Do you want to learn how to instantly build rapport with your audience from the moment they engage with your business? If so, you should focus on creating strong confirmation emails.
What is a Confirmation Email?
A confirmation email is a message that is automatically sent to users when they decide to take action on your site. These emails are crucial for building your brand and creating a positive user experience (UX). For context, 59% of people say marketing emails impact their shopping habits. This number is even more important for confirmation emails.
People want businesses to acknowledge what they’ve done, especially if money is involved.
Imagine how you would feel if you placed an expensive order online but never received a confirmation email with tracking information or other key details. You’d likely feel frustrated and a little anxious. In the back of your mind, you’d wonder, “Why did they take the money out of my account if they weren’t going to officially confirm my purchase?”
There are many instances where sending a confirmation email is a good idea. Here are a few actions that could trigger this type of message:
- Subscribing to a new email list (Automatic welcome emails have an open rate of 82%!)
- Placing an order
- Registering for an event (like a webinar)
- Updating account information
- Booking tickets
- Joining a new platform
As you can tell by now, there are plenty of amazing opportunities to show your audience that you’re paying attention to their interactions and want to provide them with the best experience possible.
Now, let’s look at 6 best practices you should remember when creating confirmation emails. I believe these strategies apply to most if not all, emails in this category.
Let’s dive in!
Write Clear Subject Lines
Did you know that nearly 50% of people will decide whether to open or delete an email based on the subject line? That’s because people receive tons of emails every day. They simply don’t have time to read every single one.
A quick scan of subject lines and sender names helps users determine which emails they should open and which should be ignored.
Writing clear, informative subject lines is one of the best things you can do to improve your email open rate across the board. However, it’s even more important when you want people to open confirmation emails.
Here’s a quick example so you can see what I mean. Which subject line would you be more likely to click?
1: Click here for an update
2: Update on Your Order
Most subscribers would assume the first message is spam since there’s no indication of what “update” means. Meanwhile, the second message has a clear, concise message. Users will know that the update is on an order they recently placed.
Optimize for Mobile
Optimizing your emails for smartphones can significantly impact your open rate and engagement. The reason for this is tied to the fact that 41% of all email views come from mobile devices.
If your messages look sloppy or broken on smartphones, about half of all recipients won’t be able to open your email.
The number one way to resolve this problem is to choose an email builder with responsive templates. These programs allow you to view your email on desktop and mobile view. Use this feature to optimize your emails, regardless of how a user chooses to interact with your brand.
It’s also important to keep the body of your email concise, with plenty of blank space between paragraphs, so readers don’t get overwhelmed.
Use Consistent Branding
One mistake I’ve seen businesses make in the past is they don’t use consistent branding throughout their email. From a UX point of view, this mistake could cause people to be skeptical of your messages. As a result, they may decide to stop interacting with your emails altogether because they don’t know if you are who you say you are.
The good news is that you can show consistent branding through your emails. The first thing you should do is make sure your sender name matches your business. If your company is Pete’s Pepper Seed Emporium, the sender’s name should be recognizable. Something like “Pete’s Peppers” is more than sufficient.
I also suggest using your brand logo and color scheme throughout the email. People should be able to look at your confirmation emails and recognize your mascot or brand colors from your website. This seemingly small adjustment can help build trust and skyrocket engagement.
Thank the User
A simple thank you can go a long way toward creating impactful confirmation emails. People like to feel valued by individuals and businesses. Saying thank you at the beginning of your confirmation email is one of the best things you can do to keep people reading.
You can take this a step further by using the customer’s name in the introduction. This type of micro-personalization is excellent for building rapport and will make most people more willing to engage with your messages. Research shows that 80% of people wish brands did more to personalize content (like emails) and offers.
A prompt thank you can help you generate more traction. As soon as a user completes their registration or fills out a payment form, they should get an automated confirmation email that thanks them and provides additional details.
Let Subscribers Know What Happens Next
Speaking of providing additional details, your confirmation email should always let users know what will happen next.
For example, if someone buys a product, your confirmation email should include an estimated delivery date and a purchase summary.
When users join your email list, they should get a message that sets expectations for the future. You could let them know that you’ll send them weekly newsletters, but they are free to adjust their preferences whenever they want.
Setting the stage for subscribers helps them visualize how interacting with your brand in the future will benefit them, which means they’re more likely to open your next message.
Offer Something of Value
Finally, you should always include something valuable inside your confirmation email. The offer or gift you use will depend on the type of email.
If someone decided to join your email list because they wanted a lead magnet, include the content or offer in the initial email. Businesses see far less engagement when they wait to send the lead magnet until the 2nd or 3rd email.
On the other hand, if a user registers for your upcoming webinar, you could include a list of popular, relevant content from your blog in the confirmation email. This addition will allow the readers to enjoy your content and engage with your brand before the event begins.
Every brand has something of value to offer customers. Think carefully about your audience’s goals and pain points so you can address their needs in your first email.
Final Thoughts
Confirmation emails are undoubtedly one of the pillars of a strong email marketing strategy. Monitoring your email analytics and setting measurable key performance indicators will help you improve your message and value proposition over time.
Brand leaders across all industries should figure out the perfect times to reach out to prospects and customers. If done correctly, you’ll see more engagement, a higher retention rate, and happier customers.
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