How to Retain your Online Customers in Difficult Times

02/09/2022 | Share:

Keeping your online customers has never been more important than it is today. In these difficult times, it is essential to find ways to keep your customers coming back. With less money in their pockets customers often cut back on their spending, and only spend with trusted businesses, so knowing how to keep your customers happy and returning to your online store is vital for weathering the economic storm.

Here are some things businesses can do to help retain their online customers:

 

Understand Your Customers

It is important to understand what your customers want and need. Take the time to get to know them and their buying habits. This will help to ensure that you are offering them the products and services they are looking for. Take the time to listen to their feedback and complaints. Monitor social media feeds and track customer complaints and returns, to get an idea of customer sentiment and where you are or aren’t missing the mark.

Keep Your Website Easy to Navigate

Make sure your website is up-to-date and easy to navigate. Customers will quickly become frustrated if they can’t find what they are looking for or if the site is difficult to use. Keep your products and services updated. Websites with out-of-date information are a big turn-off for customers and will make them less likely to return. Ensure the website is laid out well and products are easy to find and make sure your contact information is easy to locate in case customers have questions or need assistance.

Communicate with Your Customers

Make sure you are communicating with your customers on a regular basis. Keep them updated on new products and services, upcoming sales, and changes to your policies. This will help to build trust and confidence with your customers and make them feel like they are a part of your business.

Engage with Customers on Social Media

Social media is a great way to engage with your customers and build loyalty. Make sure you are active on social media and responding to any queries or complaints. Showing that you care about your customers’ experiences will make them more likely to return to your business. You can also use social media to run loyalty programs or competitions. This can help you to increase brand awareness and build customer loyalty.

Build a Relationship with your Customers

Building an online relationship with your followers and customers is important in keeping them engaged with your brand. You can do this by responding to their comments and questions, sharing their content, and providing valuable information. This interaction will help to build a community around your business and make customers feel like they are part of something larger.

Offer Excellent Customer Service

Excellent customer service is essential in keeping customers happy. Respond to queries and complaints quickly and efficiently. Be available to answer questions and offer assistance. Handle customer complaints in a professional and courteous manner. Showing you care about your customers and their experience with your business will go a long way in keeping them loyal to your brand.

Train Your Staff

Make sure your staff are well trained in all aspects of their work from production to customer service. Whether dealing with customers online or by email, your staff should be friendly and helpful at all times, and up to date on product information. Enthusiastic staff who can give relevant product details and care information, and solve customer queries are a must. Employees that are not properly trained will reflect poorly on your business and will make customers less likely to return.

Offer Incentives

Incentives are a great way to keep customers coming back. Offer discounts for repeat business or for referring new customers, coupons, or free shipping on orders over a certain amount. Customers appreciate feeling like they are getting a good deal. Often rewards are given to new customers rather than loyal ones, so this is a great way to show your appreciation for customers that stick with you.

Use Technology to Improve the Customer Experience

Technology can be used to improve the customer experience on your website. Live chat software, for example, can be used to answer customer queries in real-time. Replying to customers quickly and efficiently will show them you are proactive in following up on queries and that you care about their experience on your site. It can help make them more likely to return to your website.

CRM software can also be used to manage customer data and get insights into customer behaviour. This information can help you to better understand your customers and what they are looking for.

Tracked delivery services can also be used to keep customers updated on the status of their orders. This is particularly important if you are selling products that are time-sensitive or perishable. Customers will appreciate knowing when to expect their order and being able to track it.

Offer a Personalised Service

Personalisation is key to offering an excellent customer experience. Customers appreciate being treated as individuals and not just as a number. Use data collected from CRM software or website analytics to personalise the customer experience. This could be anything from offering relevant product recommendations to sending birthday discount codes.

By personalising the customer experience, you will make customers feel valued and appreciated. This will make them more likely to return to your business in the future.

Keep an Eye on the Competition

Keep an eye on your competition and what they are doing to attract and retain customers. If they are offering something that you are not, consider whether it would be beneficial for your business to offer it too. This could be a new product, a new service, or a loyalty program.

Be Flexible

It is important to be flexible. We have experienced unprecedented changes in the past few years and businesses have had to adapt. Uncertain years call for businesses to keep on their toes and not assume that what worked in the past will continue to work in the future. Being open to change and adapting to the needs of your customers will help you to retain them during difficult times. Being able to change and adapt quickly will help you to stay ahead of the competition and keep your customers happy.

Thank Your Customers

Don’t forget to thank your customers. They are the ones that keep your business going, so a little appreciation goes a long way. Showing your gratitude will make them feel valued and appreciated and could encourage them to return to your business in the future.

There are many ways to show your appreciation, such as giving discounts, sending personalised gifts, or simply saying thank you. Find a way that works for your business and make sure your customers know that you are grateful for their business.

Meet Customers Expectations

Make sure you are meeting, or even exceeding, your customers’ expectations. If they are expecting a certain level of service or product quality, make sure you deliver. Customers that feel like their expectations have not been met are much less likely to return to your business.

Remember this also applies to any outsourced services you may use, such as web or delivery services. Be careful when selecting your outsourced partners as they have the potential to make or break your business. 

Bad delivery services, for instance, can damage your reputation, and it is so much harder to recover from a damaged reputation than it is to maintain a good one. With over 130 years of delivery experience, Odgens Fulfilment is the perfect partner for your business. www.ogdenfulfilment.co.uk/about-us

Exceeding customer expectations is a great way to create loyalty and keep customers coming back for more. It will also encourage them to recommend your business to others.

In these difficult times, it is essential to find ways to keep your customers coming back. By following these tips, you will be well on your way to retaining your online customers.