In the realm of missed marketing opportunities, I think marketing after the sale is one that is missed most often.  Many e-commerce sites consider the sale the end of the relationship.  In fact, this is really just the beginning of the conversation.  I read an excellent article over at GetElastic.com that covered 11 ways you can optimize a thank-you page.

Sometimes, shoppers don’t know they need something, or have forgotten something, unless you remind them.  Think about how a grocery store is organized, lots of last minute items are always crammed near the check stands.  This is their last opportunity to get you to pick up that last thing.

Think about it.  Amazon, EBay, Overstock – the big online retailers – they all give you more shopping options on their thank-you pages.  You just bought a book on Amazon, they serve up other books by the same author or in the same Genre.  Why not?  Think outside the box and think about things you can market to your visitors after they buy.  Here are some examples to get your creative brains fired up.

• Sell cell phone accessories?  If someone buys a cover, market a screen protector or a new charger with an extra long cord on their thank you page.
• Sell laundry dryer parts? If they buy a new heating element, remind them about the danger of clogged vents and market a vent cleaning kit or a new lint trap for their dryer model on the thank you page.
• Sell power tools?  An adapter, or even a case to carry your tools around in is a great add on product that you can offer before AND after the sale.

Many people might not be able to buy right away, make these add-on products bookmark-able, or create a wish-list system in your e-commerce shopping cart so they can save it for later.

I also like the idea of thanking your buying customers with an email that offers a related product or a discount should they come back and shop again.  Work on retention via email marketing, social media engagement, and even a brick and mortar tactic of “remembering” them when they come shop.  A cookie that recognizes a previous customer and delivers a message thanking them for returning makes that customer feel at home on your website.

Remember, retaining current customers is much easier than finding brand new customers.