The goal of any business is to stay afloat and gain as many customers as possible. A business needs its customers to grow and expand in any market. So logic dictates that, the more new customers know about your business, the faster your business will grow.
Getting new customers is always great, but any good retail business should also know how to keep the regulars coming back. It is more cost-efficient and helps your business understand its impact on the community. According to a study by Shopify, a customer who returns for a second time will be 45% more likely to repeat a purchase. The number will grow to 56% with the fourth return. So what’s the secret? Here are five strategies you might want to consider.
Strategy 1: Keep in Touch Regularly with Personalized Messages
Email is one of the best ways to keep in touch with your customers. It is customizable, and you can even add their name to make it more personal. Send your customer a free voucher or a discount code to draw the customer back to your shop if they haven’t bought from you in a while.
You can also provide recommended products based on their last purchase or what they can save on in their wishlist. Personalized messages allow for a connection to form, from your brand to the customers. Leaving your customers with a positive and lasting impression to keep your business at the forefront of their minds.
Strategy 2: Remind Customers to Buy
You might have sent a special voucher to your loyal customers. However, either the notification was missed, or they have forgotten it. But vouchers have expiry dates and there is no better way to get your customers back in, than with a good voucher that is about to expire. So, drop them a message and remind them to use their near-expired voucher.
Another example to remind your customer to buy is by telling them about their last purchase. Tell them how long they haven’t visited your business and ask about their previous purchase. This reminder will lead your customers to consider a repeat purchase on your business. Again, it is likely to put your business on top of their mind.
Strategy 3: Create an Experience for the Client
A business needs to always create the best purchase experience for their customers instead of only focusing on the number of customers. Create a satisfying experience among your customers to give them one reason they should return to your business. A small service like being humble and throwing a smile while communicating with your customers is a practical example you need to do.
Strategy 4: Create a Loyalty Program
To grow repeat purchases, make sure you have your customers’ loyalty. Implementing loyalty programs like discounts, early access to new products, and point systems are some of the ways to keep your customers back. This strategy may work best for replenishable goods that customers constantly need to buy. However, a membership program with a gamified points system can also work.
Strategy 5: Give customers incentives for their next purchase
Most businesses often forget to reward their new customers. Creating a trigger action immediately after purchase will prompt the customers into a state of consideration, to come back! A cash voucher for the next purchase works great in making new customers, and returning customers. You can also create an expiration date to create urgency, so they must rush back to your business and use the voucher.
Trial and error is the way to finding out the best business strategy. Learn your customer’s habits to identify patterns so you use them to predict their future behaviour. You may need to focus on customer acquisition in the early growth stages of your business. However, shift your plan to encourage repeat purchases while you have your first customer. Creating a wholesome experience for your customers will engage them longer and guarantee your sales a boost in the long run.