5 Things You Need to Do After an E-Commerce Customer Converts
Generally, business owners focus more on achieving high conversion rates than they do on retaining customers after they convert. But higher conversion rates don’t always lead to more sales or higher sales revenues. Research shows that repeat customers spend a lot more than first-time customers — up to five times more! They are also less price-sensitive, which leads to lower marketing spend for your business. Here are five things you should do to retain new and existing customers after they convert. We also recommend finding a digital marketing agency to help you with your efforts.
1. Send a Confirmation Email
Customers expect to hear from you after they purchase something from your e-commerce site. They want to know that their payments were processed successfully and securely and that the deal they were offered was honored. They also want to verify that you’re preparing their order for shipment, that you have their correct address, and that you’re shipping the correct items to them. You should always send a confirmation email detailing each customer’s shipment and how much they were charged. It’s also important to thank customers for their business.
2. Provide Exceptional Shipping with Updates
Over 95 percent of customers claim that if they have a good delivery experience with an e-commerce company, they’re more likely to buy from that company again. Another 66 percent of shoppers say they would choose one company over another simply because of a better shipping experience and more shipping options. Customers would typically rather wait five to seven days for free shipping than pay a fee for overnight shipping, although they do want both options in case they need something shipped faster. Sending customers updates when their items have been shipped, and information about how they can track their packages will help alleviate misunderstandings about where their items are and who’s handling their purchase. Also, share your shipping procedure with customers, so they know which carrier will deliver their items and how their items will be packaged. This way they’ll know if items have been tampered with or if something is missing.
3. Explain Your Returns Policy
If you stop taking items back after 30 or 60 days or need a product code to process a return, then let your customers know up front. If you do, they won’t be stuck with items they don’t want after they receive their order. They’ll also be more likely to buy from you again if you make returning unwanted items easy. One of the worst things you can do is take customers’ money and leave them with items they’re unhappy with or don’t really want. They’ll just get frustrated and angry, and be less likely to buy from you again.
4. Ask for Feedback and Reviews
After your customer converts, ask them how their online shopping and buying experience was. This will let you know about any glitches you need to work out. It will also give you a chance to remedy any frustrations they experienced before they receive their items. You’ll get helpful information directly from customers about how to make your buying process easier and quicker. This is especially important to do if you have recently updated your e-commerce site. Ask your customers what they think of a product they recently purchased from you after they receive it too. See if they’ll share their experience with others or leave a review for others to see online. This doubles as a wonderful way to remind customers where they can follow you on social media, and how they can connect with your brand online.
5. Send Special Offers and Promotions
You should send special offers and promotions to customers, especially those who buy a lot from you or buy from you often. Shortly after customers receive their items in the mail, send them a promotion for an item that’s related to the items they just purchased. For example, if a customer buys a rain jacket, you can send them a discount code for a pair of rain boots, or you can send them a complimentary umbrella with their shipment with your logo on it. Consult a digital marketing agency to aid in building special offers and promotions for your brand. Even if you don’t have a customer loyalty program, provide discounts and exclusive offers to customers to keep them coming back to buy more. In e-commerce, it’s just as important to retain your existing customers as it is to convert new ones. Do the things suggested above after a customer converts, and your chances of building customer loyalty and profits will increase too.
