A confirmation email is more than what meets the eye. Did you know it can be multi-functional and used for upselling, not just sending plain-old bookings or order confirmations?
We’ll show you how.
In this article, we’ve researched the exact steps you need to write an engaging confirmation email along with examples to inspire you and your audience, including a customizable template.
Confirmation emails are transactional emails sent to subscribers after taking an action, such as an order purchase, appointment booking, program registration, or cancellation.
Recipients look for these emails as they offer assurance that their actions have been recorded. Popular confirmation emails include shipping confirmation emails, cancellation confirmation emails, booking confirmation emails, and more.
According to experts, confirmation emails are a crucial part of your marketing strategy. Here’s what Luc de Bruin, email marketing expert, has to say on the subject:
Confirmation emails can be some of the highest-performing emails in your automated messages setup. Think about the ‘order confirmation,’ ‘welcome series confirmation,’ or the ‘shipping confirmation.’ You literally confirm to people that you’ve received their request and that things are moving—it’s a form of feedback that gives certainty to the user that no mistakes occurred so far.
What makes a great confirmation message? Here are nine steps to help you craft a powerful confirmation email your recipients can’t wait to open.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but many businesses and marketers message the wrong recipients or unintentionally exclude the right ones.
According to business owner and email marketing specialist, Dominik Metlicic, confirmation emails are valuable because of their open rates, which makes it even more important for these emails to reach the right people.
“[Confirmation emails] helped me with deliverability, because people usually open confirmation emails since they’re important to them. The more emails they open, the better your deliverability because it improves your domain reputation.”
— Dominik Metlicic, Email Marketing Specialist
As a best practice, double-check the intended recipients’ email addresses to ensure you’re adding the right people. If you wish to include more than one recipient, you can use the Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) feature when sending confirmation emails.
The subject line is the first element of your email recipients lay their eyes on. To stand out in the inbox, keep the subject line concise and clearly state the intention behind sending the confirmation email. For example:
Avoid adding too much fluff to the subject, as this might distract the receiver from the email’s purpose.
Writing a personalized email is a foolproof way to attract more engagement.
Addressing the recipient by their first name in the email body makes the otherwise generic confirmation emails feel more personalized from the start.
For example, saying “Hey [first name]” is friendlier than the standard “Hi/Hello.”
Follow your greeting with a brief and no-nonsense explanation of why you’re sending them this confirmation email.
For example, if you’re writing to a customer to confirm their order shipping status, you can write, “This email is to confirm your latest order has been shipped and is estimated to be delivered on [Date].”
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Add every necessary detail of the purchase or event that your recipient may find helpful. This includes providing the estimated date for order delivery, meeting time and duration for an appointment, invoice details for payment, and so on in your confirmation emails.
Remember to add only the essential details and format them in a simple manner to make your confirmation emails easy to read.
Because of their high open rates, n order confirmation emails are a brilliant opportunity to ask your recipients questions or request more information.
For instance, suppose a customer makes a purchase with your business for the first time. In their order confirmation email, you could ask them for feedback on their shopping experience. Similarly, if the email is about a meeting confirmation, you could ask the recipient to complete a questionnaire which can be later used in the meeting agenda.
With growing online competition across industries, it’s always a good idea to thank your customers or recipients for choosing your business.
You can express gratitude by adding a personal thank you note or message at the end of the confirmation email. Consider sharing an appreciation gift, such as a discount on their next purchase or early-bird registration access for your next event.
Your customers or recipients may have questions about their purchase, appointment, or event tickets—which need quick answers.
As a best practice, include your customer support details in confirmation emails, such as a phone number or email, so your recipients can quickly contact you to get their questions answered.
Order-related confirmation emails, such as shipping or purchase confirmations, can be strategically used to cross-sell or upsell products without seeming too pushy. Trust the experts on this:
“In terms of revenue—you see that these confirmation emails really push people back to the store as well. And because of that, confirmation emails are a source of revenue as well.”
For example, at the end of an order confirmation email, you can include a section with the headline: ‘Similar product recommendations just for you,’ or ‘Products you may love,’ and add a button for customers to quickly browse additional products.
Using an email builder with drag-and-drop functionality, easy customization, and personalization features can help your confirmation emails stand out in the inbox. Flodesk makes it easy to create stunning confirmation emails in just a few clicks with a library of beautiful, ready-made templates to choose from. Get started with 30 days free—no credit card required.
Wondering what the ideal confirmation email looks like? If so, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s an order confirmation email template that you can steal and make your own:
“Subject line: Your [Brand Name] order [number] is confirmed!
Thank you for shopping at [Brand Name]. We are happy to serve you and hope you enjoy your purchase.
We’re writing this email to confirm your purchase of [item name], which is currently being processed under [order number]. You can track your order with [tracking number] for updates regarding your shipment.
Items shipped:
Product(s): [List of purchased items], [Qty]
Payment method: [Credit card/Debit card]
Subtotal: [Total amount of purchased items]
Shipping fee: [Total delivery fee]
Total: [Total amount]
Thank you again for your purchase. We hope to see you soon!
You may also love
[Incorporate a roundup of best-selling products]
The [Brand Name] Team
Need further assistance with your order or have additional questions? We’re just an email away. Send us a message at [email protected].
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Let’s dive into the seven different examples of confirmation emails that you can use as inspiration for your own email marketing campaigns.
Do you host in-person or virtual events? If so, here’s an example of an email confirming recipients’ registration for an event, which in this case is a webinar confirmation email.
Subject line: Webinar confirmed | Sales Enablement: What’s new for 2023
Thanks for registering. We’re super excited to have you on board for the Sales Enablement: “What’s new for 2023” webinar happening this Friday, June 6th.
We’re writing this email to confirm your registration and to remind you to add the webinar to your calendar.
Below are the details for the webinar:
Date: June 6, 2023
Please note that the details to join will be emailed an hour before the meeting. You can prepare for the webinar by reading the instructions here.
If you have any questions for the organizer, please fill out this form.
We look forward to your attendance!
If you’re an ecommerce business looking to send purchase confirmation emails to your customers, this example is for you.
Subject line: Your Dresstory order DS1263N is confirmed
Thank you for shopping with Dresstory!
This email is to confirm your purchase and let you know that we’re getting it ready to ship. We will notify you when it ships.
[View your order]
Your order summary:
Daisy dress x 1, in size S – $79
