Customer Retention
Repeat buyers are the key to long-term success for most ecommerce businesses. Our library of customer retention articles includes tactics for subscription ideas, loyalty programs, A/B testing, enhanced customer service, soliciting feedback, and much more.
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Customer Retention
Amid a Cash Crunch, OneBlade Retrenches
December 30, 2022 • Eric Bandholz
COO Charles Pyles implemented forced economizing when the company's sole investor couldn't inject additional funds. He shares his story in this week's "Ecommerce Conversations."
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Customer Retention
PetPlate Exec on Selling ‘Human-grade’ Dog Food
December 23, 2022 • Eric Bandholz
PetPlate makes and sells dog food via subscriptions, having launched in 2016. The company's in-house advertising exec describes acquisition tactics and more.
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Customer Retention
How to Turn Holiday Returns into Sales
December 11, 2022 • Pamela Hazelton
Consumers who seek to return holiday gifts are an opportunity for engagement, acquisition, and long-term revenue.
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Customer Retention
A New Voice for Ecommerce Customer Retention
November 14, 2022 • Armando Roggio
Amazon sends customers voice notifications for delivery and order status. Smaller merchants can do the same, increasing engagement and retention.
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Customer Retention
8 Gift Guide Ideas for Frazzled Shoppers
September 25, 2022 • Pamela Hazelton
Finding the perfect gift can be time-consuming and stressful. Merchants can ease the stress by creating gift guides that appeal to a wide range of budgets and personalities.
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Customer Retention
A/B Testing Can Make or Break a Store
September 6, 2022 • Pamela Hazelton
The king of A/B ecommerce testing (and conversions) is Amazon. Affordable tools make testing doable for all merchants. Here's how to get started.
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Customer Retention
6 Steps to Identify Your Target Audience
August 21, 2022 • Pamela Hazelton
The first step for a successful brand and product is identifying the likely customers. But the process is not always obvious. Here's how to get started.
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Customer Retention
To Drive Conversions, Spy on Competitors
August 8, 2022 • Pamela Hazelton
The best ideas often come from competitors. Here are eight ways to scrutinize the tactics of rival sites to improve your own.
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Customer Retention
6 Subscription Ideas to Stabilize Revenue
July 10, 2022 • Pamela Hazelton
Subscriptions are not new for ecommerce. But done well, they remain an effective way to stabilize revenue, especially during economic downturns. Here are six ideas to get started.
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Customer Retention
Ecommerce Profitability Revisited
June 26, 2022 • Charles Nicholls
In 2013, most ecommerce merchants generated losses from first-time shoppers. It's the same for 2022, although the circumstances differ. Contributor Charles Nicholls revisits the drivers of ecommerce profitability: 2013 vs. 2022.
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Customer Retention
Is Text Messaging the Next Commerce Channel?
June 16, 2022 • Armando Roggio
Gary Vaynerchuk's Wine Text is a pioneer in selling goods via text messaging. Other services have followed. Will consumers embrace text commerce?
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Customer Retention
Online Shopping Has Shifted to the Edge
April 26, 2022 • Charles Nicholls
In a bygone era, shoppers entered an ecommerce site directly or via a search engine. No more. In 2022 it's social media that increasingly starts the process, creating opportunities and challenges for merchants.
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Customer Retention
Text Commerce Is Upfront Permission to Sell
April 10, 2022 • Armando Roggio
Text commerce is the process of obtaining payment and shipping info from shoppers upfront as well as permission to send offers. The model can solve multiple hurdles for merchants.
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Customer Retention
Need Repeat Customers? Try Low-tech Selling
December 29, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
If you lack the budget for high-end automation tools, there are still plenty of ways to fill the gaps left by massive competitors. Here are nine ways to catch the attention of savvy online shoppers and keep them returning for more.
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Customer Retention
Subscriptions, Books Drive Man Flow Yoga
December 17, 2021 • Eric Bandholz
Dean Pohlman is a global authority on yoga instruction for men. He's written best-selling books on the topic and conducted hundreds of in-person classes. His company, Man Flow Yoga, is thriving with an on-demand instructional program driven by paid subscriptions.
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Customer Retention
11 A/B Testing Tools to Optimize Conversions
November 17, 2021 • Sig Ueland
A/B testing, the process of exposing randomized visitors to one or more variables, is among the most effective strategies to optimize user experiences and conversion rates. Here is a list of A/B testing tools.
