W H I T E P A P E R

PAVING THE PATH TO PURCHASE

A shopper’s path to a purchase used to be a relatively straight journey. From your product pages all the way through to checkout – the dusty trail was easy enough for shoppers to navigate and it was fairly straight forward for you to market to along the way. Yes, there were forks in the road, but the path best travelled was usually obvious to both the customer and the marketer.

That path has now become a muddy, winding, splintering path that can confuse and overwhelm the shopper and leave the marketer struggling to target consumers along their journey. You were once able to anticipate the “when, where and why” of the steps taken on the march to submitting an order, but consumer behavior has rapidly evolved. Transitioning between multiple devices like laptops, tablets and smartphones during the shopping process is now the norm. According to a study by Google/Ipsos, 85% of consumers will start shopping on one device and finish on another. It’s time for you and your team to understand and respond to these shifts in consumer behavior, get rid of the outdated trail and pave the path to purchase.

This white paper will meet the consumer as they arrive on your product pages and end once an order has been confirmed. Influencers that bring the shopper to your site and the product page are related trails that have their own complexities outside the scope of this paper. By focusing on this highly engaged part of the purchase process, you can substantially improve customer engagement, lower abandonment rates and provide a better shopping experience for your customer. Of course, all of these optimizations result in the ultimate goal — more revenue.

In this white paper, the steps of the path to purchase – Browsing, Carting, Checking Out and Confirming – are sub-divided into two sections:

The Path: What led the shopper to this step of the path? What emotional components will contribute to engagement or abandonment?

The Pavement: How you focus and maximize your marketing efforts to meet your customers’ needs and help them along the path to purchase.

PAVING THE PATH TO

PURCHASE

CONFIRMINGCHECKING OUTCARTINGBROWSING

BROWSING

The PavementSimilar to those stacks of bridges and overpasses at major highway intersections that are always under construction, product pages are never fully optimized. You may frequently audit and update your product pages, but consumers are influenced by forces beyond your site that set expectations for high levels of product information and interaction. Marketers may have previously believed other online retailers were their competitive drive to maintain engaging product pages, but brick and mortar stores have increasingly offered a more immersive product experience. When shopping in a store, consumers expect more than just a tangible interaction with a product. They want to compare prices, read reviews, contrast features to the top of the line models, etc… In direct contrast, online shoppers are pushing marketers to create a more tangible experience with a product. Detailed descriptions, a few images and some ratings or reviews may not be enough to keep a shopper’s interest while evaluating a product.

Let’s look at a few of the key components that will help you to pave over this dusty step of the purchase path.

VoiceYour product pages are not product manuals. They start the conversation with the customer. They are your first impression, and you only have one shot to nail it. The product detail pages should provide the same rich, detailed information that customers would get from a sales associate or from physically inspecting the product. Product details may be available from manufacturers or distributors that accurately describe a product and its features. This data can be easily incorporated into your product page, but doing so can easily strip away your brand’s voice. You know your customers, and you should speak to them in a way that elevates the shopper-to-brand conversation to a place of trust and in a way that accentuates the attributes that makes your brand unique. You can easily describe a sweater as “Available in red, blue or beige. 100% cashmere.” Factual, yes. Interesting, not really. Such bland information can be customized to speak to your shoppers. For example, if your customers are young and hip, you could describe the sweater as “Available in trendy Jewel-Toned Red, Boy-Crazy Blue or Ready-to-Accessorize Beige. All in soft and cozy 100% cashmere.”

The PathThe shopper’s journey begins on your product page. Email, web search, display ads, site search… A shopper can arrive on a product page in a variety of ways. All of the sources have influenced the shopper in some positive way, and lead them to arrive on your site. Each source can influence the shopper to vary-ing degrees, but one thing is certain – the shopper is engaged and they have taken their first step on the path to purchase. They are now browsing your product page.

This is a period of exploration, discovery and decision-making for the shopper. They may be seeing your site for the first time and need to familiarize themselves with how to navigate the product page layout. Then the shopper evaluates the product – viewing images, selecting sizes, choosing quantities, picking colors, evaluating costs. The shopper’s commitment is low at this point, and these pages can easily be abandoned without much loss being felt by the shopper.

