How to unwrap greater BFCM revenues in the post-purchase experience?

Colin Loughran -

While it is a given that most e-commerce sites see a surge of sales during the BFCM season, savvy retailers do not take the expected business volumes for granted. Truly successful retailers take steps to drive incremental revenues and cement customer loyalty, a gift that will keep giving for strong future results.  

 By reading this article, you will learn:

  • How AfterShip can help transform the post-purchase experience
  • How other retailers are gearing up for a stellar holiday performance
  • Why it is critical to do everything possible to maximize BFCM revenues 

Part 1: Why is maximizing revenue opportunities during the holiday season critical?

With the uncertain economic outlook in many markets and the ever-higher customer acquisition costs, retailers must take advantage of the BFCM period to maximize revenues and deepen customer engagement for long-term loyalty. The post-purchase customer experience is often an overlooked phase of the customer journey, yet it offers many rewarding opportunities for retailers to unlock revenues, including:

  • Cross-selling and upselling – Recommending related items or offering exclusive promotions to boost average order value (AOV) and overall revenue
  • Repeat purchases – Encouraging existing customers to make additional purchases
  • Customer lifetime value (CLV) management – Nurturing one-time transactions into long-term customer loyalty

By employing these tactics, retailers can ensure optimal year-end holiday results and establish a strong foundation for sustained growth. 

Part 2: How does AfterShip help retailers realize untapped opportunities in the post-purchase experience?

AfterShip Personalization is a product that enables retailers to tailor the user experience throughout the customer journey, including the post-purchase phase, which is often underestimated. Savvy e-commerce businesses know it can be an exceptionally productive time to drive upsell and repeat purchases, as outlined in the following case studies.

1.     Post-purchase one-click upsell (OCU)

Instead of taking shoppers to a post-payment thank-you page, AfterShip Personalization seamlessly directs them to a post-purchase page where merchants can merchandise curated products and AI-powered recommendations. Retailers can also make use of if-then logic to determine the products shown. For example, if a customer has purchased a printer, the retailer can recommend toner cartridge refills for that printer; if the customer purchased toner cartridge refills for an older printer model, then the AI algorithm may suggest a new printer as an upgrade. Built-in A/B testing capability allows retailers to test and validate product recommendations.

AfterShip Personalization offers compelling product recommendations and one-click upsell (OCU), enabling retailers to present a seamless post-purchase experience. After her initial purchase on the retailer’s site, the customer smoothly transitions into the AfterShip-enabled OCU experience while still in a shopping mindset. She can easily make additional purchases upon seeing compelling product recommendations without re-entering her payment information.

 Retailers who have adopted OCU have seen a 16% increase in conversion rate and a 76% increase in AOV.

2.     Repeat purchases on shipment tracking pages

As consumers are especially concerned with the timeliness of delivery during the BFCM period, they often visit the shipment tracking page to obtain delivery status. Our data show that branded tracking pages (BTPs) get 3.2 views per order. BTPs allow retailers to keep their brands and products top-of-mind with shoppers during the peak selling season (and all year round), representing additional opportunities to increase sales.

When anxious customers check shipment status, you can entice them to make additional purchases with AI-powered product recommendations. Rules can be set to recommend best sellers, complementary products, etc. Subscription products could also be presented, further promoting customer lifetime value.

 Retailers who have integrated AfterShip Personalization’s BTPs have seen the capability to deliver up to 25% of their online sales.

Part 3: How other retailers are gearing up for a stellar BFCM performance

DIME Beauty, a luxury skincare and beauty brand, has leveraged AfterShip Personalization to outstanding effect. Challenged by higher customer acquisition costs, they sought to increase their return on marketing investments through both post-purchase one-click upsell and branded tracking pages.

By integrating AfterShip Personalization in the post-purchase experience, DIME employs several tactics to increase sales, including:

  • AI-generated product recommendations as “best sellers” and one-click upsell 
  • Personalization through the use of customer names and AI-generated content
  • Display of customer reviews to support purchase decisions
  • The addition of a countdown timer and free shipping to spur impulse purchase

With AfterShip Personalization, DIME has created a branded experience on the tracking page. The newly enhanced tracking page is an engaging brand experience that feels aligned and consistent with the e-commerce site, priming customers to a shopping mindset. AI-powered product recommendations, such as frequently bought together bundles with product ratings, let customers consider new purchase ideas to complement what they had already bought.

Astute retailers recognize the need to leverage every opportunity to increase revenue, especially during the year-end holiday rush. Businesses can tap into goldmines of potential revenue by focusing on the often-overlooked post-purchase phase. Cross-selling, upselling, encouraging repeat purchases, and managing customer lifetime value (CLV) are not just buzzwords but pivotal strategies for retail success. This article has outlined why leveraging these revenue opportunities is critical and how AfterShip can be a game-changer in this pursuit. From one-click upsells to integrating branded tracking pages, AfterShip Personalization equips retailers with powerful tools to make use of the post-purchase experience to maximize revenue.