketing to provide a pleasant post-purchase experience to online shoppers. Once you’ve mastered this tool, only then will you be able to gain your customers’ loyalty.
How are you treating them so far after they make a purchase at your store?