Using brand voice in product descriptions can be seen in the example below from Title Nine. They have created a loyal community of brand advocates in part because of the way they describe their products. They have also created a custom microsite, which women can use to find the perfect bra.

Title Nine uses product descriptions that speak to their customers’ interests and lifestyle. “When we need a dress to match our majesty, we pull on the Excellence. Made of a performance blend of polyester and spandex, this dress is wash and wear-ready, wrinkle and hassle-free. Wrap-style bodice flows forgivingly over any body. Our constant, quick-care companion as we rule over our day and our domain. Only @ T9.”

The StoryGo beyond simply using your brand’s voice to describe a product to your shoppers. Share the product story! Including details like the unique materials that are used to make the product, the craftsmanship behind its manufacture, traditions or origin country information, suggested uses or any endorsements from associations can give the shopper a more defined sense of what’s behind her potential purchase. The details of a product’s story can help the shopper connect with the item in a way that color, size and quantity options simply can’t.

On product pages, apparel retailer Peruvian Connections includes information about the Alpaca Fiber used in the clothing fabric. The information ties the luxuriousness of the materials to the overall quality of the product and the brand:

Alpaca Fiber

• Lighter and warmer than wool• Luxuriously soft to the touch with a silky sheen• Comfortable and versatile to wear• Grows naturally in dozens of beautiful shades• Hypoallergenic• Alpaca fiber use promotes sustainable agriculture in the Andes• More about Alpaca Fiber >

Product Shots vs. Compelling ImageryConsumers need more than a basic gallery of multiple product images showing various angles. In the effort to make the online experience a more tangible shopping process, your product pages need to offer a variety of methods for the shopper to visually engage with a product. Create a more compelling visual experience by adding features such as product zoom, alternate views, rendered color swatching, close-up textured views and 360-degree views. The shopper will not be able to hold or try on your product, so you need to take the steps to emulate that experience as much as possible. Only offering a small number of images can cause your bounce rates to increase as your shoppers leave your site to see if your competitor has more to offer. Consumers report that large product images, alternate views, “view larger” windows and zoom are indispensable shopping tools. Rich imaging helps shoppers grasp and experience product details in a natural way. In page zoom, as shown in the example from Cost Plus World Market, is very popular due to its simplicity — no separate pages or windows needed.

Cost Plus World Market’s product pages go beyond large product images by allowing shoppers to zoom in to see product details like the fabric, texture and fringes of this scarf.

The FitProduct variety and sizing options are some of the key benefits to shopping online. One quick trip to the denim section of Gap.com will show eight different cuts for their denim collection. How do you help a shopper to know whether “Sexy Boot” or “Perfect Boot” is the right cut of jeans to buy? General descriptions of an item’s cut may be enough to help a customer find her fit, but many will want to know the actual measurements for your various styles. The wrong fit leads to 60-65% of all returns, so any methods of helping your customer choose the correct size can help to decrease return-related costs.

Category Features

Another way to decrease product page bounce rates and keep your shopper engaged is to highlight features within a specific category. For product categories that have learning curves, like computers or cameras, or products that have constantly changing trends, like fashion or design, provide additional ways for the consumer to educate themselves.This will lead to a more confident, informed buyer, and can contribute to increased sales by upselling and cross-selling related items. Explaining which lenses work with which brands of cameras or which length boot is best for the top-selling skirt can help customers transition from a singular product interest to a more tangible “how I will actually use my purchase” mentality.

Upsell and cross-sell recommendations based on your data can be a major influencer to driving additional sales, but showing how other shoppers shopped and bought can be easier for the shopper to relate to. Highlighting items that other shoppers viewed or purchased on a specific product page can give the shopper a touchstone from fellow shoppers about alternative items to evaluate or add to his order.

