Real time package tracking is a retailer's best friend - here's why
Online shopping is pretty much cemented as a way of life today. Over the last few years, it’s exploded, and the trends are only going to continue to go up.
According to Statista, in 2016, just over 200 million Americans had bought something online at least once. By 2021, that number is projected to top 230 million.
One of the groups driving that trend is millennials. Big surprise there, right?
Data shows millennials love to shop online. As a generation that grew up tech-savvy and cares a lot about convenience, it makes sense. But retailers might not realize just how big that number is.
Recent surveys have highlighted the following:
- In 2019, millennials made 60% of their purchases online
- This group also makes 36% of purchases via mobile devices
- 97% of this group rely on Amazon as part of their shopping
So the numbers don’t lie; online shopping is huge and is going to continue growing.
Retailers need to start paying attention to what they can do to stand out from the crowd when it comes to gaining a vital chunk of this customer base.
One way to do that?
Email.
Shipping woes
So we’ve established that there’s a good chance you’ve ordered something online from a retailer.
What happens next?
You’ll get your order confirmation. And then maybe the same day or a few days later, you’ll get another email telling you that your package has shipped.
Depending on how you paid for shipping, the package will arrive anywhere from the next day to weeks down the road.
The big problem is you generally don’t know where your package is at any given time. And to track it, the process is typically kind of annoying.
It probably looks something like this:
You have to go back to the site, enter your tracking number or your order number, and then you’ll get a somewhat generic timeline letting you know when your package hits major distribution centers.
For some people, that’s fine. But the reality is, you’ve probably had to schedule some part of your life based on when your package is expected to arrive.
We’ve all had that moment of waiting and waiting for a very important package to arrive. And then, if it doesn’t, the frustration of trying to track it down and figure out where it is.
Sometimes, that can lead to missed birthday presents. Maybe you end up having to leave for the airport before your new swimsuit arrives. Or you’ve just headed out for the weekend, and now you’re nervous your package is sitting on the front stoop for a few days.
All of that is common and frustrating.
But there is a better way.
Real time tracking
This is where savvy retailers can really stand out when it comes to email.
Using real time tracking means that when your customer opens up their shipping email, they get the the most up to date information available for where their package is.
They don’t have to go back to the website and try to find out where to enter all that shipping and tracking information. The answers are right at their finger tips.
Your customers are going to love this because they can find out the information they need from you just by opening up that shipping email. It makes it really easy to get the information they need right away.
There’s another interesting thing to think about when it comes to shipping emails too. And it’s the fact that they have some of the highest open rates out there.
These kinds of transactional emails are opened more often simply because they are providing the information that customers want. So retailers can jump on that and add fun stuff to these emails too.
Some examples include:
Upselling opportunities
Use your shipping email to highlight the products that are related to what your customer bought. This makes it really easy for them to click to buy something else. Since so many people open shipping emails, doing something like this can help increase your conversion rates.
Support information
Customer support is really important to today’s consumers, so make it easy. Include ways for your customers to reach support in just a click or two right from your shipping email.
Add order details
Rather than just having shipping information, you can include all of the order details too. This gives customers an easy to see receipt of their transaction so they can track spending too.
Now that you see the potential of real time shipping tracking, it might be something you want to explore for your email marketing strategy.
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