Repeat Purchases: 7 Ways to Retain Customers

Earning a customer's trust and leading them to make a purchase requires effort and time. Depending on the industry and product prices, convincing a consumer can take several weeks or months. Even in retail, where emotional purchases are common, the first purchase is always the most challenging.

Once you've gained a customer's trust, it's important to continue fostering their interest. Encourage repeat purchases to increase revenue and reduce marketing and advertising expenses. In this article, we'll discuss why repeat purchases are important and share seven strategies for strengthening customer loyalty.

What are repeat purchases and why they are important

Repeat purchases are the process whereby a customer regularly buys your company's products. This results in an ideal situation: you build customer loyalty, and they trust your brand enough to consistently spend money on your goods or services.

Loyal customers are highly valuable in business. They enhance profit flow, increase ROI, and help gather valuable data about the target audience. Additionally, loyal customers bring other benefits:

• Brand advocacy: Consumers who regularly purchase products and services serve as a source of free advertising through positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations. They share information about the brand with friends, family, and social media followers, thereby expanding your audience. Such customers often provide feedback, explaining what can be improved and how.

• Boost pre-holiday sales: During holidays, new buyers come to brands. However, loyal customers also ensure a flow of profit, as you offer them special discounts. Furthermore, loyal customers respond well to pre-holiday marketing campaigns, maximizing profit during periods of increased demand.

• Willingness to try new offers: Loyal customers are an excellent audience for launching new products. They are willing to test new offers and repurchase items if they involve products they like.

Your target audience already loves and values your brand and offerings. You don't need complex sales funnels or viral content to capture their attention.

7 Simple strategies to strengthen ongoing customer relationships

To win over loyal customers, it's essential to develop relationships with consumers and build their trust. Let's consider several simple strategies that contribute to regular purchases.

1. Launch a customer loyalty program

Creating a customer loyalty program is an excellent way to encourage repeat purchases. Such programs increase the average order value.

You can structure a loyalty program in various ways, with different levels of complexity, but a simple and understandable program is also quite effective.

To begin, gather your customers' contact information, assign each a unique number or card, and reward them upon reaching a certain number of purchases or a specific spending threshold.

Ideas for incentivizing loyal customers include:

• Special offers exclusively for loyalty program members.

• Unique conditions for referral programs for those who bring customers to your business.

• Bonus points.

• Raffles for prizes among loyalty program participants.

• When launching new products, send notifications about sales and interesting brand events. However, ensure that loyalty program members are the first to know about everything.

Email notification of bonus accrual

2. Offer personalized customer service

Unfortunately, many consumers have grown accustomed to impersonal service. They enter a large store and go unnoticed, even if they have been there many times and spent significant amounts.

To stand out among other brands and encourage repeat purchases, serve your customers using an individualized approach. Well-executed service takes various forms depending on the business and industry. For example, restaurants can use their POS systems to gather information about customers and then apply it for personalized menu recommendations. Retail stores should welcome shoppers and encourage them to join loyalty programs.

Targeted email advertising campaigns are also a good way to personalize service. Thanks to segmentation tools, you can send emails that cater to the interests and needs of each customer group.

Example of a personalized email

3. Provide coupons for future purchases

Coupons for future purchases are an excellent tool to incentivize repeat buying. Customers are successfully engaged and retained because they have a reason to return to you.

For example, offer a 10% discount coupon for the next purchase for every $50 spent in your store. Such an incentive gives customers a reason for another purchase, especially if their first encounter with your brand left a positive impression.

Important! Launch promo codes that customers can use when placing online orders. This kind of reward motivates customers to maximize their discount on larger purchases.

Time-limited coupon from the store

4. Collect customer contact information

When a customer enters your store or visits your website, it's important to gather their contact information. When you have their name, phone number, email address, and physical address, you gain numerous opportunities for communication and building relationships with the individual.

For example, when customers subscribe to an email newsletter, they give permission to receive news, information about sales and discounts, announcements of new products, and other mailings.

Blog subscription form on The Blonde Abroad website

5. Offer free gifts to customers

The key to stimulating repeat purchases is to stay visible to your customers. It's essential for them to remember you after leaving the store or website. Offering free branded merchandise is an excellent way to stay top of mind.

Distributing branded merchandise (such as pens, calendars, plush toys, and other small branded gifts) to selected customers shows that you value them and makes them feel special.

Altcraft's Merch

6. Gather feedback

By providing the opportunity for feedback, you demonstrate to the customer the importance of their opinion. They feel listened to, and not just like another customer.

You can collect reviews through surveys via email, text messages, online chat, and social media. The results provide valuable insights and help you improve your offerings.

Regular feedback from customers is extremely important. Gather various opinions and be sure to express gratitude, especially if constructive criticism is present.

Adidas encourages to evaluate the purchase

7. Actively manage your brand's social media accounts

Social media marketing is crucial for shaping your brand's image. It constantly reminds customers about your company and gives them the feeling that they know you personally.

Creative, engaging posts on social media also provide existing customers with material to reference when recommending you to others.

Important! Use video content on social media to show customers what goes on behind the scenes of your brand.

Adidas company page on social networks

Services for implementing repeat sales

Collecting customer data is a key element in increasing repeat sales. Understanding the target audience helps filter out ineffective leads.

Let's consider several main services for developing repeat sales and building strong customer relationships.

CRM systems

CRM systems provide functionality for organizing data, planning strategies, and servicing customers. Information gathered in CRM helps segment contacts and send personalized messages.

CRM personalizes all communication with customers and sends targeted offers at the right time, thereby increasing sales and encouraging repeat purchases.

Email marketing services

Email marketing services optimize communication with customers and send targeted information to specific audiences. These platforms offer various features that contribute to building relationships with customers, strengthening trust, increasing sales, website traffic, and much more.

Additionally, these services provide customizable templates, A/B testing, ready-made landing pages, campaign management, and automation features, lead generation options, advanced reporting and analytics tools for planning future campaigns.

Moreover, email marketing services help:

• personalize messages;
• increase customer loyalty and engagement;
• strengthen brand awareness;
• retain customers;
• automate tasks.

Important! According to Litmus, every dollar invested in email marketing can generate up to $36, creating an excellent ROI indicator.

Campaign setup on Altcraft Platform

SMS marketing services

SMS marketing is an effective way to communicate with your customers and a tool to increase sales. SMS marketing services send messages on schedule without unpleasant surprises, while complying with laws. Thanks to them, personalized messages are easily automated, and quick communication with the target audience occurs.

SMS marketing cuts through the information noise effectively and brings fast results. Engage with customers by sending timely updates, personalized product recommendations, and more.

Encourage customers to return to you again and again

According to the book "Leading on the Edge of Chaos" by Emmett C. Murphy and Mark A. Murphy, increasing customer retention by 2% affects a company's profit and reduces expenses by 10%. By retaining just two percent of your customer base, you reduce significant business costs.

Moreover, the more often a customer returns and has a positive purchasing experience with you, the more likely they are to recommend the brand to their friends.

To ensure repeat sales, it's important to understand that you're taking the right steps to engage customers and meet their needs. Planned strategies are an excellent starting point.

Source: Business