Cross-Sell There are many exits on the path to purchase. Your shopper can easily bounce off the path and steer over to your competitor’s site. Bridge this gap by showing the customer items that will enhance his experience with the product he is currently viewing. Features like “buy the entire outfit” or “don’t forget the cables” not only help increase your average order value, but will decrease the risk of a customer being frustrated when the item arrives and they need additional items to get the full value out of the purchase.

Furniture retailer Design Within Reach shows entire rooms as part of their product display, cross-selling lamps, sheets, tables, wall hangings and more with each main furniture item.

ComparisonsAlthough more commonly shown in product search results, including product comparisons within a product page can help your shoppers understand the value of spending a bit more on a different item or which features they will sacrifice if they are more interested in saving a few dollars. While you want to keep the primary focus of the product page on the featured product, including a below-the-fold comparison option of similar items can help the undecided buyer to better understand what she is getting for her buck.

Product Discovery Upsells and cross-sells are typically generated based on data related to price point, product line, brand, etc. While this may be effective, adding the human touch of a curated collection can put your shopper on the path to more buying opportunities. Collection selling is often an underused and under-optimized part of the path to purchase, but if used correctly, it can help increase engagement and conversions. Merchants should encourage multiple purchases of similar or complimentary products with a single click, and integrate value-added content like video and alternative images. This approach can be broad, such as a seasonal preview or lookbook, or narrow like highlighting specific outfits from your buyers. Position members of your team as the experts who can show your customer how to get the best value from combining items.

New York-based retailer Intermix creates lookbooks for every season and occasion so that customers can easily view what products are in style and what outfits go together. Their product pages also include “similar looks” which can give consumers another way to shop if they are not interested in the featured product.

Reviews and RatingsThese two product page components are often lumped together, but they both have strengths and weaknesses. Ratings often appear without context. Including the number of ratings that contributed to the final result will give stronger context to the value of the rating. A 5-star rating from one customer can be more of a negative influence than a 4-star rating from 5,000 customers. Since ratings are often represented by images like stars, they can be a visual make-or-break as soon as your product page is shown. It is important to compare your product page bounce rates and the products rating to determine why customers are dissatisfied and what you can do to remedy the problem.

Product reviews require more investment from the shopper. They need to take the time to actually read the testimonials of your previous customers. Both ratings and reviews can be negatively influenced by factors that have nothing to do with the actual product. Many customers will use these features to comment on their customer service issues. Ensuring that your ratings and reviews system can help you to keep the reviews relevant to the product will lead to a more accurate representation of your products.

Alternate Shopping BehaviorsConsidering that 85% of your customers may start shopping on one device and buy on another, you will need to provide options for alternate shopping behaviors. Basic features like nearest or preferred store address, hours and contact information are a start, but you need to expand that view to customers regardless of the device on which they begin or finally use for purchasing. Including calls to action for activities such as “email and share product information” will provide an easy-to-reach access point for shoppers to pick back up when they reach for their tablets or visit your store.

Many customers will store items in your shopping cart and then revisit at a later time. According to the “Understanding Shopping Cart Abandonment” report from Forrester, 24% of consumers put items in the cart for later consideration. While this does work, it can be a bit clunky. A customer may receive your abandoned cart reminder message though they technically aren’t a cart abandoner. Her original intent was not to purchase, she was still a few steps back in the path and actively shopping. Limited inventory, flash sales, expiring promotions, etc. can also lead to the cart not accurately representing her original shopping list. Avoid the clunkiness by including a wish list feature on your product pages. You will be able to target the shopper at her point in the purchase path and distinguish her from a cart abandoner. You will also gain many of the benefits of a wish list like adding specific date reminders, list sharing and ways to message out-of-stock products.

DSW places a “Move to Wish List” option for shoppers who may need more time to commit to buying. This option opens the door for marketers to send wish list reminder emails to encourage shoppers to come back and buy.

Cross-Channel Transitioning and OptimizationMany shoppers are on your site with no intention to buy online. Researching is part of the shopping experience and your website provides insight into your other channels. Including the ability to verify in-store availability at your store locations can direct a shopper to a location where he won’t leave empty handed. Featuring in-store pick-up and availability will not only help those customers who intentionally plan to shop in one channel and buy in another, but it can also provide an alternative convenience to the shopper who may have intended to buy on your site but wants to save on shipping by picking up the item at a local store.

