How to keep your Customers Loyal to your e-commerce Business

What is the key to having a successful business? Of course, there are many factors, but the right answer is to have customers. But even more important is to make the customer come back for your products and services.

The main reason customers stop preferring a business is that they believe you don’t care about them, according to a Rockefeller Corporation study. Quite often businesses are so zealous to get new clients that they forget to pamper the old, loyal ones. Bearing in mind that a leaving customer would likely never come back, retention should be a priority. A great customer experience equals a customer who buys and visits regularly. Although. not everyone fully understands the worth of the loyalty of the customers.

What is Customer Experience After All?

Customer experience is the aggregate of intellectual, affective, sensory, and behavioral consumer responses during all points of interaction between the company and the customer. The points of interaction include processes such as the pre-purchase, the consumption, and the post-purchase. Furthermore, customer experience is the ability that your customers have by understanding the company. The goal of each company except having a high revenue is to serve excellent customer experience thus having loyal customers. A satisfied customer is someone who is likely to become a loyal customer, revisit your company or even suggest your company to others. Having happy customers means that they will boost your revenue as well as promote your business by word-of-mouth which is still a very usual way of augmenting each business’s success and reputation.

Loyalty in E-commerce

But how do you keep your customers loyal in an e-commerce business? Is it different?

Actually, research shows that there are no less than 7 key factors that influence customer loyalty in an eCommerce business. These are customization, contact interactivity, care, community, cultivation, choice, and character and it has been proven through data collected from 1,211 online customers that all these factors have a big impact on e-loyalty (except convenience). By using cloud software and connecting it with your company’s ecommerce platform, your company will be able to check the available inventory as well as the stock level. This way you will be able to handle orders more easily and increase customer satisfaction.

Loyalty is the response of your customer to a great experience when they have interacted with your business. Nowadays we are exposed to an endless amount of information, so how do we know to accept some information and reject others? The same goes with your e-shop customers, they receive these messages from your business (presumably on a regular basis) – but from your competitors too. Showing that you care will generate a wave through the customers allowing you to stand out from your rivals. But it’s not only caring that is generated that can result in loyalty. Also, honesty and quick responses are keywords in creating a great experience for your customers. Furthermore, there are plenty of factors that are significant in maintaining a great customer experience thus ensuring the existence of loyal customers in which we will expand later.

Loyalty on the Go

And of course, we should not forget about the mobile part of e-commerce. Your customers must have total access to your business. It is proven that people still prefer to use a desktop for their purchase, but they do use mobile devices for research. In order to offer full satisfaction, a mobile app will provide the right focus on your business. Of course, both versions of your application, desktop, and mobile must be similar, and easy to use, with the aim of creating a better shopping experience.

Loyalty and satisfaction have a reciprocal relationship. This means that each reinforces the other. This relationship between satisfaction and loyalty for the online environment can become stronger across the various digital channels that allow for more efficient personalization.

Loyalty practical tips 

There are some practical ways that every e-business should follow in order to build trust with their customers.

• Being there whenever your customers need you is the best way to gain their trust. To do that, you need to respond as quickly as possible when they reach for your help. A robust ticketing system or a chat tool on your website, which shows that someone is reading their message right now and is going to respond shortly, will definitely help you in that
• Another way is to update your social media accounts and blog. Social media aren’t only to engage fans, but also to show your customers that you think about them. In general, each business should determine the communication channels that would be the most useful for their purpose. Each channel is an opportunity to have frequent communication with the customers as well as show that you are always available to
• When a customer wants to return a product, if they receive a quick answer from customer support and if this procedure is very simple and easy to do, your customers will return next time to your products. In this way, you show your client that you are there even in a return product situation and this builds trust and
• Another way to show that you appreciate your clients is to send a newsletter where you include a discount coupon for one of your products, services, etc. This must be applicable to old customers only and that will make them feel valued and more inclined to come back again. Each business may reward loyal customers not only by offering discount codes through the newsletter but also by providing free shipping, program rewards, and exclusive coupons. It is very important to show your loyal customers the perquisites of being loyal. Emphasizing the offers that you provide to them as a business will encourage the existing customers to stay alert and stick around.
• What about maintaining voice, tone, and language with your customers? The way in which each business chooses to communicate with its customers is very important and significant for its purpose. Keeping the same tone of communication is important to create a specific and stable image for your target group as well as keep the experience of the customer
• Another way of showing that you appreciate your clients is by asking for feedback. This way the customer will understand the fact that your business cares for them and that you intend to improve your services in order to provide the best customer experience.

Summary

Εvery entrepreneur wants his business successful, but not everyone can have it. It’s not enough to attract more and more clients. It’s about how you can keep your customers loyal, especially in the e-commerce business. Create a great experience for your customers, they will “reward” you with their loyalty. The little secret is that honesty must be your best friend in this journey for gaining loyalty. You always need to keep your e-commerce  presence updated with regard to mobile. Building customer loyalty differs according to the size and category of each business. The outline is that customer loyalty is not just a program. It’s a crucial fact that affects all levels of a company. Remember these practical tips: a ticketing system, updated social media accounts, and discount coupons. Following these tips is the key to guaranteeing a positive customer experience. Also, be there in a return product situation and your business life will become easier. What are your tips for retaining customers?

Author Bio

Stamatia Manolara is a Digital Marketer and Content Creator for Megaventory. Her passion is staying up to date with the latest digital marketing technologies as well as upgrading her skills and developing new ones.
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