If your primary business activities are conducted online, then you know that competition for customers is very fierce. With the click of a mouse, online customers can comparison shop at a high level. Just a few dollars difference in price can cause you to lose a potential online customer in a heartbeat. Online customer retention is challenging, regardless of the products or services your small business provides. With a combination of free items, shopping cart usage and special gestures of thanks, you can improve your online customer retention rate.
Free Shipping and Free Gifts
A tested and true method to improve online customer retention is to offer free shipping. While this may not seem like a great business practice at first glance, there are ways to increase revenue and offer a free shipping perk to online customers.
Consider offering free shipping on orders that exceed a certain dollar amount. This way, you can encourage customers to spend more while maximizing on the cost of shipping. Online customers also like to see free gift offers in conjunction with a purchase. You can include things like a free tote bag, a promotional t-shirt, or other simple items on orders that exceed a certain dollar amount. These free giveaways will create a competitive edge for your online retail site. Online customer retention improves in conjunction with freebies.
Encourage Shopping Cart Usage
Make sure that your website has a shopping cart feature, one that remembers what customers placed there the next time they return to browse. A customer may place an item in the shopping cart with every intention to buy, but then become distracted by a business or personal matter. The shopping cart feature makes it easy to browse at length and return to make a purchase at a later date. Shopping cart usage ultimately increases the likelihood that the shopper will return at a later date because they don’t have to spend time searching for deals. It is an online customer retention tool that serves a specific purpose and helps to boost repeat sales.
Extend Words and Gestures of Thanks
Make sure that all email communication and order confirmations include words of thanks. You can even include special promotion codes or coupons to customers who have recently placed an order. This increases the likelihood that the customer will return to your site for additional value and savings. It is a great way to go the extra mile for your online customers and build long-lasting relationships with them.
Online customer retention sets a great business apart from a mediocre one. Customer loyalty is an integral part of business success, and developing lasting relationships without face-to-face interaction can be challenging. Focus on online customers just as if they were walking into a physical store to make a purchase. They deserve the same degree of service and attention in person and online. Keeping your online customers happy is essential for taking your small business to the highest levels of performance.