Walmart.com prominently features store location and availability on their product pages. The option to check additional store locations is also provided.

Customer ServiceA confident shopper is more likely to purchase than abandon. In addition to creating a shopping experience that is technically secure, help your shopper to better understand your customer service programs both pre- and post-purchase. Including frequently asked questions on the product page can keep the shopper from having to click away from the product page to review your customer service FAQs and return policies.

Easy access to live chat, contact forms and customer service phone numbers can help a customer find other answers he may need before buying. A study by US Commerce Roundup found that 66% of customers find accessibility of customer service options the most important feature.

Other customer service options to include on your product pages include product guarantees, loyalty or free shipping club reminders, gift card information and warranty information.

Promoting SocialThe popularity of social networking sites is constantly increasing. Two-thirds of all U.S. Internet users visit at least one social networking site, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Many customers rely on recommendations from their friends in order to make a purchase decision. Social media can help drive shoppers to product pages. Merchants should implement the share and like functionality from the product page, as well as pull in social graph data where possible.

Product Page Abandonment Reminder EmailsWhile each of these product page features can encourage the customer to take the next step down the path to purchase, each can also lead to abandonment. Fortunately, data from the product page browsing session has become streamlined and easily accessible to marketers. Triggering a product page abandonment reminder email has become one of the more useful tools in an automated email campaign.

Product abandonment reminder emails follow a methodology similar to that for abandoned cart reminder emails. These messages are considered promotional email messages, so the shopper must have opted-in to receive email communications from your brand. While abandoned cart reminder emails, which are explored later in this white paper, tend to focus less on product and more on a customer service tone, product abandonment reminders more frequently feature the actual product that was viewed. A shopper is in a wider part of the purchase path when they are browsing your product pages. The item has not yet been carted, and the commitment to buy does not really exist. Including the visual reminder of the product can reignite the enthusiasm and excitement of the shopping process. Reminding the shopper about the benefits and features of the product is often enough to gain the click back to your site. An incentive can be tested especially if your product page bounce rates are high and your recovery rates are low.

There are two key timing aspects to keep in mind. The first is when to send your product page abandonment reminder. The most common approach mirrors that of abandoned cart reminder emails – the sooner they are sent, the better your results are likely to be. Not only does the reminder reach the customer before too much time has distanced him from his shopping experience, but the email can also serve to help transition shopping to another device. If your shopper abandons a product page while shopping during his lunch break, the email can be viewed later on a tablet and direct the shopper back to the exact product page.

The other timing component is how frequently to send these messages. Your shoppers are likely to frequently view and abandon product pages. Sending a product page abandonment email each time a product page is abandoned can significantly increase the total number of messages your subscriber receives when you consider your other triggered messages and regular promotional messages. Setting limits of how many messages a subscriber can receive within a certain period can give these reminders more impact in the inbox.

Reminder Emails

Williams-Sonoma’s product page abandonment reminders effectively describe the features and benefits of the product that was abandoned and the minimal design does not overwhelm or confuse the recipient. However, an email was sent each time a product page was abandoned, which led to an inbox overstuffed with reminder emails.

The PavementThere are two scenarios when a shopper first arrives in your shopping cart. They are either going to immediately cruise through checkout and submit an order, or they are going to get nervous on some level and the abandonment issues kick in. As a marketer, you are there to help them out. You must meet your customer’s anxiety and indecision with options and solutions. The user experience of the cart and checkout must be streamlined and painless. You need to take every step to eliminate the risk of technical issues.

Anxiety and IndecisionFirst, examine your shopping cart pages. Sticker shock is one of the primary causes for immediate shopping cart abandonment. According to a study by Forrester, 36% of shoppers did not buy items because they felt the total cost of the purchase was higher than expected. The gap between perceived cost and actual cost is usually a combination of taxes, shipping choices and other fees that are not unveiled and totaled until a shopper visits the shopping cart. This is compounded by the 27% of shoppers who did not pay for items because they want to comparison shop before completing their order. With total order costs being the first major fork in the road to abandonment, it’s important to provide this information upfront in the checkout process. Bronto’s study, “From Abandon to Conversion: Why Shoppers Abandon Carts and What Merchants Can Do About It,” found that 64% of brands are showing shipping costs on the first page of the checkout process while nearly 1-in-4 (22%) do not show shipping costs until the fourth page or later.

