How to turn your thank you page into a sales booster

What are thank you pages in e-commerce?

The thank-you page pops up as soon as a user has performed a specific action. In e-commerce, this is usually the completion of an order. Depending on the purpose, however, it can also be a request, a newsletter subscription, or a download.

A purchase is an action that should be particularly appreciated and rewarded. In addition, customers read the thank you page of your online shop at a time when they may still be in the mood to buy or at least in a good mood. That's why the thank you page plays a special role in e-commerce. It is part of the checkout process and, like the home page of your shop, for example, is an important stage in the customer journey. In fact, a target group-specific thank you page has enormous potential to increase user engagement, strengthen brand loyalty, and encourage repeat purchases.

What is the function of a thank you page?

The thank you page has become established as a way of positively reinforcing the customer's actions mentioned above and giving them a good feeling that they have done the right thing. In e-commerce, customers are usually very satisfied at this stage that they have found and purchased exactly the product they had in mind. They are then all the more pleased to receive a nice thank you and remember the purchase and the shop as a pleasant overall experience.

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However, it may also be that the customer feels a brief moment of doubt or regret. Perhaps they could have gotten the product cheaper elsewhere? Is it really worth the price? Did they click the order button too hastily? In this case, your thank-you page should give the customer the feeling that their decision to purchase the product was the right one. A thank you and a clear explanation of the next steps in the purchase process will reassure them that "everything is fine."

What should a thank you page in e-commerce contain?

The important elements of an online shop's thank you page are:

1. The thank you note and confirmation that the order has been received.
2. Specific information about what the customer can expect next. This could be a confirmation email sent to their email address or the option to print out their order. Transparency is important here, as it strengthens the buyer's trust in your shop.
3. A clear recommendation for action, also known as a call to action.

Many thank-you pages lack point 3, and this is where potential is wasted. Points 1 and 2 are mandatory, but point 3, the recommendation for action, is optional! Below, we explain why this is the case and how you can design it in such a way that the customer stays on your website and does exactly what you want them to do.

Promote the members area

Are your customers too attached to their guest accounts? Then a thank you page offers you the chance to convince them to become members. At this point, you can offer them the option to register personally and provide them with certain benefits in return. Additional payment options such as purchase on account, saving recent orders for repeat purchases, or exclusive offers could be incentives to create a customer profile. For example, Tchibo highlights the benefits of its customer card on its thank you page, while Zalando advertises up to 70 percent discounts for membership in the Zalando Lounge.

Offer newsletter

The first step has been taken: you have convinced the customer of your offer and they have made a purchase. Now that you have their attention, you should take the opportunity to take the second step: suggest that they stay up to date with your shop and sign up for your newsletter. This creates another touchpoint and a valuable opportunity to stay in contact with the customer and encourage further purchases.

Encourage liking and sharing

The thank-you page is ideal for directing customers to your social media channels and turning them into followers. Just like with a newsletter, this keeps customers closely connected to your online shop and allows you to contact them directly about promotions. Likes and shares on social networks should not be underestimated when it comes to brand building, as they can very quickly increase the visibility and reach of your shop.

Encourage further purchases

The most direct method of turning your thank you page into a sales booster is cross-selling: this involves showing users products that match the item they have already purchased and could therefore be of interest to them. Product recommendations are ideally placed on the thank you page, because at this point in the customer journey, the user's desire to buy may not have completely subsided and you can motivate them to continue browsing.

Loyalty programs are another way to encourage customers to make follow-up purchases on the thank-you page. Here, users collect points and then receive a discount or a free product once they have reached a certain number of points.

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The beauty of a thank you page is that there are no limits to your creativity. You can also use it to advertise a competition or draw attention to an event. It can also be a valuable tool for requesting feedback. However, despite all your ingenuity, you should never forget that the order confirmation and, above all, a polite thank you always come first.

In addition to confirmation and thanks, a thank you page can score points with additional elements such as personal recommendations or a note about newsletter registration.
(Source: Own representation)

Embed images and videos

How about a photo of the customer service team on the thank you page? Or a personal little thank you video, which comes across as all the more charming the more authentic it is? Photos and videos are used far too rarely on thank you pages—yet it's not that difficult to incorporate them.

Convey exclusivity

Don't just thank your customer—show them that you want to give them access to something exclusive. You can do this with links to premium programs, upsells, or other incentives that make the customer feel special. However, it is important that the thank you page does not appear overloaded, as this could lead to sensory overload and cause the customer to click away. In addition, a touch of exclusivity requires sufficient white space.

Address by name

Texts and recommendations for action that address the customer by their first name have a completely different effect than run-of-the-mill messages. This is because they come across as much more human and personal. You can even make your thank-you note sound like a short letter and sign your text with a warm greeting and your name.

Personalized recommendations

The best way to convince customers of your offer and motivate them to make another purchase on your thank you page is to show them products they are most likely to like. How does this work? This is where AI-supported 1:1 personalization comes into play. There is special AI software that links your product catalog to relevant data based on your users' click and purchase behavior and uses this information to display personalized product recommendations on your thank you page. This gives your thank you page the potential to become a customer favorite that drives up your conversion rate.