The following content is sponsored by 1-grid.
You’ve probably heard it a thousand times. It’s easier (and cheaper) to convert a customer that has already bought your product than to convert a brand-new customer. While it rings true for many, it’s definitely a case of easier said than done.
Just because a customer has purchased from you once, and has had that initial experience with your brand, does not mean they will come back for more immediately. Encouraging and winning over customers for the long-term takes strategic effort based on a number of factors.
With an online shopping cart abandonment rate of 69.2%, getting browsers to become loyal customers is all about providing value to consumers at the right time in their purchase journey. The tricky part is providing enough value to make them want to come back, time and time again.
While every marketing strategy is industry and customer-specific, here are some tips any small business should consider when trying to win over regular customers.
Emphasize your value
Even if you have a number of competitors who offer the same, or similar products to you, customers want to see how your product might offer more value to them than the others they’ve scrolled through before. Help your customers see exactly what they’ll be getting and how it will make their lives better.
Make constant use of your unique selling points, and demonstrate them in your social media posts, videos, articles and product copy.
Offer secure, alternative financing
In a country where e-Commerce is still lifting off, not all customers might have the ability to or are comfortable with purchasing products online using a credit card. To win over the customers who don’t have a credit card, don’t want to use their credit or just simply can’t afford the whole amount at once, offering a few payment options will offer both a convenient and more personalised service.
There are a number of alternative finance solutions that you can integrate into your e-Commerce platform including:
- SnapScan: Immediate payment is made via scanning a QR code in the app
- Instant EFT: Immediate payment is made by the customer via a simple bank transfer
- PayJustNow: Interest-free payment is made over three months via the PayJustNow portal
SEE ALSO: 5 E-commerce Challenges and Easy Solutions
Use discount codes effectively
Offering customers discounts or offers based on past purchases is a well-known method of attracting customers back to a website. It can, however, be overdone, to the point where customers ignore discount messages because they know there will just be another one coming their way the next day.
Create discounts specifically for customers who come back to purchase, and add the advantage of exclusive, early access to sales and offers in the future. This will not only encourage customers to come back, but also make them aware that the access is limited to those who are loyal to the brand.
Show your customers gratitude
While discounts and offers are great, they aren’t the most unique way to show your customers that you are grateful for their purchase. Find a way to show your customers that you appreciate their business, in a way that both suits your brand but also sets you apart. This way, you’ll have more chance of sticking in their minds the next time they’re looking for your product.
There are a number of ways to personalise your gratitude to customers, including:
- Send a hand-written thank you note with first purchases
- Educate customers on how their purchases helps you to support local charity projects or NGO’s
- Add a small, free gift to orders, whether it’s a sample of a new product or a fridge magnet to brighten up someone’s kitchen.
- Show repeat customers extra love by giving them access to product launches, a higher percentage off their next purchase or branded goodies that will make them feel truly appreciated.
Provide a seamless purchase journey
You might have the best product in the world, but if customer’s can’t move through the purchase journey on your e-Commerce website with ease, they will abandon their efforts pretty swiftly. From product search, to clear product and shipping information and secure, hassle free payment, there are a number of points in the customer journey that always have to be on point.
Thomas Vollrath, CEO of 1-grid emphasizes that it’s always valuable getting customer feedback on your e-Commerce website to pick up any pain points, whether it’s a short survey or collection of common issues from your inbox or social media account. You’re then equipped to work on any problems that are stopping customers from completing an order and coming back for more.
Running a successful online store that converts new customers into repeat brand loyalists takes consistent effort. But you don’t have to wait for customer complaints before identifying issues. There’s no harm trying out the purchase journey yourself and you may just learn some useful information that you weren’t aware of before.
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