Mastering your eCommerce thank you page (with examples)
In eCommerce website design, the thank you page is often underrated.
For most, it’s just a need-to-have—a page to confirm order details and a successful transaction.
But the humble thank you page can be a powerful asset as you start your business and refine your marketing strategy. It offers prime real estate for delighting qualified customers—and turning them into repeat customers.
Consider it this way: everybody who purchases something from your site will land on your thank you page. What better place to add a call to action (CTA) or other content that could keep your buyers engaging with your brand?
For this reason, you’ll want to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your thank you pages when creating your eCommerce website. Keep reading for tips and inspiration on how to design the best experience possible.
Essential elements of any thank you page in eCommerce
Before sprucing up your thank you page, you’ll want to make sure that your includes the fundamental information:
Order confirmation messaging - a simple, yet friendly “Thank you” that makes your customers feel appreciated
Order number - so that users can easily find or inquire about their order details
Tracking number (if applicable) - so that users can track their packages once they’re out for shipment (alternatively, you could set up a system allowing customers to check their shipping status by their order numbers too)
Ordered item(s) - which should include the quantity of units purchased per item and product thumbnails
Order amount - which should include a breakdown of shipping fees and taxes
Delivery or pickup details - which should include the estimated delivery date, if applicable
Contact and/or support information - so that buyers know how to request a return or other assistance on their orders
What’s next - for example, a call to action (CTA) inspiring buyers to continue shopping, sign up for email alerts, or perform another action
Wix’s built-in thank you page template includes all the necessary fields. You can easily customize the look and feel of your page within the editor, plus include additional elements like a “continue browsing” button.
This, of course, is just scratching the surface. There are many ways to jazz up your thank you page. However, you’ll want to make sure that your design is intentional. The point isn’t to clutter up your thank you page with too many choices or features, but rather to focus on the one or two things that will keep your customers engaged.
Defining the right goal for your thank you page
As a starting point, revisit your buyer personas and consider your customers’ values, lifestyles, and typical shopping behaviors.
Will they realistically make another purchase right after completing an order? Or, will they benefit more from receiving future coupons and communications from your brand?
Among the many goals you could target, here are a few popular ones:
Build your email list
Get feedback on products or customer experience
Drive a future purchase
Generate referrals
Boost loyalty
7 ways to optimize your thank you pages (with examples)
It goes without saying that your thank you page can take on many different forms and (secondary) purposes. Heck, you could even A/B test two different versions of your thank you page to see which yields better results.
In any case, it helps to see what others have already done to get your creative juices flowing. Here are several examples to draw inspiration from.
01. Invite customers to connect with you on social media
Add links to your social media handles so users can easily follow you online. Or, include a social sharing button to encourage buyers to flaunt their latest purchase. You can pair this with an incentive (“follow us on social for free shipping on your next purchase”) to increase interest.
Asking for a social media connection is a low-effort request, and yet, can have a powerful impact on retention and branding.
Case in point: Wix user Cornhole Scenario includes a branded hashtag at the bottom of its thank you page. Regardless of whether a customer chooses to follow the brand on social, it's a sure way of showing how Cornhole is part of a larger community online. By searching United We Throw on Facebook, visitors can find posts by Cornhole Scenario and other members of the unofficial cornhole lovers club.
02. Reiterate why your customer made the right choice
Saying “thank you” is a no-brainer after your customer has made a purchase from your site. But, it could pay to reinforce the reasons why he or she chose your brand.
For instance, DIVINIA Water takes care to mention how “purchasing DIVINIA supports small business.” It’s a feel-good message that can inspire brand loyalty. Similarly, if your brand stands for sustainability or other values matter to your customers, find a place to include that messaging on your thank you page.
03. Tastefully ask for a referral
It’s no secret that consumers trust referrals from people they know, with one study finding that a consumer is 50 times more likely to buy a product when it’s recommended by friends or family.
