How to win a customer's second order
The usual gap between a first and second order tells you when to follow up and what to send. Time your post-purchase emails to it.
The Wizel Team
Email marketing strategist · · 1 min read
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A first order is expensive to win. You paid for the ad, the discount or the influencer post that brought the customer in. The second order is where the relationship starts to pay you back, and it's the step many customers never take.
Find your natural gap
1 number
the usual days between a first and second order, which sets when your follow-up should land
Look at customers who did place a second order and measure how long it took them. Use the median rather than the average, so a few people who came back after two years don't drag the number out. That's your natural gap.
The gap depends on what you sell. Consumables like coffee, skincare and pet food often come round in weeks. Clothing and homewares can take months. Some products have a clock built in: a 30-day supply needs its reminder before day 30, not after.
What to send in the gap
- 1.Right after the order: say thanks and set expectations for delivery.
- 2.When it arrives: help them get the most from it, with how to use it, look after it or get started.
- 3.Before the natural gap: suggest the next product. A refill, a matching item, or what other first-time buyers of that product went on to buy.
- 4.After the gap passes with no order: a gentle reminder, then a stronger reason to come back.
Send the reminder before the typical customer would reorder, not after. A late reminder can arrive after they've already bought elsewhere.
Make it about what they bought
A post-purchase flow that sends everyone the same emails wastes its best advantage: you know exactly what they bought. Split the flow by product or category wherever the follow-up should differ, starting with your biggest first-order products.
Ask your own numbers in Wizel
With Klaviyo connected, ask the Wizel chat:
- “What's the average time to second purchase by first product?”
- “Which products lead to the highest repurchase rates?”
- “How many new vs returning customers did I have last month?”
Frequently asked questions
When should I send a post-purchase email?
Start right after the order with a thank-you, then send a how-to when it arrives. Time the ‘buy again’ email just before your usual gap between first and second orders.
Should the second-order email include a discount?
Not by default. Plenty of customers come back without one when the timing and the suggestion are right. Save an offer for people who pass the natural gap without ordering.
How do I measure the gap between orders?
Take customers with at least two orders and measure the days between their first and second. Use the median, and work it out separately for your top first products, because they often differ.
