Timestone Software’s Internet Ordering System sends several emails on behalf of the photographer. Some, such as the order confirmation and digital delivery emails, are mandatory, while abandoned cart emails are optional.
The emails are formed from HTML templates that can be customized for the user by Timestone Staff.
These emails are classified into the following categories:
Receipt emails - sent at the successful completion of an order or pose selection
Reminder emails - for people who do not order
Share cart emails - for customers to share their cart with family and friends
Digital Delivery emails - for customers to download their digital products
Receipt mails
These emails are automatically sent when a customer successfully places an order or selects their yearbook pose. They are also referred to as confirmation emails as they ‘confirm’ the customer’s transaction.
There are three such emails as described in the tabs below.
When a customer places an order, the system will send an order confirmation receipt.
By default, this receipt contains the order number, the date, the job information, the customer information, and the package(s) ordered.
Figure 1: An order receipt email
Optionally, the photographer can receive an Advice email, advising them of a customer order. This is often a copy of the customer receipt, but can include different information from the order receipt email if desired. The advice email includes a CSV attachment containing certain order data.
Figure 2: The default Advice email
WARNING
The advice email is only sent if the an email address has been entered into the Email advice to: window of the Provider section of tsIOS
If the user elects to allow the customer to select a pose, such as for a yearbook, the system automatically emails a confirmation to the customer.
This email provides the customer with confirmation of the selected image, along with a link to change the pose if desired.
Figure 3: The pose selection confirmation email
Further Reading: Pose Selection with IOS
A feature of the Timestone Online Ordering System (IOS) is the option to allow customers the ability to select their desired pose for purposes such as yearbooks.
Reminder Emails
Optionally, the user can elect to have the system automatically send one or more reminder emails to customers who do not complete an order.
There are three reminder emails:
Casual visits - for customers who visit the site and do nothing else, not even adding products to the cart
Abandoned carts - when products have been added to the cart, but an order has not been placed
Payment reminders - an order has been submitted, but payment was never completed
Note
Reminder emails are optional and are activated by Timestone Software upon request.
Consideration needs to be given as to which of the three reminder emails to activate, their content and the frequency of delivery.
If a customer visits the site but does not make a purchase or add anything to the cart, the system can send them a reminder to visit the site again and continue shopping.
The email includes a button to directly return them to the site’s shop without the need to re-enter their Access Key.
Figure 4: The default cart inactivity email
If a customer adds Packages to the cart but does not submit their order, the system can send an automated email to remind them to finalize the order.
It includes a button that returns the customer to the site and retrieves their cart, meaning they can simply continue to checkout, submit, and pay for their order.
Figure 5: The abandoned cart email
An order is deemed to have taken place as soon as the customer clicks the Submit Order button at checkout. At that point, the order is unpaid. If the customer does not complete payment for whatever reason, it is possible for the system to send a Payment Reminder email.
Figure 6: The Payment Reminder email for an unpaid order
Good to know
If the customer completes a new order before the payment reminder email is sent for the old (unpaid) order, the payment reminder email will not be sent.
Share Cart Email
The share cart email feature allows customers to add items to a shopping cart and subsequently share that cart with someone else. The customer clicks the Share Cart button, whereupon a popup window allows them to compose and send an email containing a custom message along with a link for the recipient to retrieve the cart.
Figure 7: Composing an email to share the cart.
Note
The Share Cart feature is optional and is activated by Timestone Software upon request.
Digital Delivery Email
The Digital Delivery email provides the customer access to their purchased digital products. This email differs from the others in that it is not sent directly by the site but instead requires the digital orders to be processed in Fulfill.
Figure 8: A default Digital Delivery email
FAQ
Can the emails be customized?
Yes, the emails are HTML templates that can be modified. Users with advanced knowledge of HTML can do it themselves or, we are happy to consult with you and customize them as desired.
How often are reminder emails sent?
The first reminder is sent 24 hours after the trigger. You can then choose whether to send further reminders and at what intervals.
Can the reminders be sent by SMS instead?
No. At the time of writing they can only be emailed.
Why am I not getting my copy of the order confirmation?
In tsIOS and the Provider section, check an Advice email address has been set. This is where the Advice email is sent.
Is the digital delivery email sent automatically?
No, the digital delivery email is not sent directly by the site; it requires the digital orders to be processed in Fulfill.
Can the customer unsubscribe from reminder emails?
Yes, the reminder emails have an ‘unsubscribe’ link that will cancel any future reminders for the same order/abandoned cart/visit. They will still get order confirmation emails if they proceed to place and pay for an order.
Are there any analytics with the reminder emails? Do we know click rates or conversion rates?
No, there are no analytics associated with the emails.