Getting repeat customers out of your first-time customers for your E-commerce store is of utmost importance if your E-commerce business is to do well.

Repeat customers are the ones who tell their friends about your products or services and bring them in along with more customers. 

You as a seller must provide the customer with repeat value along with exceptional skills in order to create repeat customers.

Below we will mention 15 pointers based on our expertise and case study that will help you convert your customers into repeat customers:

1. Make sure your products are the Best Quality

Make sure your products are of the best quality and serve customers’ problems and needs.

If the product quality is good, people will return to buy from you.

2. Provide the best Pre and Post Customer Service

Pre Customer Services: Often customers will want to clear queries that they have before making a purchase. Be the first to answer those questions. Doing so will bring the customer to your store and once all doubts have been cleared, the customer is very likely to purchase the product from your store.

Post Customer Services: When the customer has placed the order, the relationship between you and the customer starts. Make sure all notifications and SMS messages are received for every step. From order to payment to delivery. 

Like Notifications for order Placing > Packaging > Shipment > Delivery, etc.

Expert Advice: Help people find what they need, even if you don’t sell it. One of the best ways to encourage return visits is by being helpful, even if that means sending shoppers elsewhere. People want solutions to their problems. If you can’t fix the current problem, referring shoppers to another seller can prompt them to consider you the next time for your genuineness.

3. Customer Retention via Updates, Offers, and Promotions

You can engage with your customer via emails, newsletters, SMS or Whatsapp notifications, or Push Notifications to provide product updates and promotions, and discounts. 

4. VIP Treatment for Recurring Customers

Create VIP programs for regular customers who love shopping from your store. VIP programs give the customers a discount as they order more often than other customers. This is a more personalized way of selling to a specific niche of your customers thus making them come back more often.

5. Respond to both Positive and Negative Reviews

Reviews play a vital role. Offer troubleshooting tips, empathy, and appreciation for the customer’s feedback. Don’t remove the negative reviews but respond to them which shows that you care.

6. Focus on word-of-mouth marketing: Referral Program

Shoppers trust the buying advice of family and friends.
Delivering quality products and services with fantastic customer service not only builds loyal relationships but also drives new customers you’d otherwise have to pay to acquire. Thus bringing in both new and repeat customers. This is where you can provide the customer with a monetary incentive ( Discount ) for referring others to your store. This way both referee and referrer gain something.

7. Encourage Shoppers to buy more with Loyalty Points

Provide each customer with loyalty points after they purchase an item from your store. These points can be redeemed to buy any other item on the loyalty points page by the customer from your store only.  

8. Sales through Personalized Content via Email Newsletter

Personalize the content customers see on their screen tuned to what they have recently purchased and are perhaps planning to purchase next. Show them what goes next with what they have last purchased.

9. Build seal of Trust –  Case Study – Reviews

Building trust in your brand will always make the customer return to you. Provide seals of authenticity that the product being sold in your store is genuine. No one wants fake stuff! If Possible Show some case study, Video testimonials from your loyal customers – How your products or services solve their pain point. 

10. Send Birthday Notes and Gifts

Birthdates are very useful for targeting your customer demographic and also help marketing. Make sure that you take note of your customers’ birth dates as they sign up on your website.

On these dates, you can send personalized birthday notes and gifts to the customer. This makes your customers feel special. This brings in repeat sales.

11. Ask Customers What they Want

Short online surveys are a good way to understand your target audience besides analytics. Gather customer responses in email confirmations, marketing messages, and post-checkout pages for anything you may need to know. Thus bettering your customer-sales relationship.

12. Break the Rule

There are times when the customer has fallen into a crack. They might need your help when policies say that they cannot be helped. Breaking these rules once in a while helps tell the customer that you are there for them during those times. This is especially important if the customer is a VIP customer.

This builds trust and loyalty.

Example: Customer placed an order when standard delivery time mentions 7 days but upon special request, you as the seller deliver the product within 4 days with special shipping and notes. 

This shows passion and cares towards your customer.

13. Share your Unique Story with Customers :

People love stories. Tell them yours. From where you started to where you’re going. Tell the people what your vision is and that solves the customer’s problems and needs. Telling more about you make the customer know you better.

14. Drop Personal Notes in Shipments

Saying ‘Thank you’ goes a long way. Especially if you’re thanking the customer for standing by you for a period of time. Put this on the packaging and the customer will remember you for the time to come!

15. Mobile-first Fully Responsive and Functional Website

Keep your site Mobile friendly. It’s a must if you want to be in this business. Google predominantly uses the mobile version of the content for indexing and ranking. 

A customer who orders twice is more valuable than a customer who only orders once, so give the first customer utmost importance so they turn into a repeat customer. A repeat customer will bring in another first customer and the process repeats itself.

As a Shopify website experts and E-commerce consultant, Entrepreneur, Business Owner, and Problem Solver I believe that the customer is everything for an E-commerce store to succeed. Build your store in such a way that it synchronizes with the customer’s Pains, Needs, Desires, Problems, and Fantasies.

Today’s loyal shoppers don’t just obsess over discounts and free shipping, but they value integrity, quality, and sustainability. Word of mouth is still the fastest way to get more customers.

Be transparent and the customer finds comfort and safety in making purchases from you knowing you’ll be there; be it good or bad!

We have helped more than 1500 + International Brands including Fortune 500 Companies to set up and scale up their online businesses this way.

Speak with us if you have any queries at hi@mswebdesigner.com. We’re always glad to help!