Every e-commerce business grows when the number of customers grows. It’s easily the most important metric to track as an eCommerce business owner. First-time customers are proof that your marketing strategies are working and that you are expanding your business’ reach. Your business must receive first-timers as frequently as possible, to confirm that your marketing efforts are successful.
With this, you can now see how salient first-timers are to your eCommerce brand. However, it is not enough to get new people to patronize you. The focus must lie in making them returning customers. Leveraging social media and other available tools, you can turn your customers into unwavering loyalists. As a brand, your end goal is to make a profit while meeting your customer’s needs. You cannot achieve these goals if you don’t have a plan to retain your first-timers.
In this article, we’ll look at a few tips to help with customer retention and keep your first-time customers coming back. Let’s dive in, shall we?
- Be ‘Customer-centric’
As an e-commerce brand looking to retain customers, your focus should be on the customer itself. Being customer-centric means that everything about your brand’s products and service aims to satisfy the customer. This means that in every interaction between your brand and the customer, they must not leave unsatisfied. Being customer-centric can apply to the shopping experience, payment methods, shipping, support, and any other point of contact with the customer.
- Communicate Appropriately
Communication is the bedrock of retaining customers. You must use your channels (social media especially) to pass information to your customers. A social media strategy should suffice for this. Your brand language should match the demographic you are trying to reach and you should not lose track of vital messages. Also, communication on your website or online store should be easy to understand, as it helps first-timers navigate easily.
- Be Open to Feedback
With your focus on the customer and appropriate communication, you must still be willing to accept feedback. The customer will always have something to say. These can be about the product, service, contact with your brand, or even the overall experience. As an eCommerce brand, you must create avenues for them to provide feedback for you. You can incorporate it into the shopping process, through social media handles, or through your business email. Their feedback is key to helping you improve your offering and ensuring that they keep coming back.
- Reward Loyalty
Rewarding your customer’s loyalty is a simple way of making them feel special for patronizing your brand. There is no one size fits all approach to doing this, and brand owners must do whatever suits their specific brand. It is a proven way of incentivizing customers for coming back and encouraging them to come again. As an eCommerce brand, you can reward customers for various milestones – first-time purchases, Referrals, or a given number of purchases. Many businesses in the United States have successfully used discounts, coupons, free delivery services, and other rewards as part of their customer retention strategies.
In conclusion, your customers are the most important asset of your eCommerce brand. You won’t go wrong by trying to keep them coming back. Apply these few tips and watch your business grow with ease. All the best!
