BusinessGrowthSalesSuccess

How to Boost Sales and Improve Customer Retention

3 Mins read

It is every business’ dream to boost sales. Healthy revenue typically means greater profits, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into higher profit margins. You could end up spending more than you earn on marketing to one customer, for example. That is why, when it comes to improving your business’ productivity, you have to think beyond the immediate sale.

customer retention guide

Shutterstock Licensed Photo – By Sammby

One sale typically means your business has lost money. It takes so much effort and time to attract new customers and tempt them over to your site before you finally make it over the finish line and input their card details. However, that effort is worth it the second they remember your business and actively seek you out to buy from you again.

Repeat business is invaluable, and you can encourage such a healthy community by following this guide:

Audit the Customer Journey

An excellent way to start is to ensure that the customer journey from every single marketing campaign is seamless and enjoyable. You can do this yourself, but for better results, it is best to conduct marketing research. Have participants write down if there were any glitches or other characteristics they didn’t like. Use this negative feedback to improve your efforts.

Top Ways to Increase Value of Checkout Baskets

If you want to boost sales, you need to offer customers something they didn’t know they wanted. Offer a discount from a small range of items if they buy two items, for example, or recommend shoes to match their new dress. Other simple tactics include having a price limit before your customer qualifies for free shipping or a free gift.

Encourage and Respond to Feedback

Offer discounts or other benefits if your customers offer valuable feedback about their experience and your brand. Use this feedback to update your future efforts.

Train Your Team on Exceptional Customer Service

Everyone in your team needs to have the answer. This means you cannot get away with hiring a call center just to spin your customers around and around. You also need to diversify the ways in which you can receive complaints. This means social media, chat boxes, email, texting, and phoning, etc. Offering this support service can be done no matter how small your business is. If you are small, you will need to limit the channels you use and set up healthy expectations. If you only have time to respond to emails in the morning, have an automated response to inform your customers about that. When you do finally have time, work to solve their problem the first time.

Use Automated Systems to Improve Order Acceptance Rates

Cashbacks and fraud are going to plague your business because it is usually so easy for criminals to get away with it. That is why you need to think of innovative solutions to prevent this. Using AI to detect fraud is currently one of the best solutions available. The AI will be able to protect against new or even existing fraud attacks before chargebacks even occur. This way, you can accept more orders, improve your customers’ experiences, and above all else, be confident that your increase in order acceptances is going to translate into more sales.

Start a Loyalty and Referral Program

A loyalty or referral program is an excellent way to improve your customer retention. You are offering value for repeat business or for referring a friend to your company directly. Word-of-mouth marketing is invaluable, and both options help increase the chances of your customers talking about your business.

Offer True Value to Your Customers

At every step of the way, you need to offer your customers real, tangible benefits. This could be the benefit of a great product or a great price. It could be the benefit of industry knowledge or sneak-peak previews. Try to consider how and where customers expect to receive value from you and then start building your strategy. Audit your efforts, refine your campaign, and then start again.

Boosting sales is best done when you place customer retention at the forefront of your company’s focus. Offer reasons to stay, as well as great customer service, and you are well on your way to growing a thriving community of loyal customers.

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About author
Annie is a passionate writer and serial entrepreneur. She embraces ecommerce opportunities that go beyond profit, giving back to non-profits with a portion of the revenue she generates. She is significantly more productive when she has a cause that reaches beyond her pocketbook.
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