How to Keep Customers After the Sale
It’s always exciting when a new customer buys something from your business, especially when more and more customers are buying. But if your list of customers includes only one-time buyers, you’re actually losing out in the long run.
It can cost up to 10 times more to acquire a new customer than to generate a sale from an existing customer. You always want new customers, but to make them profitable you have to focus on repeat business, not just one-time transactions. Don’t just let a customer just buy and walk away. Instead, follow these tips to keep them around for many more years and many more orders:
Offer Second-Sale Discounts
If a new customer has just finished a sale, you want to make sure they come back for a second sale. Make it more enticing by offering a discount on the next sale. If you’re a clothing retailer and a new customer just bought a bunch of shirts and dresses, thank the customer and then offer a limited-time coupon for even more shirts and dresses. They’ve already made one purchase from you, so a great deal might motivate them to make another.
Offer a Loyalty Program
Many first-time customers buy out of curiosity or because of a friend’s recommendation. But if they like what they bought, they can become loyal customers very quickly. A loyalty program is a great way to make that happen. After their first purchase, invite customers to your loyalty program, which should include exclusive offers, a rewards program and discounts on future sales.
Woman Enjoying Sales by Petr Kratochvil
Do a Survey After the Purchase
When you make a purchase from certain sites, you might receive an email asking you to complete a survey about the purchase process. These surveys help companies optimize the purchasing experience, which make customers more likely to come back. You can also do this with your own site or retail store. Whenever someone buys something, send a survey about their experience. This will both help you improve the process and to keep you in the new customer’s mind.
Upsell During the Sale
It might seem strange to keep selling after the purchase is done, but it’s actually a common practice in retail. Also known as upselling, many telemarketers and online retailers use it with great success. For example, if a client is calling you to order awning fabric, you can generate more income by selling other items like conductive fabrics that might interest them. To make the upsell more attractive, offer these other items at lower prices.
In today’s business world, no one ever really stops selling. Follow these steps and those one-time customers may start becoming regular buyers!
By Michelle Rebecca – Follow her on Google+.
