Ecommerce marketing strategies that are designed to retain customers are often seen as an afterthought, with customer acquisition taking centre stage. In reality, however, it does not only cost less to retain current customers – it also requires a lot less effort. The benefits of including retention strategies in your broader plan are numerous, from increased profits to enhanced loyalty and even brand recognition.
That does not mean that you do not need a strategy in place to retain customers effectively. Just like anything else in life, you always need a plan to see genuine results. In fact, you will need a few clever ecommerce marketing strategies if you truly want to wow customers enough to return again and again.
Top Ecommerce Marketing Strategies to Retain Your Customers
Some of the most effective ecommerce marketing strategies to consider include the following:
- Customer loyalty programmes: Whether you set up a VIP system with three different tiers, or a point system that offers cash back or other rewards, customer loyalty programmes are a very effective tool for retention. These help to drive engagement, encourage purchases, keep your brand fresh in mind, and let customers know that you care.
- Email marketing: There are a number of ways you can use email marketing. One way is to send a regular monthly newsletter that reinforces your brand, offers unique deals and offers, and keeps customers updated on new products and specials. Other email campaigns include abandoned cart emails, wishlist emails, browsed product emails, and birthday emails.
- Customer experience: Customer experience plays a vital role in retention. You can create a better experience for customers through conversion optimisation strategies, thoughtful touches such as handwritten order notes, registration anniversary gift cards, seasonal offers, and excellent customer service.
- Smart retargeting: You can retarget customers through social media sponsored posts or PPC ads. These are especially useful for customers who have joined without making a purchase, as well as those who have made a single small purchase in less than a year without returning. Just be sure to approach this carefully – if you are too aggressive or too targeted, you may end up putting customers off instead.
All in all, retention is something no ecommerce site can afford to ignore. If you are aiming to put more focus on customer retention in the year ahead, be sure to give these ecommerce marketing strategies a try.