10 Expert Tips to Retain Your New Customers on eCommerce Websites
Nov 21st, 2009 by admin
S uccessful retailers retain their customers, and that’s how they become successful. 
Here, our guest blogger Michelle talks about retaining the customers. Michelle Strassburg heads the sales and marketing at wood and beyond that sells hardwood flooring .
Picture of 10 Expert Tips to Retain Your New Customers on eCommerce Websites [source:retail-ecommerce.com]
Winning new customers is often easier than keeping them! Not too dissimilar to other types of relationships, business or personal, you must work hard to make sure the other party is happy. Retaining customers creates a happy relationship for both parties and should therefore be considered as a key objective for the business. The math is simple, retain more customers to win more returning business.
1. Stay in touch and actively communicate Looking at things from a customer’s point of view is the key to a successful retention programme. Before the days of e-commerce, staying in touch with customers was costly and complicated. Nowadays, newsletters and even mobile SMS messages offer a cost-effective way to stay current.
2. Diversify your communication tools – The web has not only brought us fast search and easy online shopping, it has also brought us new communication tools. Some customer groups might be using Twitter, some might be using Skype and some still prefer to pick up the phone to hear a voice on the other side. In order to cater to everyone, businesses need to diversify their communication tools as a means to retain customers.
3. Encourage communication from customers – Hearing from customers keeps them engaged with the brand and also helps you to identify and address potential problems quickly. Consider signing every newsletter with a message asking for feedback. Offer an easy way to add comments and product reviews.
4. Make customer service a business priority – Most types of e-commerce sites I know, heavily depend on returning business to offset costs involved in winning new business. It therefore makes sense to invest in customer-centric resources such as a dedicated customer service teams, customer service procedures and of course high level of staff training.
5. Make customer service a priority across all departments – There is little to be gained if one department upholds excellent customer service, but others do not follow suit. To make customer retention work, all departments from customer support to billing and shipping should place customer needs first. A happy customer is likely a returning customer, simple!
6. Stay one step ahead of the competition – Losing parts of the customer base because the competition has outsmarted you happens in business. To minimize this risk, invest in brand relevancy by constantly diversifying product offers and promotions making the brand more sticky.
7. Stay competitive and relevant – Even the best brand and product loyalty programmes will not beat a better deal if your competitor has one. To retain customers, it is essential to keep prices competitive and stay relevant by going with current customer tastes and trends. Always be on the lookout for new products and services if you have recognised an opportunity in the market.
8. Build a loyalty programme – In addition to staying at the forefront of customers’ minds, you also want to make it worth their while to purchase from your store. The most straightforward loyalty programmes are money off a next purchase and they often work. Other e-commerce sites sometimes employ an element of referrals to their loyalty programmes, but it will require more resources to manage.
9. Be seen as an authority not only as an e-commerce site – Other than selling, do something extra for your customers which others cannot. My favourite is offering maintenance how-to and product guides which customers appreciate and tend to bookmark, increasing the likelihood of them returning.
10. Use commonsense – Try and put yourself in your customers’ shoes and ask yourself what would make you come back to the site.
I hope my tips have pointed you in the right direction. [source:retail-ecommerce.com]
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