In a business of any type, repeat customers are considered pure gold. Not only did you impress them enough to buy your product or service the first time, they came back again. Obviously you’ve done something right. Now the trick is to keep it working for you.
Repeat customers can be a great source of further business, as long as you feed and nurture the relationship. We’ll take a look here at some ways to accomplish this.
Acknowledge Them
As human beings, we like to know that what we do gets noticed. We enjoy doing business with a company that feels like a good friend, one that we can establish a relationship with. If you take the time to acknowledge your repeat customers, you let them know that you noticed, and you care enough to take your time to communicate with them.
It doesn’t have to be anything more than a simple email message or even a note you post in the mail. In addition, you can let your code do the talking. If you require customers to create an account, personalise their log-in screen with their name and a welcome message. Sometimes it’s the little things that really mean a lot.
Make Suggestions
The next time the customer does log into their account on your site, suggest products related to their last purchase. Most of the big retail sites do this, think of Amazon. Repeat clients cannot click on the site without facing a whole page worth of suggestions for future purchase.
Does this technique work? It sure does. Often visitors don’t even realize you offer something they want or need unless they see it featured prominently, and often.
Give Them Something For Nothing
One of the best ways to keep customers coming back for more is to give them something for free. Offer them an extra that only repeat clients are eligible to receive, such as free shipping, subscription to your newsletter, or a bonus product. When customers feel like they are being treated special by way of spectacular customer support and service, they are more likely to think of your company first the next time they want to make a purchase.
Ask For Referrals
Another way to make money from repeat customers is to ask them to send referrals. This shouldn’t be difficult to do, after all they were satisfied enough to come back to your site and make subsequent purchases so why wouldn’t they spread the news to their friends and acquaintances? Make it easy for them to receive credit by sending them referral cards, or giving them a unique number or code they can give to others to input during their purchase.
If their referrals do result in a sale, share the wealth. Give your repeat customer a discount on their next order, or even send them a small gift card.
Repeat business is indeed worth it’s weight in gold. It takes far longer, and costs much more, to attract a new customer as opposed to nurturing the relationship with an existing one. Be sure to let your repeat customers know just how much they mean to you, and offer them an incentive to keep coming back.
See you at the top of Google!
Sean Rasmussen
SEO Australia Pacific
AussieSEO.com © 2007 - 2010
Hi Sean,
This is all great advice. In the offline world, it’s vital that your customers have a great experience dealing with you. If they don’t, you’ll soon see them shopping somewhere else.
Online, it’s maybe even more important that you give good customer service. Customers can’t see your friendly smiling face or caring tone and you can’t help them get their purchases to their car.
So, you really do have to go that extra mile in building a relationship with them. I think it’s all about making your customers feel valued because without them, you don’t have a business. And trust. Your customers need to know that you will do the right thing when something goes wrong.
.-= Jazz Salinger´s last blog ..Learn and Earn – It’s a Marathon Not a Sprint =-.
Hi Sean
This is really great advice. I love building relationships and keeping them where possible.
I know how much I value when a company rep rewards me for my loyalty and it makes me feel good about shopping there.
I also like the ideas you have presented in regards to what type of rewards can be given. I think anything that can save a person time, or give them valuable information they can use or just make them feel good is a great reward. We all like to feel nurtured,
I have in my possession, a Christmas gift from a recruiting company, very elaborately boxed, no instructions and I didn’t like to ask what it was for as I didn’t want to insult them.
It looks like a Physicians instrument of torture from the dark ages, and I think it might be some multipurpose you beaut compression operated bottle opener! As I don’t drink, it is still in the cupboard. I could probably use it to jack up my car…. might come in handy (lol)
Therefore, we would want to give gifts that will be useful and of value to the customer.
Blessings
Elly
.-= Elly´s last blog .. =-.
I would love to have 1st time customers on my website let alone repeat customers. But I know myself when I purchase something I will always go back there and refer people to them if I have had a pleasant experience. I will keep these tips on hand for when I do get some customers.
.-= Jackie Stenhouse´s last blog ..Anxiety Separation in Children =-.