The following tips will help you to successfully implement the right types of online customer loyalty tactics.
Timing is everything
Once a customer has converted, pay careful attention to how you time your after-sales marketing. It’s important not to take action either too early or too late. If your timing isn’t right, you will run into problems like these:
Post-conversion marketing too soon: It’s not useful to your customers if they receive a coupon code for a future order only a few days after making their first purchase. Firstly, they may not have even received their original order yet. Secondly, they’ve probably already ordered everything they want from your shop for now, so they may not be looking for anything more at the moment. This might also inadvertently cause the customer to return their original order, so that they can re-order the same items and apply the discount code. As a result, you not only decrease your margins, you also incur higher shipping and handling costs.
Post-conversion marketing too late: The more time that passes, the more likely it becomes that a potential customer will forget about a past interaction with your company. This is particularly true when the ‘conversion’ is not a sale but some other type of interaction, like subscribing to a newsletter. At the time they convert, the user is interested in a product or service. So, you should seize this opportunity to offer them additional offers and information.
These after-sales service examples show that the right timing depends on the type of conversion as well as the marketing tactics you use. To take the right actions, it helps to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Ask yourself: What are my customers’ wishes and expectations?
Marketing automation tools can help
Marketing automation tools and CRM systems make your after-sales activities easier to manage. For example, they divide all your leads into either marketing or sales leads and then automatically create targeted activity plans for further communication. This helps you, as an online retailer, to find the right customer loyalty tactics and to use them at the right times.
Use paid ads to show your product range after conversion
Paid ads (on social media platforms, for example) are based on the user’s interests. They are a great way to raise awareness of your brand among potential customers. However, these ads can have the opposite effect if a customer sees an ad for a product they have already bought. In the worst case scenario, they may find the ad annoying and choose to block future ads from your brand. To prevent this from happening, it’s a good idea to always show multiple products in your ads. This raises awareness of your full product range and makes existing customers more likely to place a new order.
Adjust post-conversion marketing to your product and target groups
It’s also important to remember that not all after-sales activities are a good fit for every product group. Online fashion retailers, for example, don’t have to offer ongoing services like maintenance and repair, while for electronics retailers these after-sales services are a must. In any case, always give your customers an easy way to contact you if they have any questions or feedback. For more tips, be sure to check out our industry-specific guide to optimising conversion, which focuses on eCommerce retailers working in fashion, electronics, furniture and food.