Considering how consumers are shifting between devices and channels to shop and buy, your shopping cart expiration should allow enough time for a shopper to fully evaluate the purchase. If you are seeing low conversion rates on abandoners, test an extended cart lifespan to see if your customers need more time to commit to the buy.

Some of your shoppers may intentionally use your shopping cart as a wish list to store items and revisit at a later time. While there are benefits to the shopper and marketer by having dedicated wish list functionality, this consumer behavior exists and you should acknowledge in your marketing efforts. Including a “save cart for later” option will give you an indication that the cart is not being completely abandoned. This will open the door to create awareness of your wish list capabilities and to send a cart reminder message that speaks to revisiting the cart to continue shopping rather than recovering an order that was abandoned.

CARTING

The PathOnce a product has been carted, the shopper’s level of commitment to purchasing has increased. Decisions have been made – color, size, quantity – product images have been evaluated and the shopper has made the decision to start checking out…or have they? According to a Google/Ipsos study, 45% of shoppers will use your shopping cart to store information to be viewed on a different device at a later time. Consumers are now aware that abandoning their carts does not truly mean they are undoing all of the time and work it took to cart the products. Many shoppers are simply saving this information to shop when it’s convenient or they have had a chance to weigh their purchase decision.

All of this adds a more complex layer to this part of the path to purchase. Some shoppers take the fork in the path that is truly abandonment while others are just taking a break. These are two unique consumer behaviors and marketers must be able to speak to these two types of customers in ways that help them along their way to submitting their order.

Items that a shopper carts will likely contain more than she intends to actually purchase. The shopping cart must allow the shopper to modify the items in her cart to the exact list she wishes to order. Only 21% of brands allow customers the option of modifying product quantities within the cart. Additional options like size, color and gift options save the shopper time by avoiding clicks out of the cart and back to the product page to make the necessary changes.

Abandoned Cart Reminder EmailsAlthough 47.5% of marketers say they send an abandoned cart email according to Bronto and RSR Research’s “Harnessing the Power: How Retailers Collect and Use Purchase-Related Data,” only 13% of brands actually sent this type of message. Only 8% of abandoners will return to complete an order when no abandoned cart reminder is sent compared to a conversion rate of 20% when the message is sent. Clearly not reminding your shoppers about their carts means lost revenue.

For those brands sending abandoned cart reminders, 73% send the email within 12 hours of abandonment, though there is clearly no silver bullet with the actual timing rather evenly distributed.

Aldo gives shoppers the option to change size and color in the shopping cart. Not only can these options help decrease cart abandonment but they also save shoppers the time and effort of revisiting the product page to make modifications.

How long after the cart is abandoned do you send your first abandoned cart reminder email?

Source: “Harnessing the Power: How Retailers Collect and Use Purchase-Related Data” – Bronto Software and RSR Research

< 1 hour> 48 hours

1 hour

2 hours

3 hours

4 hours5 hours

5 - 12 hours

13 - 24 hours

25 - 48 hours

Unlike your promotional messages, most of your subscribers will not expect to receive the abandoned cart reminder. While you may have spent a significant amount of time researching when and what you send, your subscriber will need to get his bearings once the message is in his inbox. This means that the content of the message must be easily and quickly understood. A clear majority (77%) of the abandoned cart reminders received in the study used a customer service tone in their subject lines. This upfront introduction sets an expectation with the recipient about why he is receiving the email. This can help decrease spam complaints and help avoid deliverability issues.

Once opened, the content of the abandoned cart reminder email needs to address the likely causes for abandonment. Some brands will avoid any cart-specific data in their reminders. This can be a result of not wanting the shoppers to feel like the brand is taking a big brother approach to collecting and using data. Or, some brands simply do not have the capability of including this kind of information in their emails, so the same customer service-oriented message is used for all abandoners.

