15 ‘Secret Sauce’ Ingredients For A Great Sales Thank-You Page

After a long journey through the sales funnel, your customer finally purchased a product or service! But once they reach the post-purchase thank-you page, what should they see listed? A funny GIF? A promo code? Links to similar products?

These suggestions are all great ways to convert a first-time customer to a long-term brand partner, but it's important to do what's right for your brand and its target audience. To help, 15 Forbes Agency Council members offer their "secret sauce" when it comes to post-conversion strategy and how they would approach crafting the perfect thank-you page.

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1. Brand Ambassador Program Pairing

Pairing incentives with an invite to a brand ambassador program can be a great way to maximize customer loyalty and re-orders. A true win-win, customers that join the program receive special offers and perks while the brand builds a loyal fanbase for remarketing. As an added personal touch, the thank-you page invite can be customized to reflect what the customer ordered or their purchase behavior. - Cam Wilkie, func.media

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2. Refer-A-Friend Discount

"Refer a friend for a discount" (and getting one yourself, too) has been one of the top performers throughout our performance marketing practices. You'll double opt-in your customer with another data point, and you have a 10-20% conversion rate on customer acquisition (and lower acquisition cost substantially).  - Matt Wilson, Eastport Holdings

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3. Heartfelt And Sincere Messaging

The secret sauce is having emotion, heart and sincerity in the thank you. The "why" needs to be authentic and connected to the conversations that have been had and the possibilities that await the partnership. The thank you needs to be personalized and heartfelt. Relationships thrive on strong emotional connection and we need to bring that to these communications. - Wendy Karlyn, rightpoint.com

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4. Customized Messaging And Resources

Think of your thank-you page as the first step in the journey to win the heart and mind of the customer after they buy. Include resources and even a custom letter or video from the company owner letting them know how thankful they are that the customer has begun this journey. Follow up in email as well. - Loren Baker, Foundation Digital

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5. Additional Ways To Connect With The Customer

Offer additional options on your thank-you page, such as newsletter signups, email list opt-in, product updates, requesting social follows, etc. Just because thank-you pages are the end of the visit doesn't mean they are the end of the journey. Use these pages as ways to stay in touch with your audience or shoppers. - David Kley, Web Design and Company

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6. Monetized Or Content-Driven Offers

Marketers need to view the thank-you page as prime real estate. This is an opportunity for brands to put out other offers which can be monetary for upsells or content-driven to drive up engagement. Remember, when putting together a thank-you page, you don't want to overwhelm users with too many options. Keep it to one simple offer. - Stefan Katanic, Veza Digital

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7. Fun Or Creative References

Our agency has always enjoyed crafting creative thank-you pages as an extension of the website's brand. If your brand is fun, consider an animated GIF from a well-known comedy. If your brand is friendly, put in a picture of your staff holding up a big thank-you sign. We spend so much time as marketers getting people to convert onto a thank-you page — don't leave them hanging with a dull page. - Darrell Keezer, Candybox Marketing

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8. Clear And Concise Deliverables

Always make sure you're clear and concise on deliverables and expectations the consumer should have — when you’ll be in touch, a timeline for deliveries, etc. Cosmetically, you can leave a more lasting touchpoint by using art, images or a funny gif rather than just plain text. - Spencer Hadelman, Advantage Marketing

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9. A Questionnaire To Gauge Interest

In pro services, thank-you pages have little impact on conversion. A great discovery call does. I recommend a questionnaire that allows clients to identify how ready a prospect is to engage in serious dialogue. The five sales-ready traits are the truest indicator of whether or not someone is likely to convert. - Randy Shattuck, The Shattuck Group

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10. Suggestions For Similar Products

Personalization is the key here. Create a message that thanks them for what they did, directs them to other things they might like based on what they purchased, and a reminder or even a discount on things they looked at and didn't buy. You want to let each individual customer know that you appreciate their business and that you have more to offer them should they want it. - Jason Hall, FiveChannels Marketing

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11. Other Information And Helpful Services

Provide your leads with exactly what they downloaded with an easy-to-navigate design. Don't make it difficult for them to access the resource that they just provided their contact details to download. Then give them even more helpful information such as a related e-book, recent blogs and maybe an offer to connect with your sales team depending on the type of content offer they just downloaded. - Elyse Flynn Meyer, Prism Global Marketing Solutions

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12. Family And Friend Promo Codes

The thank-you page is a chance to make a real connection with a customer. Personalizing the message based on interests is a good start but it's also effective to offer a discount promo code to be used by friends or family. It's both a reward and a referral. We also recommend adding links to review your business on a directory. - Marc Hardgrove, The HOTH

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13. Easily Accessible Contact Information

Be friendly. Be informative. Ask for additional subscriptions. Always be friendly and thank the visitor for their inquiry or purchase. Always let them know what they submitted or purchased, when you will contact them back or deliver the goods and the next steps. Have your contact information on the page for easy access and ask them to follow, review or subscribe to your other channels. - Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design

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14. Co-Marketing Offers With A Brand Partner

Co-market with a partner to provide an offer to your new customer. You can cross-pollinate your customers while providing value to your partner organization. And the cost is minimal! - Douglas Karr, Highbridge

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15. Appreciation And Consideration

This can be a great way to upsell or cross-sell as long as your intentions are genuine. Use this opportunity to nurture the relationship and have procedures in place to keep the customer happy after the sale. Make sure the appreciation is genuine. A customer wants to feel like you appreciate their decision to choose your company and that you don’t see them as a dollar sign. - Katie Schibler Conn, KSA Marketing

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