5 POWERFUL STRATEGIES TO RETAIN ECOMMERCE CUSTOMERS

1. 5 POWERFUL STRATEGIES TO RETAIN  ECOMMERCE CUSTOMERS    Most people think about how to attract new customers as soon as they  start a business​. Customer recruitment is an essential part of any  business, especially when your business is just starting out. However,  there is one thing that is much more important – customer retention.  According to research​, it can cost 7 times more to acquire a new  customer than to keep an existing one. This is why you should focus  on keeping your customers satisfied if you want to have a profitable  business. After all, a satisfied customer is a customer who will come  back for more. 

2. So, how can you actually focus on customer retention? Luckily, there  are a few strategies you can use that will prevent your customers from  going to the competitors.  Stay in touch with your customers  You need to show your customers that you are grateful for their trust  in your business. That increases the likelihood of a returning  customer much more than if you just focus on making a sale. The key  is to stay in touch and give customers a reason to come back.  One of the most effective ways to do this is through an email  newsletter.  Encourage website visitors to subscribe to your newsletter so they can  receive news about your company. This will always keep your business  relevant as the newsletter will increase awareness of your company  and products, and provide customers with important details.  Another great way to stay in touch and show you truly care about  customers is through retention emails. Some of the most effective  retention emails include:  Welcome emails encourage coustomers another  purchase.  When someone purchases a product from you, the best thing to do  would be to send a welcome email with a personalized offer. This will  make the customer feel welcomed and the special offer (usually a  discount) will encourage them to make another purchase.  Birthday emails.  Sending a specialized birthday email with a discount shows the  customer how much you care. They will see it as another birthday  present and this will boost sales. This is a great tactic, as birthday 

3. emails have a ​481% higher transaction rate​ than regular promotional  emails.  Re-engagement emails.  Even if it seems like a customer has lost interest in your company, it’s  never too late to try and spark that interest again. Send  re-engagement emails to remind customers about your business  along with a special offer that will tempt them to reconnect.  Nurture great customers service  Customer service is an essential part of any business as its main focus  is to keep customers informed and satisfied. Employees in charge of  customer service need to learn how to truly listen to customers and do  their best to fix whatever issue might have occurred.  A lot of companies lose customers because of poor customer service.  Some offer canned responses that don’t solve any issues. Others even  go so far to limit the time a customer can talk to a representative so  they have time for the next customer.  Don’t make these same mistakes. Instead, always try to find time and  patience to deal with any and all problems. Guide your customers  through processes they might not understand, educate them about  your company and products, and always be professional.  Here are some tips on how to provide great customer service:  1. Reply to all questions and queries a customer might have.  2. Don’t make a promise you can’t keep.  3. Know all the important details about your products that customers  might ask about.  4. Be respectful and thank customers for doing business with you. 

4. 5. Keep in mind that a huge number of customers end their  relationship with a company due to poor customer service. Don’t let  the same thing happen to you.  Use social media to your advantage  There are​ 3.2 billion people worldwide​ who use social media, and your  customers are probably among them. Social media platforms are a  great way to maintain contact with existing customers long after the  initial sale.  You can focus on engaging with your customers and retaining them  thanks to websites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. There,  you can educate your customers, interact with them, and also  encourage them to leave comments and reviews.  Here is how you can use social media as a retention tool:  1. Use them to provide customer service by replying to comments and  answering questions. Thank people for great reviews and offer to  solve issues for those who aren’t satisfied.  2. Use it to monitor your customers’ opinions and interests, which  allows you to change and improve your brand and products if needed.  3. Throw contests and giveaways occasionally to reward loyal  customers.  Create opportunities out of difficult situations  Sometimes, things don’t go according to plan and problems arise.  This is true in any aspect of life, especially in business. Clients can get  upset and frustrated with your company and when this happens, they  will probably lose the trust they had in your company.  While some businesses see this as a big issue, it could also be a great  opportunity to earn back your client’s trust and show how much you 

5. care about resolving any issue. Do everything in your power to make  the customer satisfied again.  It would be great if you could solve an issue while it’s still minor  before it turns into a big problem. This is why you should send out  customer satisfaction surveys. If someone gives negative feedback,  make sure to contact them and even ask how they think a certain  problem could be resolved.  Finally, don’t be afraid to take responsibility. Your company needs to  develop a positive reputation online,​ so it’s important to admit to  your mistakes and apologize if necessary. Honesty is always a much  better route to take than lying and covering up the problem.  Offer a reward program for customers  One of the most efficient ways of retaining customers is to set up a  reward program. As the name suggests, these programs offer rewards  to loyal customers when they fulfill certain criteria. And the more a  customer interacts with your business, the bigger the reward they  receive.  Reward programs are great for retaining old customers as well as  attracting new ones. You can set up a point-based system and  encourage customers to buy items. That way, they will buy more items  to earn more points.  Offer a wide variety of rewards based on the number of points a  customer has collected. Some perks you can offer include special  discounts, free shipping, or even free products.  Another thing you can include is a referral link to every customer who  joins your referral program. If a new customer purchases a product  using this link, the referral will gain a reward that will keep them  satisfied. And this way, you will gain a new customer.  Conclusion 

6. Focus on the loyalty of your old customers, but also attract new ones  as much as you can so your business can grow and make a profit. In  the end, if you do everything right, you can even put up your  eCommerce business for sale​ and rinse and repeat the process.  Simply put, you cannot possibly stay in business without your  customers. That’s why it’s important to keep them satisfied so they  keep coming back for more.