Order tracking is an important part of online commerce for many consumers. With major retailers such as Amazon offering order tracking, this practice has become a mainstay in online commerce. In fact, many consumers have come to rely on and expect a seamless order tracking system any time they purchase goods online. That’s why it can be so important to offer an effective system.
A seamless order tracking system enables customers to keep track of their goods easily. They’ve come to expect this level of transparency in online purchases, and it can help reduce WISMO (Where Is My Order) requests. However, the benefits of order tracking can go far beyond meeting base-level customer expectations. In fact, order tracking can be a significant opportunity to boost sales and collect customer reviews.
We often think of fulfillment as the last step of the customer journey, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. In actuality, order tracking can be a crucial customer touchpoint. Let’s explore.
Keeping Customers Informed
First, the most crucial benefit of order tracking is its primary goal: keeping customers informed at every step of the process. When consumers buy goods online, they often expect to be able to track the progress of fulfillment. What’s more, consumers have grown accustomed to order tracking, and it can be essential to meet their basic expectations.
This level of transparency, in addition to being a basic expectation, can help foster a sense of trust among customers. This level of trust can help drive positive customer experiences and loyalty. In turn, these can become valued repeat customers and even advocates for your business.
Leveraging Unused Customer Touchpoints
It’s often overlooked as a touchpoint. However, order tracking represents an important aspect of the customer journey. We’ve discussed how online consumers have come to rely on and expect order tracking. But, this also represents an opportunity to drive upsells and garner valuable feedback from customers.
Leveraging Feedback opportunities
Order tracking is not just a way to keep customers informed. It’s also a chance to seek important feedback from customers. By seeking feedback during the post-purchase experience, businesses can glean vital insights. These can help you better understand customer sentiments post-purchase. They can help you understand the fulfillment process as well.
This feedback can be crucial in honing your approach to fulfillment. It can illuminate common customer anxieties or concerns. It can also help you identify bottlenecks in the process or room for improvement. It’s important to remember that post-purchase is still an important part of the customer journey. Post-purchase complaints, while disheartening, can be an invaluable source of insights. This feedback represents a way to improve not only the buying experience but also the fulfillment experience. It’s important to remember that for some customers, this will be their last memory of your brand. For others, this experience will be instrumental in their return.
Driving Upsells and Cross-Sells
As important as post-purchase feedback is, it isn’t the only benefit of a robust order-tracking system. Order tracking can also be an opportunity for upsells and cross-sells.
An upsell is offering customers an enhancement to their initial purchase. This might be the addition of certain accessories, or a bundle with additional features. A cross-sell offers customers complementary product offerings. These might be other products that the customer is interested in based on their original purchase. They can also be items frequently bought together.
Whether you’re driving upsells or cross-sells, it’s important to be mindful of customer preferences and feedback. It can be important to time your outreach accordingly. Of course, many consumers don’t like the experience of being bombarded with product recommendations. However, there are ways to drive additional sales without scaring them off.
This is where leveraging post-purchase data can come in handy. Many consumers will happily make additional purchases if they seem useful enough. This data can inform when it will be effective to recommend up or cross-sells.
Be mindful of recurring patterns; do customers often buy product B after they’ve purchased product A? This can be a cross-sell opportunity. Do customers often return after purchasing product C? If they often buy the upgraded product D next, it can be an opportunity for upsells. In both cases, it’s essential to rely on concrete data and observable purchasing patterns.
Providing a Superior Post-Purchase Experience
This experience can inform customer perceptions of your brand. As overlooked as order tracking can be, this can be one of your last customer touchpoints. As such, the importance of the impression you leave here can hardly be overstated. For a last-time customer, it will be the last impression of your brand. For repeat customers, this will inform their choice to come back for more goods. In both cases, this is an essential moment.
Repeat customers aren’t just a source of recurring revenue. In fact, they can be some of the most crucial advocates for your brand. Whether you primarily rely on organic or inorganic marketing, word of mouth is an inescapable aspect of your brand. Social monitoring can help brands better understand how they’re perceived online. Even with this data, though, it’s important to take action. It’s still essential to leverage this understanding to drive positive post-purchase experiences.
The Bottom Line
The importance of post-purchase experiences cannot be overstated. Though some businesses may focus on pre-purchase customer experiences, the customer journey doesn’t end here. Rather, whether a customer is making a return or leaving a review, they’re still interacting with your brand. This can be a customer’s last impression of your brand. Ideally, it won’t be — and it also represents a pivotal moment in bringing customers back for more. The post-purchase experience can include fulfillment, returns, and product reviews. This is an essential moment in the customer journey that should not be overlooked.
That’s where the importance of post-purchase experiences comes in. Reverse logistics, order tracking, and leveraging post-purchase feedback can be essential components. By leveraging new sources of data — such as post-purchase reviews and feedback, the process can be improved upon. Moreover, by offering useful product recommendations at tactful times, businesses can work to drive up and cross sales.
If you’re looking for ways to improve post-purchase experiences, don’t hesitate to get in touch. At TrackMage, we’re here to help. TrackMage goes beyond simple order tracking — enabling you to drive upsells, seek valuable feedback, and streamline the buying experience. To see for yourself, reach out today to get started with a free trial.
