5 ideas for customer retention and loyalty in ecommerce

How to get the loyalty of your users? Learn the keys to become a customer loyalty expert.

Brand loyalty is one of the keys to the success of any business, whether online or in-person, as it is a fundamental factor in maintaining solid and lasting relationships with them. There are different actions that can be carried out to obtain the loyalty of buyers and throughout the article we will detail the most focused on online stores and the importance of applying them properly.

First, it is necessary to understand what «customer loyalty» really means. It is basically a matter of converting customers into loyal customers of the brand, or even brand prescribers, by establishing stable, solid, and lasting relationships with them.

This concept is directly associated with satisfaction, since the key to customer loyalty lies in making them feel unique, cared for, listened to, and always understood. Therefore, placing the user at the centre of the strategy will also help to gain a greater number of loyal customers.

If, in addition to satisfying your customers, you can get them to make recommendations to their family and friends, you will have achieved a higher level of customer satisfaction. Furthermore, according to research conducted by HubSpot, 81% of consumers trust family and friends recommendations over companies recommendations when making a purchase, which further reinforces the idea that customers place more trust in recommendations from their closest circle of people.

Once all the relevant concepts to achieve customer loyalty have been understood, some of the most effective techniques to achieve it are listed below:

Free shipping costs

Spain is the third most sensitive country in the world to shipping costs. Therefore, establishing free shipping costs above a certain amount can be a very useful technique to gain brand loyalty. In addition to building loyalty, this will provide a positive shopping experience for the user, who will feel that they are receiving a reward for their purchase.

Usability

Currently, having an online store or app that allows users to navigate the website easily and intuitively seems to be a task carried out satisfactorily by most businesses. However, there is still a small percentage of businesses that still do not have an easy-to-navigate website, which means that some of their customers end up abandoning the site without making a purchase due to the difficulty in finalizing the payment.

If, in addition to a neat and simple website with a responsive design, the number of steps in the checkout process is reduced to a minimum, the result will be more satisfied customers.

Rewards and loyalty programs

Loyalty programs increase profits by up to 25%, so offering customers loyalty cards or discounts for regular purchases is a good way to reward the loyalty of most customers, making them feel important and recognizing their perseverance.

To carry out a loyalty strategy that includes a certain monthly periodicity, it may be interesting to draw up a calendar of promotions for customers, so that each month there are different promotions focused on achieving specific objectives.

Return policy

Spain is the second European country that makes the most returns after its online purchases, so establishing a return policy that facilitates this process to customers in an efficient and, if possible, freeway, becomes a fundamental tool to achieve customer loyalty.

If, in addition to this, you allow the customer to return products either in-store or by courier pick-up by providing a variety of options at no cost, you are likely to retain a greater number of customers.

Payment flexibility

Offering several financing options for purchases so that the customer can easily pay for the purchase can be a very powerful technique for building customer loyalty. For instance, instalment payment solutions increase ecommerce transactions by an average of 20%, providing greater flexibility for the customer and increasing the conversion rate of the online store.

Sipay, a payment gateway focused on offering innovative solutions for its customers, stresses the importance of merchants strategically choosing those loyalty techniques that best suit their business models, to give the customer more than they expect and achieve solid and lasting relationships with them. Thus, if the customer feels satisfied, it is very likely that they will establish a long-term relationship with the retailer, achieving not only an increase in the percentage of loyal customers but also an increase in the number of sales.

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