Increasing online sales: 5 original ideas to build customer loyalty

Many studies show that it is much easier to to sell to an existing customer (60-70%) than to acquire a new customer (5-20%). Reassured about your products and services, already appreciates your brand, knows your site and its navigation… you no longer have to convince an existing customer.

So in 2021, reduce your communications to try to win new customers and increase your time (and budget) to retain your existing customers.

In addition, these loyal customers will be your best advertisement with their positive opinions they will attract new customers reassured about the quality of your services. This strategy can only pay off for you.

With our experience the powerful online stores, at Panierdachat, we wanted to help you to dissociate you from your competitors. For that purpose we list 5 original ideas to satisfy, interact and develop customer loyalty. From small to large budget, you will surely find the idea that corresponds to your image and your desires.

Building online loyalty or how to turn your customer base into a community

Add a little something extra to the package and get thanked on social networks

We have just learned that it is easier to place an order with an old customer than to acquire a new one. So contact your existing customers.

There’s nothing more effective than communicating with your customers as soon as you receive their order. Since they have just filled a need, they are happy to receive their order and are therefore very receptive to messages from you.

Take advantage of this moment to add your added value!

Here are some examples of “little extras” that can reach your customers:

• Add a personal coupon code in each order. Customers will appreciate this gesture and will be able to come back to use it on your store and not go to your competitor. Put an end date to this promo code is a good idea so that your customer will keep in mind the quick use of this promo code. Adapt the end date according to your market (e.g. according to the lifespan of your products).
• Add a goodie that your customers will be able to keep in front of them. This physical object will allow you to exist even outside the web and can be seen by your customers’ entourage. A discussion about your store can even be born between them thanks to this 😉
• Add a gift (an extra product) and encourage your customers to thank you with a selfie, a word or a review on social networks. Happy with this gift, they will be more easily able to share their joy on social media.
• Add a personal note, thank your customers by name and invite them to respond to you on your social networks with a review or a thank you. Reviews on Facebook or Google for example are, as you know, a great lever to win new customers.

Combine this strategy with the information collected in your CRM database to create personalized emails sent to your customers’ birthdays, special occasions, etc.

Follow world days and popular events

And when I say “Follow”, I mean “Participate”, “Animate”, “Customize” your store to the rhythm of these events.

Make your e-commerce site live to the rhythm of the calendar. Make your visitors want to come back, every day / week, to see the evolutions and novelties of your store.

With our phones, we are within reach of a 24-hour web connection, social media and their constant updating (thanks to content posted by members) take up a good part of our time on the web (in Canada, 30% of the time spent on the Internet is spent on a social network).

Based on the information that newness brings back, you need to animate your online store. And by following the calendar of events, you won’t even need to use your creativity.

Here are some examples of how to make your site evolve to the rhythm of the events calendar:

• Make discounts on event-related products, like large corporations.
• Offer new products for a limited time only in connection with the event.
• Offer exclusive discounts to certain people related to the event. Examples: 15% off to women during Women’s Day, free delivery in Quebec during the week of Quebec Day…
• Change the visuals of your boutique to the colors of the event. Your logo with a red hat at Christmas or a pumpkin at Halloween, updated banners and colors … will be small attentions that will please your visitors and customers.
• Make a contest inspired by the events. Examples: best selfie disguised as a character from a successful series for the worldwide release of its new season, selfie in love on Valentine’s Day, a “Fair Price” during sales…

These ideas take, of course, more time to manage but can pay off afterwards by positioning you as a major player in your market on the web.

Create your own day

The ideal continuation of the previous idea: create your own day. A weekly, monthly or even annual day that will become an appointment.

The regular days aim to animate and bring life to your store in order to bring back your visitors, increase your traffic and thus your sales. Here are some examples of regular days with a small budget and quick organization:

• Weekly: “Les Mercredis de la boutique”, “Les Lundis Folie, pour vous faire aimer les débuts de la semaine”…
• Monthly: “The 25th is 25%”, “The last Sunday of the month we empty the stocks”…

On the contrary, the annual days (1 to 3 times a year) are not intended to animate your site but rather to increase your sales in the quieter moments during the year (summer vacations, February … depending on your activity). Being rarer, the budget will have to be higher to score and make people talk.

• Annual: The anniversary evening of the boutique, the big summer sale, the treasure hunt on August 15…

Here is a list of actions that can be linked to the promotion of your days:

• Change the visuals of your store during this day. Make your store feel that this day is exceptional.
• Create a real identity for this day: its own colors, its own logo, a slogan, clear and relevant benefits (don’t organize your “Liquidation in the middle of Sales” day for example).
• Create a #hashtag for your customers to react on social networks and find all the participants of your day. Under this # your customers can discuss, give each other advice… and promote your day.
• Create the event offline. By inviting your customers to meet you and each other, you will create what is missing in online sales: the human connection. If this day is annual, make it big and strengthen your community around your brand.  Example: launching new products or practical workshops.

Make your customers ambassadors

The idea is not new, but take advantage of new technologies to easily turn your customers into ambassadors.

In addition to building loyalty, you will also increase your customer base with :

1. The entourage of your client ambassador. Proud to be present on your site, your ambassador will send the link of your store to all his entourage.
2. Your new visitors, who will appreciate your positive image, your community of happy customers and will want to be part of it by becoming a customer at your place.

Having ambassador customers is a gold mine for your online store. Don’t skimp on the means if you opt for this strategy. 100$ (or a few hours of your time) invested in a person can be returned to you fivefold thanks to the increased loyalty and the new customers that it will bring you.

Here is a list of actions that can turn your clients into ambassadors:

• Post their selfies with your products worldwide on your store / social networks.
• Invite a dozen of your best customers to play the role of models for a day by organizing a photoshoot / videoshoot with your products.
• Write articles about your customers’ feedback / experiences with your products. Or let them write about your products / services in a blog post that you will share (and your customer too) on your social networks. Test customers who will be able to film themselves explaining their positive experience with your products.

Organize private sales and events

Same as the previous idea, organizing private sales for your best customers is not a new idea. But by adding the strength of social networks, you will, in addition to building loyalty, communicate a strong and appreciated image on the web that will increase your number of customers.

During these private sales, you can share live photos and videos of the party. Your fans will be able to interact, ask how to participate to these parties… interactions that will make their friends and family share the “posts” and thus increase your online visibility.

Meanwhile, your invited customers will be valued and even more loyal to your brand.

Here is a list of events, on which to invite your best customers:

• Evening to discover your new collection in preview
• Birthday party for your company
• Preview sale day
• Discovery day of the manufacturing of your products
• Workshop to learn how to customize your products
• A few words to conclude

A few words to conclude

Now all you have to do is choose one or more of these ideas to create a true community of followers who can represent you on and off the internet. They will be able to answer your questions for you, defend you in case of negative opinions by sharing their very good experience and of course continue to buy your products and talk about them around them.

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