Have you thought about how to turn your Black Friday traffic into regular customers?

The BFCM period marks the beginning of the busiest time of the year for retailers; attracting more sales, new customers and lots of lovely pre-Christmas spending. 

Losing customers is a natural part of selling online, but it doesn’t have to be this way by default. By implementing some of the tactics listed below and measuring the results, you can drive retention, improve service and gain new customers at the same time.

Post-Black Friday Customer Retention Tips

You’re probably not the only online store that a new customer was enticed to by an alluring Black Friday discount or a catchy Google or social ad, nor will you be the only one they shop from this Christmas. That being said, you can stand out as being the only online retailer to make an effort to retain them post-Black Friday until Christmas and beyond!

There are plenty of effective strategies for improving customer retention online, such as the following:

Follow up Personally Post-Purchase

Your granny was right when she said: “a ‘thank you’ costs nothing”. Post-purchase, sending an email to a customer to express your gratitude for their support is a simple gesture that can have big consequences.

In doing this, not only are you confirming the customer’s purchase and providing essential tracking and billing information, but you are also demonstrating to your customer that you’re thankful for their custom. Their happiness is important to you, as you really do care, and you want to keep them informed about the journey their order is embarking on prior to delivery.

Who doesn’t like to feel valued, or like their purchase makes a positive impact?

Deliver an Outstanding Level of Service

According to the Customer Service Index 2021 produced by cloud contact centre software provider, Five9: 44% of UK respondents stated that they would be very unwilling to do business with a brand after a poor customer experience. 

What potential mishaps can you avoid to ensure that customers want to return to your store?

• Complicated, lengthy or expensive shipping – think fast and free
• Overselling – keep inventory levels accurate (Expandly is great for this!)
• Misselling – always ensure your products are as described
• Avoid miscommunication and make it as easy as possible for customers to get in touch with you.

Invest in Your Customers with a Loyalty Programme

Sometimes, in business, you have to speculate to accumulate. A loyalty programme can deliver outstanding ROI – if you’re willing to put some money behind retaining your customers. 

Over the Black Friday period, you can immediately enrol new customers onto your loyalty program and award them some “new customer” points to sweeten the deal.

By incentivising repeat purchases with points, discounts and store credits you can encourage customers to increase both the frequency in which they order from you, as well as how much they spend each time.

Seal it with a Discount

92% of shoppers trust recommendations from people they know, according to Referral Candy, the customer referral programme software vendor. Additionally, everyone loves discounts and things that they can get for free! 

You can simultaneously drive repeat purchases and customer acquisition rates by offering a reward to existing customers, such as a voucher, discount code or free product, in exchange for referring new customers.

Keep your best customers engaged, acquire new purchasers and accelerate your business growth. Simples.

Add Value After Purchase

Your new customer loved your products on your online store so much that they committed to buy. They sent you their money, you sent them their item – transaction complete. Well, actually – not quite… 

What many vendors fail to remember is that the customer’s journey doesn’t end once their parcel gets delivered. The post-purchase experience, whereby you ensure your customer is happy with the item they have received, is often overseen but still one of the most vital stages in the buying cycle. 

Valuable materials, such as tips on using or caring for their new product in the form of how-to videos and guides, can go a long way towards increasing the value of their purchase, preventing avoidable returns and encouraging your customers to buy from you again.

The Last Word on Black Friday Customer Retention 

Having customers return more often, increasing their basket value each time they do, is the ideal scenario for most retailers – but customers are unlikely to get there all on their own. It does take work and a degree of investment from you in order to get them back again. 

Depending on the product you sell and your target audience, good customer retention might look like a consistent weekly, monthly or even annual spend, which goes far beyond a one-off purchase during peak.

Make your online store stand out from the crowd by providing a genuine, thoughtful and unforgettable service that will help you win the hearts of your Black Friday customers – and maybe even gain you some new customers at the same time!

To help you boss this Black Friday Expandly is giving you 20% off the list price for the first 3 months when you sign up for a Regular package! Read more about this fantastic offer here.  

About Expandly

Expandly is an eCommerce SaaS platform that makes selling online easier.

Connect your sales channels, shipping carriers, warehouse, and accounting software into one initiative and simple-to-manage dashboard.