E-commerce businesses thrive when they can have a good percentage of sales. For that, it is extremely necessary to have people who trust your brand, the products, and the services you offer. It is not easy to attract new customers to buy from your e-commerce site when there are plenty of other platforms they can invest in. According to research online merchants spend up to 80% of their budget on marketing on promoting their business to acquire new customers. However, repeat customers are the ultimate prize of e-commerce businesses because they give consistent revenue and may recommend your businesses to people they know. It is very important to keep repeat customers and there are various ways of doing so, but first, they should know that you are giving them quality products at a nominal value which they might not get otherwise.
Let’s understand what customer retention is. It is mainly the process to convert customers to regular customers to prevent them from going to your competitors. This is the measurement of the products and services that one e-commerce business provides.
9 ways to attract repeat customers for your e-commerce store are :
1. Provide Fast Responses
Customer service is one of the most significant factors of any e-commerce business and if you can provide instant response service then it can help you to keep the customers. When customers have a query, they would like it to be solved immediately. If that doesn’t happen it gives a wrong impression to the customers, because immediate assistance shows that you care about them, give importance to their needs and try to help them out when necessary. You can do it by providing live chat or through social media platforms. You can invest in chatbot software as well.
2. Offer Fast or No-Cost Shipping Services
Free shipping is always loved by customers. This is one of the main reasons many customers may choose and stick to a certain site over others. Fast shipping helps them to get their desired items in a short period which in turn helps to build trust for your brand.
3. Personalized Interaction and Communication
You can send emails or notifications through a chatbot to your customers about any offers, discounts, and special deals on items, especially those products that are preferred by them. Conversing through live chat software is always a better option than emails because this way, you can ensure that your message is being communicated to them. Customers would start feeling more comfortable being part of your business when they receive regular reminders about the good deals that you offer.
4. Consider All Kinds of Feedback
Positive feedback from buyers is always prioritized but in case a customer is unhappy with a product or service, make sure to reach out and solve the issue. A response to any query, or feedback makes your brand more trustworthy. Try to respond to various comments and suggestions they leave on your social media pages, this would help them to know that you care about their wants and wishes.
5. Create a Loyalty Program
Loyalty programs always give customers a reason to stay loyal to your brand and not shop elsewhere. They keep purchasing from your website to collect the rewards that you may offer, instead of spending the money at your competitors’ businesses. They feel valued and appreciated by your brand because of the loyalty programs. This is a proven solution to make repeat customers stick to your brand. Offering discount coupons, and gifts on spending a certain amount can be some of the various ways you can reward your buyers.
6. Engage Through Social Media
Social Media has given brands a great platform to promote their businesses and you can easily attract repeat customers as they can communicate through DMS very easily. Repost customer feedback on your social media to show them how much they are valued, post on social media regularly, and notify them about the sales or offers that will make your brand reach more audience.
7. Be Mobile-Friendly
The simple the shopping experience you can offer, the more customers would likely shop from your site. Mobile optimization is extremely important for driving your sales. You can get repeat customers if they have access to your brand from the comfort of their mobiles. Ensure perfect functioning of your website on mobile phones as studies suggest that users are shifting to mobiles rather than using a pc or desktop.
8. Give Free Samples With Purchases
If you’re selling beauty products or food items, attaching samples of newly launched products with orders can help to generate sales from the same customers if they are willing to try out the new items. Everyone likes something for free, so giving out free samples would give them a good impression of your business and they would likely come back and buy more from you.
9. Make Your Business Known
Make sure to make a connection to a purpose, and be authentic. Whatever you promote about your products, you need to take every necessary step to make your words into reality. Provide eco-friendly packaging, and promote a safer environment. Transparency is the key. It is very important to be empathetic and appreciate your customers so that they can wholeheartedly trust your brand.
The Takeaway
Customers are the heart of any business, they are the reason you can stand out among others. You need to keep in mind to make them your priority. Encouraging repeat customers can positively affect your business and help to improve conversion rates. You can work on a marketing strategy to keep up the retention rate and make customers return to your site to shop again. Some steps you can follow are mentioned above. Do proper research, and understand your business and your customers, their interests and preferences to introduce deals and services that they would like. Most importantly gain their trust and develop a healthy relationship with them so that they would willingly be loyal to your brand and turn into repeat customers.
