If you run an e-commerce website, you probably know the importance of creating high-quality product pages with rich descriptions. Cluttered, generic, nondescript or otherwise low-quality product pages will deter shoppers from making a purchase. While optimizing your e-commerce website’s product pages can prove invaluable in maximizing its sales revenue, equally important is optimizing your site’s thank you page.

What Is a ‘Thank You’ Page?

A thank you page is an order confirmation page that’s displayed to shoppers immediately after making a purchase. Once a shopper submits their payment information, he or she will be directed to your e-commerce website’s thank you page. It’s designed to both thank the shopper for his or her purchase while also providing information about the shopper’s order.

A clean and simple example of ‘Thank You’ page (James Mills)

Emphasize Gratitude

You should emphasize gratitude on your e-commerce website’s thank you page. In other words, it should explicitly thank the shopper for his or her order. Avoid using headlines such as “We’ve received your order” or “Your order is now being processed.” Instead, use a headline that emphasis gratitude, such as “Thank you for your order” or “Thank you for shopping with us.” With your thank you page emphasizing gratitude, shoppers will feel more appreciated, which may compel them to make additional purchases later down the road.

Emphasize Gratitude (Seva)

Include the Order Number

While the focus of your e-commerce’s thank you page should be on gratitude, it should also include the shopper’s order number. Order numbers, of course, are used to track online orders. If a shopper has a question or concern, he or she can contact your e-commerce website’s customer service while referencing the order number displayed on the thank you page.

When creating your e-commerce website’s thank you page, include the order number below the main headline. Depending on your site’s content management system (CMS), you should be able to add code-based variables or tokens to the thank you page that automatically populate it with the shopper’s order number. Just remember to place the variable or token below the main headline.

Notify of Email Receipt

If your e-commerce website is configured to automatically email shoppers a receipt of their order, you should mention it on your site’s thank you page. Order receipts contain all the details about a shopper’s order, including the shopper’s purchased products, payment method, shipping address and order number.

While many shoppers expect to receive an email receipt after placing an order, some do not. Therefore, you should notify shoppers about the email receipt on your e-commerce website’s thank you page. Below the main headline, as well as the order number, include a notification message such as “An email receipt with your order information will be delivered shortly.” Upon seeing this message, shoppers will know to check their inbox for information about their order, which could lead to fewer frivolous and unnecessary customer service requests.

Promote Referral Rewards Program

You can use a thank you page to promote your e-commerce website’s referral rewards program. If a shopper places an order, he or she probably views your e-commerce website positively. After all, most shoppers don’t purchase products from businesses that they dislike. And if a shopper thinks highly of your e-commerce website, he or she may recommend it to a friend or family member, especially if you offer an incentive in the form of referral rewards.

If your e-commerce website has a referral rewards program, you should promote it on the thank you page. Include a link or code on the thank you page that shoppers can share with their friends or family to earn rewards. If the code or link drives a new sale, the shopper who shared it will receive credit. You can reward shoppers for referrals such as this by giving them discounts, free products or even upgraded shipping on their next order.

Encourage Social Sharing

You should encourage shoppers to share their orders on social media by including social sharing buttons on your e-commerce website’s thank you page. Shoppers are usually proud of the products they purchase, and many of them are eager to share their purchases on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter. By including social sharing buttons to these and other relevant networks, your e-commerce website will generate additional exposure through word-of-mouth marketing.

Add a Newsletter Signup Form

When placing an order, shoppers are often required to enter their email address. You shouldn’t target these email addresses, however, with your e-commerce website’s newsletter. Instead, add a newsletter signup form to your site’s thank you page.

Shoppers typically only expect to receive transactional emails, including receipts, after submitting their email address on the checkout page. With a newsletter signup form, you’ll create a more transparent email marketing strategy. If a shopper wants to receive news, updates and discounts via email from your e-commerce business, he or she can complete the newsletter signup form.

Cross-Sell

Another way to maximize the value of your e-commerce website’s thank you page is to cross-sell products on it. Not to be confused with upselling, this age-old sales tactic involves promoting relevant products to shoppers based on their purchase history.

The same cross-sell tactic you use on a product page you should use on a ‘Thank You’ page (ASOS)

If a shopper purchased a digital camera on your e-commerce website, for instance, he or she may be interested in purchasing a tripod stand, memory card or storage case. If a shopper purchased a pet grooming brush, on the other hand, he or she might be interested in purchasing pet shampoo or nail clippers. You can cross-sell related products such as these by displaying them on your e-commerce website’s thank you page. Like with order numbers, most e-commerce CMSs can automatically populate thank you pages with related products.

Because it’s served to shoppers after they’ve made a purchase, the thank you page is widely overlooked by e-commerce webmasters. The truth, however, is that it can affect your online business’s sales revenue in multiple ways. By building the perfect thank you page, shoppers are more likely to make repeat purchases as well as recommend your e-commerce website to their friends and family members.