According to Adobe Analytics, Black Friday online sales pulled in a record $8.6 billion ($US6.2b). That’s a 23.6 per cent jump over last year. What’s interesting about eCommerce events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday is consumers are more likely to buy a discounted product without knowing anything about your brand. This impulse purchasing hysteria is fantastic for a sudden spike in revenue, but, ultimately, it means there’s no long-term brand loyalty. With the super sale event now behind us, the real opportunity lies in turning one-off customers into lifelong customers.
To avoid your new customers forgetting about you shortly after their parcel arrives, here are a few strategies to build loyalty and develop connections:
Embrace Email
Most switched-on marketers will understand the value of email marketing. When done right, a timely, well-written welcome email can be the beginning of a beautiful thing. It all comes down to your strategy. Take a look at your inbox in the lead up to Black Friday, no doubt, it’s inundated with offers and coupons.
To avoid getting lost in the clutter, wait for the dust to settle. Take the time to segment your database and create a compelling welcome email which introduces the customer to your brand and shares your story. Given most Black Friday and Cyber Monday customers are price driven, there’s a good chance they don’t know who or what your brand is about. Welcome them with your brand story and share your values because enticing them with a further discount will likely have little effect.
Here are some ways you can incorporate content into your email strategy:
- Sequencing: a well-planned welcome email series will nurture your new customers, introduce them to your brand and ultimately keep them more engaged.
- Share your brand story: take this opportunity to share your values and company story with your new subscribers.
- Use Links: link your emails to useful and entertaining content which brings the user back to the blog.
- Humanise: make your brand human by sharing customer stories and case studies.
- Invite and incentivise: give your new customers reason to connect on social media.
Go Above and Beyond
With quick and free shipping fast becoming the norm, there’s a lot of pressure on online retailers to go above and beyond. While there’s a lot you can’t control about logistics, you can cherry pick your couriers to get your parcels where they need to go, as quickly and smoothly as possible. The biggest mistake you can make as a retailer is dropping the ball when it comes to service. While the easy part is getting the order, the challenge is in smashing expectations and standing out.
Here are a few ways you can set the bar high:
- Up your boxing game: make sure your packaging stands out, and your orders are packed with care.
- Send a handwritten thank you: add a personal touch and let your new customer know you appreciate their business. A simple ‘thanks’ speaks volumes.
- The last mile of logistics: let your customers know when they can expect their delivery by providing real-time, branded delivery notifications.
- Think ahead: with Christmas a week away, there’s still a heap of opportunity for repeat business. Take advantage of the holiday season by leveraging discounts for second purchases.
- Live chat: as web traffic peaks, consider adding live chat to your site so you can answer enquiries without delay.
- Use packaging inserts: this is a crafty way to drive loyalty and repeat business.
With so much hype around revenue, it’s easy for retailers to forget about the more significant opportunity at play. Consider the entire customer-journey and make sure you’ve covered all your bases. Lastly, don’t forget to re-engage customers with retargeting in the lead up the Holiday season.
