There is a long held business truth that it is easier to retain current customers than convert new ones. It makes sense that you need both. You need to keep current customers happy, yet grow the customer base you already have. If it sounds complicated and hard, it kind of is. But there are a few key tips that keep customers around who have already purchased, so they stay loyal to your product. Jay already wrote some helpful offline tips about how to <blog link>win customer loyalty</blog link>. This post will delve into the online side of retaining customers and keeping them coming back for more, now that we all know you are selling a great product.
Tip #1 - Keep sharp content around
Even if the customer is not ready to buy again, you can keep your product fresh in their mind if they come to your site for other reasons. One easy way to do this is by setting up a blog. Write about the latest neat changes and updates of your product, then comment on and share news about your product’s niche. Strive to become a “thought leader” on your subject.
You don’t have to be the most profound and popular figure on your subject. People take you seriously when you have something interesting to say or point out something new in their minds.
As an expert about your product, pay attention to your own feelings and opinions when writing for your blog because they are usually a good guide for discovering something unique, and you are best at articulating your own judgements.
Shameless plug: Soholaunch Ultra’s blog feature also has an RSS feed built in, so your customers can also be reminded of your business in their RSS readers.
Tip #2 - Use multi-media to show off your company’s personality
Show who you are in videos and show off your product. People feel more inclined to stick around when they feel like they have a connection to the company or the owner and feel that sense of belonging. For example, you could use Soholaunch Ultra’s Newsletter feature to send a personal holiday message that links to a page with a youtube video message.
Steve Jobs was a good example of the power of having a company figure who customers believed in. It helps to show the faces behind your company, even if that means just you as the company owner.
Tip #3 - Get customers involved
The web has grown increasingly customer-centric in recent years. It's expected these days that you have some areas on your website where customers can interact and share their input. For example, Soholaunch’s shopping cart has a powerful option that allows your customers to comment on products and give their experiences.
You can also allow visitor input by having them submit comments on your product and business through a form (which you can build with Soholaunch Ultra’s web form builder, of course) on one of your pages. Then highlight some of those comments on your site (after asking for the customers’ permission) and describe how you learned from them or implemented their product suggestions. This takes testimonials a step further by showing you care about improving your product for customers and appreciate their feedback.
What are some things that you are doing to increase customer interaction and keep them coming back?