According to estimates, it’s around six-times more expensive to acquire a new customer than retain existing ones, highlighting the importance of the latter as a key business strategy.
Of course, this is easier said than done, particularly if you’re a relatively new venture that can’t call on a proven track record or a vast consumer base.
In this post, we’ll look at how you can boost customer retention in your venture and potentially optimize profitability in the process.
What Do We Mean By Customer Retention?
When you acquire customers, you essentially invest in marketing strategies that incentivize them to spend money in your business or purchase specific products.
Conversely, the retention of customers involves keeping them engaged and turning first-time buyers into repeat purchasers, whether they buy the same items repeatedly or invest in a much wider product range.
There are many factors that can impact customer retention, some of which are within your control and others that aren’t.
For example, the experience that you provide to customers and your website’s ease of use can be manipulated to your advantage, whereas price shifts and the actions of competitors are beyond your immediate control.
How to Boost Customer Retention?
So, how can you and your business look to boost customer retention? Here are some ideas to keep in mind.
#1. Smooth Onboarding:
Let’s start with the basics; as your quest to retain customers begins from the moment they first register an interest in your brand. This means that the onboarding process is absolutely critical, as instances, where this is awkward, slow, or overly time-consuming, could turn customers away from your business.
Remember, simplicity and ease of use are key here, as is the navigability of your website as an eCommerce venture.
#2. Ease of Payment:
On a similar note, one of the biggest considerations is how easy it is for customers to buy your products or services. There are several measures that you can take to streamline the payment process, from automating direct debits to simplifying the checkout process and integrating buy now, pay later options.
Partnering with an advanced open banking platform may also be beneficial, with this an increasingly popular concept among customers.
#3. Listen To Your Customers:
Finally, it’s important that you listen intently to your customers and garner their feedback on how to improve their experience. Having engaged and proactive customer service is crucial to gathering the necessary insight, especially at a time when consumers are engaged with the brand. This may take time and effort, but the rewards and savings can be significant over time.
Read Also:
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- 5 Branding Tips To Strengthen Your Local Customer Base