Key To Success #4: Customer Retention

With the high cost of attracting people to your site, a successful website will have a plan to capture and retain these prospects. Success also depends on having strategies for marketing to existing customers through community building, newsletter and regular emails.

So how do you capture prospects? The simplest way is to take advantage of email marketing. Include an opt-in email signup form and give prospects the proper incentive to signup. Gain active consent and clearly outline the benefits of signing up. Upon signup, follow up immediately and set expectations right from the start.

How do you retain customers? Loyal customers are your company’s number one asset. You should reward them for repeat business, by letting them know just how much you value their business. People love the idea of special treatment! (The local restaurant that I visit every Friday for breakfast knows me by name. They know the seat I want. They know the way I like my food. And they treat me special).

Sometimes it’s easy to bombard consumers with deals and incentives. It’s also really easy to send a promo to all customers… however all customers are not the same. Make it personal by profiling their buying habits and preferences. (Use our list builder and preference based marketing tools to segment your list, and make offers relevant to your customers.)

How do your favourite companies treat you? How often do they contact you? Email you? Try doing the same for your customers.