How to Score Repeat Sales From First-Time Customers
How do e-commerce stores consistently make sales from new customers? How do businesses prevent prospects from switching to competitors?
Read below strategies on how to score repeat sales from first-time customers:
Use Customer Win-Back Strategy
The win-back strategy encourages repeat transactions from consumers who made the first purchase. This is a powerful tactic to attract high-value customers and show them an appreciation for trying out new products. Using win-back methods ensures top-of-mind brand awareness and reinforces buying behavior.
What to do:
Create exclusive offers to stimulate customers to buy again. Provide special discounts and loyalty programs to entice them to continue doing business.
Encourage Product Reviews
Product reviews are essential for e-commerce shops because it helps improve conversion rates. Customers are more inclined to buy on a website that features product reviews because customers trust the reviews more than product descriptions.
What to do:
Directly ask customers how they liked the product and request for a review. Give incentives or special offers to encourage them to submit their feedback.
Send Repurchase Alerts
Companies that sell perishable and consumable products should deliver emails in a timely manner. Sending prompts to customers to buy again reinforces the product in the customer’s consciousness, helps sustain brand awareness and attracts repeat transactions from previous customers while providing an awesome experience.
What to do:
Set a time to deliver repurchase alert emails. Remember to schedule them according to the purchased product timeline and customer response.
Suggest New or Additional Products Based on Purchase History
A successful tactic popularized by Amazon, product recommendations are another great way to score repeat sales from a first-time customer. Use cross-sell and upsell strategies to build perception for complementary products. Upselling refers to selling an upgraded version of the customer’s original choice while cross-selling is a tactic to suggest new items similar to the customer’s current picks.
What to Do:
Send product recommendation emails to customers to educate them about product add-ons or accessories. Another option is to go straight to the point by simply announcing an updated or deluxe version of the same product purchased previously. Write email copy that sounds more like “educational” rather than a sales pitch to convey a message that you are sincere in helping out customers.
Move Customers Beyond Research Mode
Customers visiting an e-commerce store for the first time are often not ready to buy yet. It may seem like a lost opportunity. However, this is not the case as long as they leave their contact details. Gathering prospects’ email addresses enables the business to study prospects preferences and send personalized product or special offers.
Emails of recently browsed items are helpful in reminding customers of their ‘wishlist’. Messages like this make it easier for customers to place the orders rather than searching on their browser history.
What to Do:
Send emails of recently browsed products to nudge customers to view them again. Again, this is to stay relevant in the prospects’ minds and, with a bit of luck, would finally help customers confirm the purchase.