Most brands, however, will use cart-related data to enhance their messages and encourage their shoppers to return to their carts. From our study, we found that 54% showed the abandoned product but only 31% included the price. The excitement of the actual product could encourage the customer to revisit the product page, while seeing the total cost could reintroduce the feeling of sticker shock that led to the initial abandonment.

This abandoned cart reminder email from totes>>ISOTONER shows the products that were abandoned and includes links directly to each product.

Abandoned Cart Reminder Subject Line Tone

Both

Service

Incentive

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Source: “From Abandon to Conversion: Why Shoppers Abandon Carts and What Merchants can do about it” – Bronto Software

Creating a sense of urgency in the abandoned cart reminder email can also help drive conversions. Only 8% of brands showed the availability or in-stock amounts in their cart reminders, and only 23% noted the cart expiration. While both of these approaches create a sense of urgency, they also help inform the customer of how long she has before she could miss out on making the purchase.

Some customers may have additional questions they need answered before purchasing. Bronto found that 62% of abandoned cart messages offer a way for shoppers to complete their orders by phone. Featuring the nearest or preferred store contact information or a store locater link can also provide another way for your customers to shop and to take their cart information with them on their mobile devices.

Abandoned Cart Reminder Email SeriesIt can be a challenge to effectively use all of the data available to you in only one message. Many brands will send a series of abandoned cart reminders to their customers. If your shopper has not revisited her cart or completed her order, send a follow-up email that further reinforces the urgency for the shopper to buy. Some brands will introduce an incentive for shoppers who do not engage with the first abandoned cart reminder.

As with product page abandonment reminders, it is important to limit the frequency with which a subscriber receives an abandonment reminder email, especially if you have offered an incentive for a shopper to complete the purchase. Dynamic content can be used to exclude the incentive for customers who have recently redeemed the cart abandonment offer.

Do you send Abandoned Cart Reminders?

No Abandoned Cart Email

One Reminder

Two Reminders

Three Reminders

52%

36%

9%

6%

0% 20% 40% 60%

Source: “Harnessing the Power: How Retailers Collect and Use Purchase-Related Data” – Bronto Software and RSR Research

The PavementAs detailed in the next section, understanding how the number of pages it takes to complete an order and the information asked on those pages is vital to decreasing abandonment, getting the sale and providing a positive customer experience. As those pages are audited and streamlined, determine where potential detours may exist that take the shopper away from your site.

The following seven steps illustrate a common detour that exists on many sites. While only 9% of sites require a shopper to register before completing an order, the shopper may need to verify various data points like a corrected address or perhaps an account that is associated with his email address from a previous purchase that the shopper forgot about.

1 Click password reminder link

2 Enter email or ID info

3 Wait for the email

4 Click link

5 Create new password

6 Log in

7 Go back to cart

The duration of most of the seven steps in this checkout detour example is very short, but the shopper must navigate the pages that are served to them, input information and submit. However, as you analyze your detours, be aware of any email or SMS notifications that may be required, such as an account ID verification email. The timing for triggered messages like abandoned cart reminders and welcome emails are more commonly known and tested, but these operation triggered messages can be easily overlooked. These messages are often not sent using the same technology as your promotional emails. Considering the high level of engagement by the shopper and the location in the narrow end of the purchase funnel, it is essential to not only verify that these messages are immediately sent but to regularly review them to ensure functionality. Customer service contact information should also be included in these operational messages in addition to the specific task like updating a password or verifying the account name. Getting the shopper back onto your site in the checkout process as quickly as possible will lead to a better shopping experience and can prevent lost sales.

DETOUR: SIGNING IN

The PathThe shopper has carted an item and is about to start the checkout process. Engagement is high and while not fully committed to buy, the shopper has shown a significant intent to purchase. Then, out of nowhere, the shopper is forced to detour away from the purchase path to tackle unexpected tasks that are required to complete an order but not really part of the shopping or buying process. This off-roading tangent of tasks can lead to frustration, confusion and eventually abandonment.

