Winning a customer and keeping them, so they become a permanent customer, is one of the biggest challenges facing small online businesses. With growing competition and the abundance of alternative products, keeping customers and earning their trust has become one of the most valuable goals for the success of the project. If you run an online business and want to know the steps to keep your store’s customers loyal, this article is for you.
Steps to keep online store customers loyal
Global studies show that raising customer loyalty by just 5% reflects on the success of the online store and increases profits by 25% to 95%. Keeping customers loyal is therefore one of the most important strategies for raising profit levels and for the stability and sustainability of the business model. So how do we keep our online store’s customers loyal?
Create customer reward programmes
One way to secure and keep the loyalty of your store’s customer is to create reward programmes, and entrepreneurs usually follow four approaches:
- Limited-time coupons (discount codes): offer coupons repeatedly on occasions and seasons such as Ramadan, the two Eids, National Day and back-to-school season, with a deadline for using them to encourage quick purchases.
- Points collection and redemption: give the customer points according to the value of their purchases, for example 10 points for every SAR 50 spent, redeemable for a voucher or store credit once they reach a set level.
- Cashback: give the customer part of the value of their purchases as a discount or credit to use on their next purchase.
- Friend referral programme: a personal link the customer uses to invite friends to sign up in exchange for credit or a discount for both.
Exceed customer expectations
When a customer chooses an online store they may be apprehensive about the outcome, and if they are a returning customer they have formed expectations based on their previous experience. What if you exceeded your customer’s expectations and delivered the required service better than before? It leaves a striking impression and a doubled effect. For example, if the customer expects the shipment within 48 hours, deliver it within 24; and if a shipment is late, apologise and offer a discount coupon for the next purchase. This is how you build a strong relationship of trust, credibility and high quality.
Keep improving everything that adds to customer convenience
Some customers look for ease and convenience when getting a service or product, whether during the purchase or the delivery, and this can be a decisive reason for preferring one store over another. Ways to achieve it include:
- Convenient and easy payment methods.
- An immediate response when entering the store, such as live chat, especially for older customers who prefer a call to an email.
- A warranty that is convenient for both seller and buyer.
Engage customers regularly
If customers are not continuously engaged with the brand, it fades from their minds and they look for competitors. Promotional messages and calls to buy are not enough; engage the customer in creative ways such as writing blogs on the company site or social media that educate the customer and raise brand awareness, on topics related to the store’s activity and useful to the customer. This content makes you an expert in your field and gives you credibility and an edge over competitors.
Ask customers for their opinion
Some companies work hard to win new customers and neglect existing ones, even though a new customer costs eight times as much as keeping a current one. Listening to their feedback, asking them to rate the product and service, and using that information to improve the store is one of the best ways to secure loyalty. Feedback can be gathered through a survey on the site, social media or email newsletters, with enough room for the customer to express their opinion.
Show gratitude to your loyal customer
Customers usually receive many competing advertisements and offers, so it is essential to offer services and gestures that express your gratitude: a thank-you message at delivery or after checkout, or special exceptions such as waiving the delivery fee in appreciation of their loyalty.
Avoid false promises
Imagine the frustration false promises cause and their effect on credibility and trust between you and the customer, such as changing the shipping cost or adding fees not explained in advance. One of the most important ways to build a relationship based on trust is to avoid promises you may not be able to keep.
In closing, focus on customer loyalty to strengthen your marketing and sales efforts and reach the project’s goals of higher profits and revenue. On ecarts you find coupons, customer credit, customer classifications, automatic review requests and live chat in one dashboard.
