By now, a lot of us have become savvy online shoppers. We’re familiar with Google searches, cookies, shopping carts and order tracking. We even have favorite online stores which we regularly visit for the latest trends, the newest products, and even to replace household items. Think about what keeps us going back to those websites? Why do we click on their e-mails instead of deleting them like so many others? What is their secret for customer retention, and what can we learn from these retailers?
Every ecommerce retailer is also an ecommerce customer. In fact, because we are familiar with the backend of ecommerce shopping, we may even be more demanding of the websites from which we shop. The reason why we are loyal to certain online stores is very straightforward: They provide customers with a positive experience.
To grow your ecommerce business, your goal should be to foster customer loyalty and get your shoppers to come back for more.
A Positive Customer Experience Leads to Return Customers
The customer journey, from the initial visit through the confirmation message and thank you email, includes many opportunities to delight customers and show them that you know what they want and that you are interested in an ongoing relationship. As a successful ecommerce retailer, you are not just looking for that initial purchase; your goal is to get that second, third and fourth purchase from a satisfied customer. We all know that it is five times less expensive to retain an existing customer than it is to acquire a new one. To grow your ecommerce business, your goal should be to foster customer loyalty and get your shoppers to come back for more.
Think about what you value in your own customer journey, is it the lowest prices? Is it on-time delivery? Whatever it is, you can be sure that the retailer knows what you value and emphasizes this in their communication with you. Knowing what your customers want and letting them know they can get that from your online store is one of the best ways to ensure your customers return.
Know Your Customers and Your Customers Will Get to Know You
The more you know about your customers’ shopping habits and preferences, the easier it will be to turn them into repeat customers. And what’s more, the more you learn about your loyal customers, the easier it will be to find other shoppers with similar interests, demographics, and values. A thorough customer analysis on customer activity and marketing engagement will help you find your most profitable customers.
Keeping Your Customers in the Know Will Grow Your Business
Once you know what they want, it will become easier to provide customers with a positive customer journey and you will be able to reach out to them when you are running a promotion, introducing a new product, or even when the holidays roll around. Activities like cross-selling and up-selling during checkout or order confirmation will seem like a friend suggesting something else they might be interested in.
The secret to customer loyalty is no secret at all. Contact WISMOlabs today to learn more about how our customer experience platform integrations can work for you, build your customers’ loyalty, and increase their overall lifetime value.