While providing the intended service of resetting a password, this plain text email from Crate&Barrel is a visual break between the shopping and buying processes.

The PavementThere are probably more pages between your shopping cart and order confirmation page than you would think. In Bronto’s “From Abandon to Conversion,” study, we found an average of 5.6 pages between a shopping cart and submitting an order. But, when marketers were asked how many pages they had in the pro-cess, 77% said that they have 3 or fewer. That is a considerable gap considering these are the pages that turn shoppers into customers. Auditing your checkout process from the customer’s perspective can help you gain insight into the actual amount of work you are requiring your shoppers to take before clicking “submit order.”

Shoppers know they will need to complete a series of forms to complete their order. Marketers want to collect as much data as possible to build better customer profiles and enhance their marketing efforts. An important mantra to remember is, “Data collection is essential for you… and is annoying for your customer!”

CHECKING OUT

The PathThe shopper has been cruising along while exploring your site, shopping and carting some products. Now things are going to slow down as they approach the tollbooth and start the checkout process. Before the shopper enters the checkout process, they are making many decisions. The shopping process is exploratory and can be exciting. Once the “Checkout” button is clicked, the dynamic changes. The process becomes a bit more mechanical, logistical and generally, not as much fun. The causes for abandonment also change. The right size, color and cost of an item have already been weighed by the shopper. Now things like shipping costs and durations as well as taxes, technical problems, security concerns and technical issues are the potholes that can lead to a breakdown during this step in the path to purchase.

Number of pages from cart to order submissionAs reported by marketers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ≥10

0%1%8%13%39%28%10% 0% 0% 1%

Source: “Harnessing the Power: How Retailers Collect and Use Purchase-Related Data” – Bronto Software and RSR Research

Number of pages from cart to order submissionAs audited

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

15%33%28%11%4%1%1% 5% 2%

Source: “From Abandon to Conversion: Why Shoppers Abandon Carts and What Merchants can do about it” – Bronto Software

The PavementNow that your marketing efforts have resulted in an order, the customer service components of your email program should take center stage to address this limbo between completing an order and receiving the shipment. Not only will these efforts help to decrease your call center and customer support resource requirement, but you will create a foundation for long-term loyalty and repeat purchasing.

Your order confirmation page is the first step on this final leg of the purchase path. While confirming the details of the order as well as confirming the order has been processed, you should also set the expectation with the customer about what will happen next. Remove concerns about when the item will actually ship by including any order processing times to prepare the shipment, the shipping method that was chosen and any estimated arrival times. Provide an immediate option for buyers who may have made a mistake to correct the matter before order fulfillment begins by including a customer service phone number and email address. Showing the order ID on this page will also help the customer to identify his order when calling.

Many retailers muddy up the brand experience with this transactional message. The customer, having just experienced a visually rich and dynamic shopping and checkout experience is often met in the inbox with a plain text, system-generated email. This disconnect from the shopping and buying experience can not only cause concern around the processing and security of the order but can also derail the positive experience they had thus far engaging with your brand. Order confirmation emails should maintain the brand experience by including visual elements that echo your site and the checkout process. These messages are considered transactional emails, which means you do not need an opt-in to send them. This also means there are limits about promotional content within the body of the email. A common best practice is to have 80% of the email dedicated to the order, and 20% can be used for promotional purposes. This promotional content should also not be the primary visual component of the email or be placed above the order details.

CONFIRMING

The PathYour shopper has arrived at her final destination. She has submitted her order. While she is technically now a customer since she has purchased, she has not yet received her order. This final leg of the purchase path often fills the consumer with heightened emotions: Excitement for making a purchase, anticipation on when the order will ship out and actually arrive at her doorstep, concern that the order may not have been processed correctly, and even regret fueled by buyer’s remorse.

