Proven Post Purchase Upsell Techniques to Boost Sales
Post purchase upsell refers to marketing products even after a customer has purchased, building relationships and boosting sales.
Campaign Refinery Team
Email Marketing Experts
What you'll learn
Most businesses think their transaction ends the moment a customer purchases a product. In reality, selling after the initial purchase can enhance customer relationships and boost sales.
Most customers are open to post purchase upsell offers when they’ve already had a positive experience with your brand. A strategic after-sale email gives a perfect opportunity to offer upgrades.
In this guide, we’ll delve into post purchase upsell techniques that increase sales and enhance customer satisfaction. Whether you run an e-commerce store or a service-based company, these strategies will help you maximize the lifetime value of each customer.
What is a Post Purchase Upsell?
A post purchase upsell is a marketing strategy in which customers are presented with upgrade offers even after they purchase a product.
The goal is to encourage customers to buy more items and increase overall sales.
For example:
- After purchasing a phone, a post-purchase upsell email can offer accessories like a screen protector or wireless earbuds.
- Customers who book a flight may be offered upgrade options from economy to business class, priority boarding, luggage upgrades, etc.
This marketing tactic is common in the e-commerce industry as customers are likely to spend more when satisfied with a product.
Benefits of Post Purchase Upselling
Post purchase emails that are tailored according to your customer’s marketing journey can generate additional revenue from your existing client base. When you know what works for your audience, offering them upgrades to the initial product becomes easier.
Here are the key benefits of using after sale emails:
- They increase revenue per customer: Since the customer is already committed to buying, you don’t need to spend extra time and resources convincing them. After sale emails are a perfect opportunity to get current customers to buy more.
- They enhance customer experience: A well-timed and relevant post purchase upsell offer improves customer experience by genuinely offering value.
- They improve customer retention: It keeps customers in touch with your brand, eliminating the need for separate retention emails. This cuts down email marketing costs and fosters credibility.
- They increase customer’s lifetime value: A successful post purchase upsell email can boost a customer’s spend overtime.
If you’re noticing a sudden increase in cart abandonments, it might be the right time to send a post purchase upsell email to convince customers.
How to Implement Post Purchase Upsells
Post purchase emails are a step beyond thanking customers for their loyalty and a contribution to your business. You must demonstrate a deep understanding of your buyers’ needs to upsell relevant products.
Not every post purchase upsell needs to be a product recommendation. Sometimes, you can share resources and guides related to the products or your industry to stay connected with a customer.
You can also mix and match upsells and resources, just like the brands below.
Post Purchase Upsell Examples
Including upsell offers in your transactional emails is one way to accomplish higher revenue. Or you could send specific post purchase emails and upsell products like the brands below.
Post Purchase Upsell Email Example #1: Bellroy
Bellroy checks in with customers on the day 30 of product purchase. The brand subtly implements post purchase upselling at the end of the email.
This shows that the brand understands customers’ needs and presents relevant information. The upsell section is placed at the end to avoid overwhelming users.
Post Purchase Upsell Email Example #2: Crate&Barrel
Crate&Barrel is a lifestyle brand hyper-focused on keeping their customers happy — their post purchase email contains a high quality image to draw attention and thanks subscribers for the purchase.
Note how the brand keeps the email fonts at the right size and uses space to emphasize specific elements. By following email design best practices, Crate & Barrel makes it easier for its subscribers to skim through the email.
The brand also mentions a helpline number in case of customer queries or concerns. Finally, they reveal similar products to the original purchase, increasing the chances of another sale.
Many other brands use similar tactics to create impressive post purchase upsell emails. These businesses focus on getting their post purchase upsell offers into customers’ primary inboxes by following email security best practices.
Whether it’s suggesting upgrades or sending transaction receipts, ensure to include unsubscribe links and brand details in the email footer.
It might not be possible to manually include these elements every time you send out an email. That’s why it’s critical to choose the right post purchase upsell tool or plugin.
Post Purchase Upsell Tools and Plugins
Email marketing automation and segmentation are essential aspects of an effective post purchase upsell email. The right tool will help you streamline upselling efforts and offer the right products.
The table below outlines the best email marketing tools for sending post purchase upsell emails.
| ESP | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Campaign Refinery | ‣ Highest email deliverability on the market ‣ Premium automation and segmentation features |
| ActiveCampaign | ‣ Advanced automation workflows |
| Mailchimp | ‣ Personalized post purchase emails |
| Hubspot | ‣ Integrates with CRM and other marketing tools |
| ConvertKit | ‣ Beginner-friendly automation workflows for post purchase emails |
Best Plugins For Post Purchase Upselling
The best plugin depends on your e-commerce platform. For example, plugins for Shopify will vary from the ones for Woocommerce.
| Best Plugin | Compatible With |
|---|---|
| Upsell WP | Woocommerce |
| Upsell Plus | Shopify |
| Bold Product Options | Shopify |
| Post Purchase Offers | Woocommerce |
Consider the following factors before picking a plugin:
- Ease of use,
- Features,
- Compatibility,
- Pricing,
- Rating and reviews.
Regardless of the platform, your emails must successfully reach customers’ inboxes so they can take further action.
With a 99% delivery rate and the highest inbox placement rate, Campaign Refinery ensures all your post purchase upsell emails reach users’ primary inboxes.