Your thank you page is a natural place to ask for a referral, given that by this point, your customers have placed their trust in your brand. If you can add an incentive (“get $20 off your next purchase for every referral”), then customers are even more likely to put in a good word for your brand.
Uniqlo’s order confirmation messaging includes several bold callouts. Among them: “Get $10” when you “refer a friend now.” The callout is non-invasive, and doesn’t require the customer to follow tons of setup steps. Customers automatically receive a unique referral link that makes it easy to track referral-based sales.
04. Introduce customers to your newsletter
A newsletter program can open up plenty of opportunities to re-engage buyers, foster loyalty, and demonstrate authority. Not to mention that it doesn’t come at a high price tag like advertising.
With 60% of consumers saying they’ve made a purchase due to an email, it’s well worth it to add an email signup link to your thank you page.
Newegg includes a prominent “subscribe” link at the top of their order confirmation page (and email). Newegg sweetens the deal by promising exclusive savings for newsletter subscribers. It also teases products that the customers can look forward to finding within its site.
05. Tempt another sale with relevant product recommendations
These days, 71% of shoppers expect personalization in their interactions with brands—and 76% grow frustrated when they don’t find it. It’s therefore especially important that you tailor any post-purchase content or check-ins to their expressed interests.
A simple way to do this is by using your thank you page to promote related items or “similar as” products. Using Wix’s eCommerce features, you can easily add a module to your page that shows other products from a specific collection.
Home Depot uses their thank you page to capture additional upselling and cross-selling opportunities. A section titled “you may also like” is displayed discreetly at the bottom of the page—the idea being that even if a customer doesn’t purchase another item right away, he or she may be left with a reason to come back in the future.
06. Spotlight user-generated content (UGC)
Whether it be a customer sporting your apparel on Instagram or an influencer filming an unboxing of your product, UGC is invaluable to your brand. Not only is it genuine and hard-earned, but it serves as powerful social proof.
Capitalize on any user-generated photos, vidoes, testimonials, and more by showcasing them on your thank you pages. Invite customers to get featured on your site by using a branded hashtag. Or, automatically stream any new posts from your branded accounts to your page.
Native American fashion artist Jamie Okuma takes this approach on her thank you page. From the Wix eCommmerce editor, she’s able to customize a social media stream; currently she features posts from her Instagram account, which includes a mix of vibrant product photos and occasional behind-the-scenes shots.
07. Give a shoutout to your omnichannel services
Retail has changed more in the last five years than it has in the last 50—and so have consumer behaviors. Customers today expect a variety of shopping channels, fulfillment options, and touch points with your brand.
And though rumor has it that traditional channels (like brick and mortar) are dying, many signs point to the fact that they’re simply evolving.
Think about some of the best-known D2C brands, like Warby Parker and Casper. Many are investing in physical showrooms and true omnichannel retail ecosystems.
To that effect, your thank you page is a great place to inform customers about all of their shopping options. Be it curbside pickup, in-store (or virtual) returns, or your new concierge services, your customers would benefit from having all the information presented to them in one place.
Old Navy has long been a leader in retail. They were even one of the earliest adopters of eCommerce, launching their website in 2002. Nowadays, they support a variety of convenient services, which are colorfully displayed on their thank you pages.
A graphic at the bottom of the page features “worry free” options like quick-and-easy pickup services, free returns and exchanges, buy-now-pay-later, a mobile app, and various physical stores.
Let your thank you page (finally) shine
Is your thank you page in good shape? Could it be doing more for your business?
Give your thank you page some much-deserved TLC. Consider ways to engage customers for longer, and to prevent bounce-offs without any promise of another visit or future shopping spree on your site.
Test drive Wix eCommerce today. Get one comprehensive solution for managing everything from your site pages to your backend operations. Be sure to also check out how much an eCommerce website costs.
Allison Lee
Editor, Wix eCommerce
Allison is the editor for the Wix eCommerce blog, with several years of experience reporting on eCommerce news, strategies, and founder stories.
