Customers cherish confirmation emails because they provide reassurance about recent actions, instilling a sense of certainty. Certainty is a fundamental human need that significantly influences decision-making processes. For instance, if you fail to receive confirmation of a credit card charge, doubts and post-purchase anxiety may arise, as uncertainty is associated with discomfort.
Conversely, certainty is perceived as rewarding by the brain. Confidence in the future evokes positive feelings, prompting a desire for more. By providing certainty through confirmation emails, customers are put at ease, fostering longer-lasting relationships.
In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of confirmation emails, delve into various types (accompanied by numerous examples), and highlight essential elements they should contain.
What is a confirmation email?
An automated confirmation email serves as a transactional email, activated by the recipient, to verify a recent action. Given their versatility, confirmation emails span a wide array of activities, ranging from purchase confirmations to welcome messages.
Have you ever made a purchase or signed up for a subscription, only to find an email waiting in your inbox immediately afterward? This is because users and customers anticipate receiving automated confirmation emails promptly upon completing an action. Such emails play a crucial role in building trust, reassuring recipients about their recent interactions with your business, and establishing a positive first impression.
Why are confirmation emails important
Similar to other transactional emails, confirmation emails significantly influence the customer experience. Each confirmation email presents an opportunity to cultivate trust with your brand, potentially leading to customer loyalty, repeat purchases, and referrals over time.
However, failing to send confirmation emails or sending poorly-designed ones that fail to meet expectations can inadvertently create stress for recipients, thereby tarnishing their perception of your brand.
1. Fulfills the need for certainty
The primary goal of a confirmation message is to provide customers with peace of mind by acknowledging their recent action. Confirmation emails serve to dispel uncertainty and address questions such as “Has my order been received?”
2. Starts new customer relationships
Like all transactional emails, confirmation emails enjoy high open rates and click-through rates because people expect to receive them. Start the relationship on a strong note by displaying your logo and prominent brand colors.
3. Moves customers along the journey
Confirmation emails are not just one-off emails like password reset emails. You can use an automation workflow to send a series of automated emails throughout the customer journey, like AliExpress. Each one is a valuable touchpoint that you can learn from:
Payment confirmation email.
Shipping confirmation email.
Delivery confirmation email.
4. Drives email conversion rates
Recipients open confirmation emails because they want to know about what will happen next. Take advantage of their curiosity and drive your conversion rates by suggesting related products, upselling add-ons, or cross-selling complementary items. We’ll show you an example in the next section.
5. Presents marketing opportunities
Although you need opt-in confirmation to send recipients pure marketing emails, you can include a limited amount of marketing messaging in transactional emails too. A good rule-of-thumb to stick to is 90% transactional messaging and 10% marketing. You should also present primary information first, with promotional messages left until last.
In addition to upselling/cross-selling add-ons and complementary products/services, you can:
Ask for feedback or a review: Get details about their recent purchase or experience to improve your offering, or share reviews to help other customers in the decision process
Offer a discount: Promote a special sale or give the recipient a discount code for their next purchase
Elements of a confirmation email
Not everyone gets the same confirmation email, because there are many reasons to send them. But there are some things every confirmation email should have:
- A clear sender name and subject line so people know who it’s from and what it’s about.
- Your company logo and an email design that matches your brand.
- A friendly greeting using the customer’s name.
- Important details, like what they ordered (and the order number), or where it’s going (and how it’s getting there).
- What happens next, so they don’t have to wonder.
- One thing they can do next, like visiting your website.
- A way to contact you for help, including a phone number if you have one.
- A little bonus, like recommendations for other stuff they might like, or a way to earn rewards.
This email shows what a good confirmation email should look like.
Types of confirmation emails
There are many reasons to send confirmation emails, not just for orders. Here are 8 common types, but you can come up with even more!
E-commerce
1. Order confirmation email
HP’s purchase confirmation email keeps it upbeat and personal by greeting you at the beginning and thanking you at the end. Thanks to the graphic, you know where you are at in the journey and their email leaves you certain about how your order is progressing.
2. Shipping confirmation email
The primary purpose of a shipping confirmation email is to inform the customer that their purchase is on the way, providing peace of mind that their order has been processed and is currently in transit.
Amazon’s “less is more” philosophy tells you what you need to know about your upcoming delivery: the date, expected time, and how much you paid. Their email gives priority to a single, large CTA button to view your order details and tracking information.
3. Delivery confirmation email
To complete Beauty Bay’s e-commerce journey, this delivery confirmation email lets customers know when and where their order has been delivered. They also provide links for tracking, order details and a help page, just in case any part of delivery hasn’t gone to plan!
Registration confirmation emails
1. SaaS subscription confirmation email
Tried-and-trusted Google keeps to a minimalist design for their subscription confirmation email. All the relevant information for a subscriber is there: the product you’re subscribing to, the subscription period, the cost, and how to find help.
2. Service sign-up confirmation email
Food delivery service Just Eat sends a fun confirmation email when you sign up for their service, with cute character images, friendly colloquial language and a CTA so you can get started right away with your first order.
3. Cancellation confirmation email
When customers cancel a service or order, they need reassurance that their transaction has been registered and they will no longer be charged or will receive a refund. YouTube’s cancellation confirmation email does a good job of putting users’ minds at ease, while at the same time encouraging them to sign up again with the benefits they’ll miss out on and a CTA to rejoin.
Travel
1. Accommodation booking confirmation emails
Travel can be stressful; what time is your flight? how will you get to the hotel? what time can you check-in? Booking.com attempts to make recipients’ trips as carefree as possible with a jam-packed confirmation email that contains details about their accommodation, as well as links to manage the reservation and book extra services such as airport transfers, car hire and activities.
2. Flight confirmation email
Cebu Pacific’s cheery flight confirmation email contains all the departure flight details that you’d expect and more. Notice how it drives additional sales by cross-selling and upselling two useful add-ons for passengers.
Confirmation email examples with best practices
1. Write in the way you speak
Instead of impersonal greetings like “Dear Sir/Madam” or confusing phrases like “pertaining to your order below,” write your confirmation emails like you’re talking to a friend. Imagine the customer is sitting right across from you!
A great example is this Foodpanda email. See how friendly and clear it is?
3. Acknowledge the customer’s action
People want to know what happens after they take action. Be clear and confident about what just happened, like this positive email from Lazada. It reassures customers and creates a smooth experience.
4. Tell customers what to do next
New customers might not know what to do next. Tell them what’s happening and what they can do easily, like this email from Cookpad. Use a clear and big button to guide them on their way. This is called a “call to action” button (CTA).
Happy Customers Start with Peace of Mind
Understanding how confirmation emails affect your customers gives you a superpower! Use this knowledge to design clear, informative emails with MailerSend. These emails will reassure your customers and keep them happy. Remember, happy customers are loyal customers!
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