eCommerce stores spend vast amounts of time and energy on customer acquisition. In an ideal world, those new shoppers become repeat purchasers, evolving into brand advocates and ambassadors. But how do you increase the repeat purchase rate for your eCommerce store? We’ve got nine tips below for increasing purchase volumes from previous shoppers so you can win more sustainable business.
1) Send re-engagement emails
Sending emails doesn’t require a lot of resources, and it acts as a way to remind previous customers that you’re still here, ready to take their orders. A re-engagement email aims to win customers back and remind them why they bought from you in the first place. Make the email as personal as possible based on the customer’s previous purchase. An incentive in the email may also be worth considering, such as free delivery on their next order or a discount on certain products. Do this, and you’ll increase the chances of drawing the shopper back to your store.
2) Offer flexible payment options
There have never been as many different ways to pay for products and services as there are now. It's important for your online store to keep on top of the latest payment trends and give customers flexibility. For example, an increasing number of shoppers are ignoring traditional ways to pay and using alternative payment options, such as buy now, pay later (BNPL) and other forms of digital credit. 40% of Brits have already used BNPL, and it's the primary payment method for many Millennials and Gen Z. Giving your customers more ways to pay shows that you're acknowledging their needs. As a result, you'll increase the chances of earning their trust and repeat business.
3) Review the checkout experience
The average checkout drop-off is around 70%. That's a lot of business left on the table, so you need to review your checkout experience. How easy is it for customers to complete the checkout stage? Your checkout page needs to be a fluid experience where the customer cruises through the process and doesn't need to think too much about the next step. Provide a clear set of instructions taking them through each buying stage, and ensure it's easy for shoppers to pay for your products and services when they reach the checkout.
4) And your post-purchase experience
Every customer wants to feel like their experience is tailored to their needs. To improve the customer experience and create repeat shoppers, you'll need to find personalised ways to communicate with them. One of the best ways to do this revolves around making shoppers feel good about the purchase they just made by offering relevant updates. Send them a welcome sequence that adds value to the product they just purchased. That it should include updates about their delivery goes without saying, but also think about other ways to make them feel valued. For instance, consider sending a set of emails showing them how to make the most out of their new product.
5) Simplify important information
The layout of your online store might make sense to you, but what type of experience does it provide for someone using it for the first time? If you want people to use your website regularly to buy products and services, ensure the important information is easy to find. That includes details about pricing, accessing customer accounts, checking order status and other essential information that should be easily accessible. Keeping your website simple, clear and concise is the best way to give people a good feeling when they use it and means they’ll be more likely to return in the future.
6) Provide excellent customer service
Excellent customer service is one of the pillars of a successful online brand. Go big on providing 'wow' moments for your shoppers by ensuring your team is easily accessible to anyone with questions about your products and services. You'll resolve issues much faster if you provide excellent customer service via email, phone, social media, and chatbots. This will encourage customers to continue buying from you regardless of whether they faced issues with their order.
7) Send personalised product recommendations
Product recommendations can be an excellent way to increase repeat business when done right. Use previous sales data to get the information and send emails with recommendations. You can also include “items you might like” on product pages for customers with accounts. The more personalised the recommendation, the higher the chance of securing repeat business from that shopper.
8) Offer a review and feedback service
Allowing customers to leave reviews and feedback makes them feel more valued and increases the likelihood that they'll buy from you again. If you're providing high-quality products and excellent customer service, then there's every chance the reviews will shine your online store in a good light. Consequently, reviews serve you in two different ways: they make current customers feel more valued and attract first-time shoppers who see high scores and feel more confident shopping with your brand. Positive reviews make 91% of customers more likely to use a business, while negative reviews put 82% off, and more customers means more opportunities to build strong customer relationships.
9) Start a rewards program
How do you reward brand loyalty or even begin to encourage it? By starting a rewards program. Customers need to feel like the relationship goes two ways if they're going to use your store repeatedly. You can show shoppers how much you value them with an incentive-based loyalty program. It's a way of thanking them for their business and loyalty. Offering points and valuable rewards for shopping at your store will encourage them to buy from you more frequently.
Customer loyalty
Earning repeat business at your eCommerce store will take work, but there are many actions you can perform to win over loyalty from your customers. From offering flexible payments to ensuring a seamless checkout experience, you can get shoppers coming back for more and buying your products and services multiple times over.
