How to Update WooCommerce Follow Up Emails on WordPress: A Beginner’s Guide
So, you’re running a WooCommerce store and want to keep your customers engaged even *after* they’ve made a purchase? Excellent! That’s where follow-up emails come in. They’re like friendly reminders, personalized thank-you notes, or even gentle nudges to encourage repeat business. This guide will walk you through how to update these important emails on your WordPress website.
Why Bother with Follow Up Emails?
Imagine this: Sarah buys a beautiful handmade scarf from your online store. A few days later, she receives an email saying, “Hey Sarah, thanks again for your order! We hope you love your new scarf. Here’s a discount code for 10% off your next purchase to show our appreciation!”
What happens? Sarah feels valued, remembers your brand positively, and is more likely to buy from you again. This is the power of follow-up emails! They can:
- Increase customer loyalty: Showing you care builds trust.
- Boost sales: Targeted offers encourage repeat purchases.
- Reduce abandoned carts: Remind potential customers about their unfinished purchases.
- Provide valuable information: Order updates, shipping information, or product usage tips.
- Gather feedback: Ask customers about their experience with your product or service.
- Follow-Up Emails (by WooCommerce): A powerful, official WooCommerce extension. It can be a bit more complex but offers lots of customization.
- AutomateWoo: A very robust marketing automation plugin specifically designed for WooCommerce. It’s packed with features but can have a steeper learning curve.
- Metorik: While primarily an analytics platform, Metorik also includes excellent follow-up email capabilities, offering a streamlined approach to customer communication.
- Log into your WordPress dashboard.
- In the left-hand menu, find the section related to your follow-up email plugin. It might be labeled “Follow-Up Emails,” “AutomateWoo,” “Marketing,” or something similar. Click on it.
- Within the plugin’s settings, look for a section that lists all your active and inactive follow-up emails. This might be called “Emails,” “Campaigns,” or “Automations.”
- To edit an existing email: Find the email you want to modify (e.g., “Order Complete Follow-Up Email”). Click the “Edit” button next to it.
- To create a new email: Look for a button that says “Add New,” “Create Campaign,” or something similar. Click it.
- Title/Name: Give your email a descriptive name (e.g., “Abandoned Cart Reminder – Day 1”). This is for your internal organization.
- Trigger: This is the *event* that causes the email to be sent. Common triggers include:
- Order Complete: Sent after a customer completes an order. *Example: Thanking the customer and asking for feedback.*
- Abandoned Cart: Sent to customers who added items to their cart but didn’t complete the purchase. *Example: Offering a discount to encourage them to complete the order.*
- Specific Product Purchase: Sent to customers who bought a particular product. *Example: Offering a discount on a related product or providing usage tips.*
- Customer Registration: Sent when a customer creates an account. *Example: A welcome email with information about your store.*
- Delay: This determines how long *after* the trigger event the email is sent. For example:
- “1 day after Order Complete”
- “2 hours after Abandoned Cart”
- Subject Line: The subject line is *critical* for getting your email opened! Make it clear, concise, and engaging.
- *Example: “Thanks for your order! 🎉 A little something special inside…”*
- *Example: “Still thinking about it? Your cart is waiting…”*
- Email Body: This is the content of your email. Use the editor (usually a visual editor similar to WordPress’s post editor) to compose your message.
- Personalize it! Use merge tags (also known as placeholders) to insert the customer’s name, order details, product information, and other relevant data. These are usually enclosed in double curly braces, like `{{customer.first_name}}` or `{{order.total}}`.
- Include a clear call to action. What do you want the customer to do? Visit your website? Leave a review? Use Explore this article on How To Connect Ezusy To Woocommerce a discount code? Make it obvious!
- Keep it concise. People are busy. Get to the point quickly.
- From Name/Email: Choose the name and email address that the email will be sent from. Use a professional email address (e.g., `[email protected]`) for credibility.
- Once you’ve configured all the settings, click the “Save,” “Update,” Discover insights on How To Add Woocommerce Carousel Shortcode or “Publish” button to save your changes.
- Make sure to activate or enable the email so that it starts sending! There’s usually a toggle or checkbox to do this.
- Title: Abandoned Cart Reminder – Day 1
- Trigger: Abandoned Cart
- Delay: 1 hour after Abandoned Cart
- Subject Line: Did you forget something? Your items are waiting!
- Email Body:
- {{ item.name }} – {{ item.quantity }} x {{ item.price }}
- Testing: *Always* test your follow-up emails before activating them! Send test emails to yourself to make sure they look correct and the links work.
- Segmentation: Consider segmenting your audience and sending different emails based on their purchase history, location, or other factors. For example, you might send a different email to customers who purchase high-value items versus those who purchase low-value items.
- GDPR Compliance: Make sure you comply with GDPR and other privacy regulations. Provide a clear way for customers to unsubscribe from your emails. Include a link to your privacy policy.
- Frequency: Don’t bombard your customers with too many emails. Find a balance that keeps them engaged without annoying them.
- Monitor Results: Track the performance of your follow-up emails. Are people opening them? Are they clicking on the links? Are they making purchases? Use this data to optimize your emails and improve your results.
Think of it like this: it’s cheaper to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one. Follow up emails is a great, automated way to retain your customers.
What are WooCommerce Follow Up Emails?
WooCommerce doesn’t have built-in follow-up email functionality beyond order confirmations and shipping notifications. To truly harness the power of follow-up emails, you’ll need a plugin. This plugin will allow you to create and schedule emails that are triggered by specific events (like a completed order, an abandoned cart, or a specific product purchase).
Choosing the Right Follow Up Email Plugin
There are several excellent WooCommerce follow-up email plugins available. Some popular options include:
For this tutorial, we’ll assume you have one of these plugins (or a similar one) installed and activated. The general principles are the same, though the exact interface will vary.
How to Update (or Create) Follow Up Emails: A Step-by-Step Guide
Let’s walk through the process using a generic plugin interface (similar to the WooCommerce Follow-Up Emails plugin). Remember to consult your specific plugin’s documentation for precise instructions.
1. Access the Plugin’s Settings:
2. Find the Email List (or Campaign List):
3. Edit an Existing Email or Create a New One:
4. Configure the Email Settings (This is where the magic happens!)
You’ll typically find the following settings:
5. Save and Activate the Email:
Example: Creating an Abandoned Cart Reminder
Let’s say you want to create an abandoned cart reminder. Here’s a possible configuration:
Hi {{customer.first_name}},
We noticed you left some items in your cart at [Your Store Name]. We hate to see you miss out!
Here’s a reminder of what you left:
{% for item in Discover insights on How To Access Billing In Woocommerce cart.items %}
{% endfor %}
Ready to complete your order? Click the button below:
As a special bonus, use the code SAVE10 for 10% off your entire order!
Thanks,
The [Your Store Name] Team
Reasoning: This email is friendly, provides a reminder of what the customer left, and includes a clear call to action. The discount code adds extra incentive. The use of placeholders like `{{customer.first_name}}` and `{{cart.url}}` personalizes the experience.
Important Considerations:
By following these steps, you can effectively update your WooCommerce follow-up emails and create a more engaging and profitable customer experience. Good luck!
