Thank you. Those two words conjure up all kinds of positive emotions. Showing appreciation comes in many forms, from the thank you note to a heartfelt word of thanks. Online thank you pages are a way to extend your appreciation to your virtual visitors. Imagine guests have arrived at your site. They like what they are seeing so much that they download a PDF, fill out a form, request an appointment or make a purchase. In the web analytics world, we call such interactions “conversions.” Like any good host, you should think about how to properly thank your visitors for their actions.
So what exactly is a thank you page? It’s where users are taken after completing a desired conversion and generally features a word of thanks in response to a visitor’s order, download or action. But a great thank you page goes beyond that. Exceeding expectations and thinking about your visitors’ needs takes communication to the next level. Here are some ideas to make your thank you page something special:
Deliver on your promise
Give them exactly what they signed up for. Make the next steps clear and concise. If they downloaded a file, make finding it easy. Create download buttons that are bright and obvious. Don’t leave them hanging. If the person requested to be contacted, let them know how and when. If delivery will take some time, offer them something to do while they wait. You may have noticed more short form video content popping up online. Consider repurposing that great six-second ad you created for your bumper campaign. Learn more about how to reinforce your ad campaign in six seconds.
Provide additional content
Based on what action your visitor has taken, you should have a pretty good idea what kind of content they value. Think about the effectiveness of Amazon’s “Customers who bought this item also bought” section. Most of the time they know exactly what the customer wants. A well-crafted thank you page works the same way. It gets visitors excited about other offers or pages on the site. Insert videos, links to related blog posts or other content your visitor will enjoy. This helps them along the buyer’s journey and builds retention.
Get social
You could simply have social media buttons present. Consider going one step further – spell out for visitors why they should follow you on social media. Offer them something of value like the inside scoop on your next event or webinar. If the visitor loaded specific content while on your site, the thank you page’s social media presence could let them know similar tips are posted on Twitter every Wednesday.
Validate their action
After sharing personal information or making a purchase, consumers might experience that little twinge of regret known as post-purchase dissonance. Give them evidence they made the right decision. A marketer’s after-sale communications starts on the thank you page. Help consumers feel good about their brand choices by posting testimonials or product ratings, or reminding them how your offer helps them.
Everyone likes to feel appreciated. It’s important to recognize that the thank you is an important opportunity to deepen the connection between a customer and your brand. They’ve already shown you goodwill. It’s a prime time to put your best foot forward. Here in Louisiana, we like “lagniappe” – a little something extra. Your thank you page is a terrific place to do this. Need some inspiration? As a special thank you for reading this far, here is an article with some great examples from iMPACT.
