Getting one sale is nice, but it’s even better when you can convince a customer to come back and buy from you again.
There are many ways to make sure that one-time customers want to come back and become regulars, from the way in which you provide service to the deals that you offer those who have shopped with you before. Keep the tips below in mind, and you will see a huge uptick in the number of customers who become repeat buyers.
Provide Wishlists
Customers can’t always buy everything they want or need in one go, and many of them will forget to come back to your store if they don’t have something to make future shopping easier. By providing a wishlist that can be tied to a customer account, you can improve the chance of a return. The best part about a wishlist is that it applies absolutely no pressure to the customer – they can come back and view the list, add to it, or purchase items from it whenever they want. This added convenience makes them more likely to turn your online store into a regular part of their browsing experience. It also extends your reach, since the presence of a wishlist means that friends and family might buy gifts from it, too.
Build an Email List
For all the value of SEO and organic search, having an old-fashioned mailing list is still an important part of developing an online business. An email list can keep customers from lapsing – even if they haven’t bought from you in a while, they can still keep abreast of what is going on and jump back into the store when they see something that interests them. You should make sure that the opportunity to sign up for your email list is present on every single page your customers see. You can add additional incentives by offering special coupons and bargains to email subscribers. Having an email list helps you build a relationship with your customers, making them want to come back again and again.
Provide Vouchers for Future Purchases
Giving a coupon to a customer for their first purchase will get them to visit your store one time. The trick is to instead provide those coupons to potential repeat customers. When somebody creates a new account on your storefront, provide them with a voucher or a discount for their next purchase. As long as they are happy with the experience this time around, they will probably come back again for the deal you offer them. This lets them see more of what you have to offer and possibly gives them a reason to start building a wishlist. It also helps to turn shopping at your store into a habit. Once they’ve made more than one purchase, the odds of them coming back increase dramatically.
Add a Cart Recovery Plugin
More than half of all online shoppers abandon their cart before they complete checkout. Whether this is due to sticker shock, changing their mind, or just using the cart as a wishlist instead of a purchase they intended to make, these lost customers can be recovered and turned into regulars with a little work. WooCommerce has several cart recovery plugins that can let customers who come back to your website retain the shopping cart they abandoned. Plugins like Advanced Cart Recovery , YITH, and Abandoned Carty Lite all have this functionality. You can even automate an email to remind potential customers about their pending purchase, making it more likely that they come back both now and in the future.
Have Some Fun
Not everything between you and the customer has to be about sales. Provide some quizzes, social media events, and other fun activities that customers can engage in without having to spend too much of their valuable time. You can offer a discount tied to some of these, but it isn’t always necessary. The essential part of the equation is that you provide a bit of social interaction with the customer. This gets them thinking about your brand more and makes them see you as something more than just a website with some products for sale. The stronger a relationship you can build with your customers, the longer they will be around.
One-time shoppers have their value, but the real benefit to your business comes when they become repeat buyers. By using the tips outlined above, you can turn a simple purchase into a long-standing relationship that both you and your customers will grow to appreciate.
