Email is an easy and wallet-friendly marketing tool that can help tremendously with customer retention. According to research by CMO Council, email marketing was cited as the most effective digital marketing channel for customer retention in the U.S. last year. Once you have managed to close a deal, whether it’s a checkout from an online cart or an offline sale, the next step is to make sure that you keep your customer coming back for more. It’s cheaper to keep a customer than to get a new one. You can do just that by using email marketing to retain customers and build relationships. Here are 3 stress-free ways to retain customers and keep them loyal to your business.
1. Say Thank You
Everyone likes to feel appreciated, and there are many ways to say “thank you” to your customers. You can thank your customers for a variety of reasons, whether it’s subscribing to weekly email newsletters, signing up for a website membership, or completing an actual sale. Whatever the reason may be, make sure to show them your appreciation. You can add some extra oomph to the email by adding a thank you coupon or a personal note from an employee, or maybe even the CEO. It depends on what your business can afford, and what you see as suitable for a customer-thank-you.
2. Give Them a Friendly Reminder
The first purchase is important, but making sure the customer comes back for more is even more important. You can bring back customers by using reminder emails that contain relevant messages that relate to their previous purchase. Reminder emails should be sent out at a point when you think customers would be ready to buy again. For example, you can remind them to renew a subscription that’s expiring soon, or about a newly available product that that is similar to an older one they previously bought. However, it is important to remember that too many reminder emails sent too often can be annoying. It can also be irritating if you ask a first-time customer to buy again too soon. It can overwhelm the customer and drive them away. However, when a reminder email is done correctly, it can create demand and loyalty between your business and your customer. Just be sure not to overdo it.
3. Get Customer Feedback
Customer feedback gives your business the data it needs to improve your product and/or services to retain customers. However, without knowing how your customer feels about your business, it is difficult to make informed changes to improve customer satisfaction. Email marketing is an effective way to get feedback from your customers. Email allows for quick feedback. It’s important to note that many people do not enjoy filling out surveys or questionnaires, so make sure you entice them to fill it out. Let your customers know that the survey is very important and that you would really appreciate it if they took the time to do it. Let them know that you care about them and their experiences and want to improve it. If your questionnaire is long, give them an incentive by offering a promotion or gift of some sort that will make it worth their while.
Customers deserve special attention; after all, your business wouldn’t exist without them. Try to determine what drives loyalty among your customers. Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies to retain customers. You have already gone through the effort of making your products and/or services desirable to new customers, so now it’s time to keep them! Use these tips on your next email campaign to see an increase in returning customers. For more email marketing assistance, feel free to contact US Data Corporation at (888) 578-3282 today.