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Customer Retention
Subscriptions Power Disco Past iOS 14.5, Amazon
November 12, 2021 • Eric Bandholz
The year 2021 has been a doozy for Ben Smith. In March, he celebrated an investment round for Disco, his direct-to-consumer skincare company. In April, Disco's customer acquisition cost increased by a whopping 300% with the release of iOS 14.5. In May, he began selling a top item on Amazon.
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Customer Retention
9 Ways to Reduce Customer Acquisition Costs
August 23, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Customer acquisition costs can make or break an ecommerce business. Efficient spending could produce new, profitable customers. Spending too much could bankrupt the company. Computing the CAC is straightforward: Divide total promotional costs by the number of new customers.
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Customer Retention
Online Shopping, Post Covid, Retains Consumers
July 14, 2021 • Marcia Kaplan
Covid-19 brought a huge increase in online shopping. Many consumers became online shoppers for the first time. It appears that they will continue to rely on ecommerce for a myriad of items. Second-quarter 2021 results demonstrate that online shopping is holding on to much of its gains.
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Customer Retention
Text Messages Are an Ecommerce Opportunity
May 31, 2021 • Armando Roggio
Many ecommerce and omnichannel marketers treat text messaging as pared-down email campaigns. But text alone is a powerful way to drive sales. Nearly everyone, after all, grabs their mobile phone the moment a message arrives.
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Customer Retention
17 Tools for Customer Feedback
May 18, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Feedback surveys can help determine what's working with your website or service and provide fresh insights from customers and prospects. Here is a list of tools for surveys and forms.
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Customer Retention
Here’s Why Your Ecommerce Subscriptions Aren’t Selling
March 29, 2021 • Armando Roggio
A recurring subscription model is a powerful tool for growth and profit — if you can get subscribers. “A lot of brands install our subscription software and slap a ‘subscribe and ...
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Customer Retention
5 Ways to Prompt First-time Customers to Buy Again
February 22, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Loyal customers talk about the business and its products, driving more shoppers. So it makes sense to shift some of your marketing efforts to retain the buyers you already have. Here are five ways to do it.
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Customer Retention
Want Repeat Customers? Foster Long-term Relationships
February 8, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Successful brands make a point of building long term relationships with customers. It’s a crucial step in a company’s growth. But it takes more than exclusive deals and special features. Here are seven ways to foster long-lasting relationships.
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Customer Retention
7 Customer Retention Strategies for 2021
January 6, 2021 • Armando Roggio
Retaining ecommerce customers lowers costs and boosts profits. In 2021, customer retention could be critical. “In 2020 we saw multiple years of ecommerce growth….And when we look at [2021], the big question is 'Will this shift to ecommerce last?'"
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Customer Retention
It’s the Perfect Time to Launch a Loyalty Program
July 21, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton
The pandemic is prompting consumers to stay at home and buy online. It's a perfect opportunity for ecommerce companies to introduce a well-defined loyalty program. Also called rewards or points, loyalty programs help the business and its customers in three key ways.
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Customer Retention
Building Trust during the Pandemic Drives Long-term Loyalty
May 20, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton
As most U.S. states start to reopen, it's easy to consider ditching temporary coronavirus policies. Instead, online businesses should focus on retaining customers and addressing concerns. Consider the following pointers.
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Customer Retention
Tips to Retain Online Customers after the Pandemic
April 14, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton
The coronavirus is raising the visibility of ecommerce among consumers. Merchants, especially those selling so-called "essential" goods, have experienced a boost in sales. What follows are tips to consider now, to help retain those new customers when the pandemic passes.
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Customer Retention
Yes, Smaller Ecommerce Stores Can Evolve (and Prosper)
January 21, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton
Merchants know that ecommerce is highly competitive. It's also dynamic and ever-changing. Alternative forms of selling and servicing (such as social commerce, voice commerce, and chatbots) are examples. What can a smaller online store do to keep up?
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Customer Retention
Use Cross-selling to Increase Trust, Loyalty, Sales
January 7, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton
Cross-selling is the act of successfully offering complementary items on the same or subsequent orders. This tried-and-true practice can help retailers of all sizes and product types boost average sales totals and customer loyalty.
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