Think of your favorite online stores and eCommerce brands. What do they have in common that makes them memorable? Why are you a repeat customer? Chances are one reason they are remarkable is how they treated you AFTER you became a customer. You're a repeat customer because they did not take your first order and then forget about you. If you own and operate an online store then you need a strategy for not just attracting customers, but also for turning them into regular buyers of whatever you offer. Building a base of repeat customers is key to long-term eCommerce success.

The good news is that building great relationships with customers can be done with straightforward and time-tested tactics. From showing appreciation to customers and rewarding their loyalty to offering excellent support and sharing new products they might like, developing great relationships is easy. This post will detail some very simple yet very effective things to do that will keep customers coming back to your online store or eCommerce site over and over again.

Best Practices for Creating Repeat Customers with Video

Developing a base of repeat customers is essential for any eCommerce company. By establishing strong relationships with customers, retailers can create a group of loyal shoppers who return to purchase from them time and again. Apple, for example, is known for its voracious following of customers who return to buy new products again and again. Amazon is another company that has built a base of repeat customers by offering excellent customer service and rewards programs.

While you certainly have great products or services to offer, you are unlikely to have the same marketing budget as Apple or Amazon. With that in mind, you'll need to get creative to earn the same loyalty from your customers. The good news? Customers and buyers can (and do) have an affinity for multiple brands. eCommerce is rarely a "winner take all" scenario. There is room for your company to succeed even when others are prospering.

Like Apple and Amazon, the key to ongoing and growing success often lies with repeat customers. Thankfully, earning repeat business is not complicated. Hard work? Yes. Complicated? Not in the slightest. Here are five best practices for creating repeat customers for your online business. To help you develop those key relationships, we've offered five associated tips for using video in your customer nurturing efforts.

Show gratitude for their patronage

A simple thank you goes a long way in showing customers that you appreciate their business. The challenge is having your thank you message stand out. Most eCommerce software automates a thank you message. Many online stores use the same templates that come built into that software. This presents an opportunity for you to do something different to get your customer's attention. Being different helps you stand out, keeping the relationship on the right path as you nurture the customer towards being a repeat buyer.

Tip: Make your message of appreciation stand out by using video. A custom video thanking a customer for ordering a product or service cuts can plant the seeds of a real connection between your business and their long-term interests.

Share new products and services tailored to their interests

Customers love to feel like they are in the know about new products and services before anyone else. Keep them updated on what's new by emailing them a list of new arrivals, or featuring them on your social media pages. Standing out comes with making that information fit to their interests. Collate previous purchasing data not just from that individual customer but also from customers similar to them. This data can help you decide what new products and information to share that appeals to them.

Tip: If a picture is worth a thousand words then a video is worth a thousand pictures. Videos highlighting features and benefits of a product or service help the customer visualize themselves using that product, wearing that dress, or enjoying that trip. Showing new offerings with video is a compelling way to draw customers closer and closer to your business.

Build your own movement

Develop customers that adore your brand and don't mind paying a little more to be "on your team." Popular eCommerce fashion brands like Good American and The Reformation, for example, make the clothes and apparel they sell PART of the brand story, not the story itself. From a clear mission statement to showing similar types of people using the product or service you offer, giving customers a reason to think they are part of something is a great way to bring them back again and again.

Tip: Video is a great way to tell your brand story and highlight the products and services themselves. If you are selling coats or sweaters, use video to show how cozy or weather-resistant the item is. If you are selling web analytics software, use video to show different dynamic dashboards.

Provide quality customer service

Excellent customer service is a must in today's market. Be responsive to customer inquiries, handle complaints quickly and efficiently, and always go the extra mile to make sure your customers are satisfied. Customers will always remember when they were treated well. They will also remember when they were treated poorly. Work to deliver a great customer experience at every step.

Tip: If an issue is complicated or particularly frustrating, continue creating a video walk-through to demonstrate the solution. Aside from being more easily digestible for your customer, the video can likely be repurposed in a knowledge base or support library.

Reward customers for their loyalty

Show your appreciation to customers who have been with you for a while by offering them special discounts, free shipping, or other rewards. This will let them know that you value their business and want to keep them as a customer. Even more, it will provide an inducement for them to spend more money with your eCommerce brand. Sure, $10 of free shipping or a free month of software costs you money. But if that offer results in two or three or ten times as much future revenue, isn't the investment worth it to you?

Tip: Offering discount codes or free shipping via email can get lost if you are only using text. Why? Because that's what your competitors are doing. Eventually, customers start to tune out the same types of offers if they all look the same. Use video to offer special discounts or offers that match their interests and previous activity. Use video to reengage customers that have not been to your store in a while.

Simple Steps to Repeat Customers

The simple steps outlined in this article will help you build relationships with customers and create a loyal base of repeat buyers. From sharing new products that are similar to their interests or showing appreciation for their loyalty, these strategies can be leveraged by any business looking to grow sales.

If you want to take things a step further and accelerate your bond-building with customers, consider using video to communicate with them. By using video to engage customers, you can create a more personal connection that builds trust and rapport. Worried that you can't scale your video efforts as demand grows? Take a look at Windsor.io. Our video platform delivers customized, personal videos at scale. Record a video once and customize it for hundreds or even thousands of customers with the click of a button.

Building great relationships with customers is essential for any eCommerce business. By following these simple tips, you can develop strong relationships that will keep customers coming back to your store again and again. Click "Get Started" to learn more about how Windsor can help you use video to grow your repeat customer base.

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