Five ways to guarantee customer retention

The success of any eCommerce store is based on returning customers. These customers are likely to spend more per transaction that one-time shoppers and their brand loyalty will extend to them telling friends and colleagues about the wonderful service your company provides, which in turn generates further sales.

With that in mind, we’ve devised five ways in which you can improve customer retention levels and enjoy even greater eCommerce success:

1) Go the extra mile for your customers

Offering your customers small perks is a low-cost way to reward them for choosing your brand, and this ultimately helps to improve retention. For example, let’s imagine an online musical instrument store: a customer purchases a £500 guitar online, and the supplier throws in a couple of extra sets of strings as a perk. In the grand scheme of things, this costs very little but makes the customer feel valued.

This same example can be used in any industry – free cufflinks with a shirt, or a poster with the purchase of a computer game. The situation doesn’t matter, it’s the thought of receiving something for free which helps to create brand loyalty.

2) Create a VIP scheme for regular customers

Elevating the status of your customers so that they receive special tiered-pricing offers or money-off incentives every time they make a purchase is not a new strategy – but it’s an effective one. These sorts of schemes have been used before the days of eCommerce, under the basic premise of “the more you shop, the more you get”. Use your VIP scheme wisely and reap the rewards.

3) Put yourself in full view of the customer

Be visible. If your customers are active on social media, you need an active social media presence. Likewise, you need to be available and contactable when your customers need you to be. Implementing online chat and being responsive to email queries ensures that your customers feel like you’re there for them when they need you the most. By creating a community around your brand, you aren’t simply selling products – you’re selling your way into a community of kindred spirits. As humans, we innately want to feel that sort of connection, and you can use it to increase your sales.

4) Offer time-limited special offers

If a customer feels like they’re going to miss out on a great deal, they’re more likely to convert. A great way to encourage purchases and retention simultaneously is to offer a discount voucher if the customer makes a purchase in a specified time-period. This double-whammy encourages the purchase, while also ensuring them to return to your eCommerce site once again to use their money-off voucher code.

5) Incentivise social media shares

By repeatedly getting existing customers to engage with your social media content, you’re creating a connection to your company. A great way to do this is to encourage social sharing competitions which feature customer-created content (such as “take a photo with one of our products to win a voucher” or a similar promotion). This increases customer retention and helps expose your brand to prospects who will see your existing customer’s posts on their social timelines.

For further information on how to get ahead in the world of eCommerce, take a look at Lexel, a Magento based agency in London.