It’s fair to say that consumer habits have and continue to change due to the coronavirus pandemic. With many retailers closing their shop doors, people are now turning their attention to online shopping. And with the festive season on the horizon, we may see a huge increase in the amount of people going digital in 2020.
If businesses can meet the digital demand, there’s potential for them to have sales success in what’s been a very turbulent year. While gaining new customers is a win, the long-term objective for many companies will be to retain them for the months and years to come.
So, how can businesses not only gain new customers, but retain them in the long term?
Create a strong online presence
According to Statista, “the number of digital buyers worldwide keeps climbing every year” and “e-commerce growth will accelerate even further in the future”. For this reason, it’s essential for businesses to have a strong online presence to capture the attention of their target audience. Optimising their website is one step in this process, to make sure their products or services are visible when consumers are searching online. Companies should also make sure that their site is user-friendly and easy to navigate – the simpler and more efficient the buying process, the more likely customers are to return in future!
Offer exceptional customer service
Want customers to return time and time again? Then it’s essential to offer good customer service. If a customer has a poor or sub-standard experience with a company, it’s very unlikely that they’ll continue to shop there in future. That’s why businesses should put time and energy into offering exceptional customer service consistently. This may be achieved through efficient staff training programmes, creating a streamlined way for customers to get in touch, and having simple, hassle-free returns/complaints procedures.
Implement a loyalty reward programme
Another effective way to retain customers is to implement a loyalty programme that offers prizes, vouchers or other rewards for shopping. This will make loyal customers feel valued and give them incentives to buy from the business again in the future. There are many different types of loyalty programmes to consider, from vouchers for specific products and/or services, to a points-based system that can be used to get money off goods in future.
Personalise their experience
Companies can use data insights to get to know their customers on a deeper level, then tailor their advertising and/or loyalty programmes to suit. For instance, a business may be able to understand individual shopper habits through a loyalty programme like a points card. They could then issue personalised vouchers or rewards to each customer, encouraging them to shop again in the near future. A company may also be able to send personalised emails to customers’ inboxes based on their previous shopping habits.
By implementing effective and efficient customer retention tactics, companies of all sizes can put themselves in the strongest position to reach their goals – now and into the future.