Anxious

Disconnected

Excited

Frustrated

Ambivalent

Bored

Confused

eBags.com customers receive a somewhat lengthy order confirmation email loaded with informative and helpful content. The order number and date are shown at the top of the email, making them easy to reference if the customer needs to call customer support and reference the order. Both the shipping and billing addresses are prominently featured, making any typos easy for the customer to identify. Including both addresses can also give the customer a higher degree of confidence that the order will be processed correctly. Customer confidence is increased by showing detailed product information including a photo, name, description, color, quantity, shipping method and expected delivery date. Including the savings amount, free shipping and $0 sales tax reinforces that the customer received a good deal on her order, which can encourage her to come back and buy.

Hopefully your customer is excited after she has submitted her order and receives the order confirmation email. This message is an ideal time to promote your loyalty program. eBags succinctly sets an expectation of ongoing savings and free enrollment for their rewards program near the product photo and discounted cost.

The lower section of the order confirmation email serves multiple functions. Common concerns and questions – like order tracking information, cancellations and returns – as well as customer support links, email addresses and phone numbers can help the customer to easily find the information needed and decrease calls and time needed by your customer support staff.

The lower side bar of the eBags.com order confirmation email features several products. This message is an opportunity to encourage repeat purchases while the customer is in the buying mood, but approach the product selection carefully. In this example, two nearly identical products are included when the likelihood of a duplicate purchase is probably low. The other two products complement the item that was ordered. This approach of showing related and not similar products could be more effective to pique the customer’s interest in coming back to buy.

Shipping notifications are also considered transactional messages, and the 80% order / 20% promotional rule of thumb should be applied. This email should echo most of the content that appears in the order confirmation email, though additional effort should be given to include detailed information about the shipping method, duration, estimated arrival time and a tracking number (if available) that links to more detailed information.

While these two emails feature order-specific details, they should also be part of a larger post-purchase email initiative. This automated email series can set expectations for your promotional email campaign if the customer opted-in, as well as show the customer other ways to engage with your brand, like following you on Twitter or Facebook. The post-purchase series can expand well beyond the order date to include customer satisfaction surveys, product tips and tricks, ratings and review requests and discounts for the next purchase.

This shipping notification from Amazon sets solid expectations with the purchaser. The shipping method, availability of tracking and guaranteed delivery date are all featured front-and-center.

The path that consumers take to shop, buy and engage with retailers will continue to evolve. Some paths will become well-worn, potholes will appear and you will need to occasionally repave. This vital narrowing of the purchase funnel is the pinnacle of your marketing efforts and can make or break a sale. While more creative and dynamic testing and development exists on the wider end of the sales funnel, it is essential for this path to be streamlined, functional and fully-optimized to provide the best customer experience that guides your customer to submitting their order and taking the path back for a repeat purchase.

To learn more about maximizing the customer experience and driving repeat sales after the purchase, check out the on-demand webinar “Power-Packing Your Post-Purchase Programs” by MarketLive and Bronto.

About Marketlive

Since 1995, MarketLive, Inc., has been the leading provider of eCommerce technology and services that help fast-growing companies successfully sell goods and services online. Designed to meet the unique requirements of catalogers, retailers, direct marketers, and manufacturers, the extensible MarketLive® eCommerce Suite and MarketLive’s best practices- based Intelligent Selling® methodology enable merchants to enhance their customers’ experience online while dramatically improving acquisition, conversion, and retention rates.

The MarketLive platform is the most retail-targeted, fully featured, customizable eCommerce solution on the market today. MarketLive powers many successful retail eCommerce sites, including Armani Exchange, Party City, Perricone MD, Sport Chalet, Sundance, Helzberg, John Deere, Title Nine, Intermix and others.

For more information, visit MarketLive at www.marketlive.com.

About Bronto

Bronto Software provides solutions for retailers and other commerce-focused companies to drive revenue through targeted email and cross-channel marketing. The company serves over 1000 organizations worldwide, including Party City, Armani Exchange, Timex, Samsonite and Trek Bikes. Bronto is a five-time finalist and two-time winner of the Stevie Award for Best Customer Service and was named a CODiE Award Finalist for Best Marketing Solution in 2011 and 2012. Bronto is headquartered in Durham, NC with an office in London, UK. For more information, visit bronto.com.