CLV = Customer Lifetime Value.
If you’re running an ecommerce site, that acronym should mean something to you. Your customers are worth so much more to you than a single purchase, and your interaction with them doesn’t stop at fulfillment.
Here are just a few ideas you can use to engage with your customers post-purchase and increase their loyalty to your brand:
1. Send them a little something to say thank you, like a coupon on their next order.
2. Offer free shipping on their next order (if they didn’t get it on their initial order).
3. Invite them to join your loyalty program (and give them credit for their initial purchase when they do).
4. Give them coupons and discount codes for certain actions, like sharing their purchase on different social media networks or referring 5 of their friends.
5. Make a special bundled deal just for them (these are your cross- and up-sell opportunities).
6. Send them alerts when items on their wishlist go on sale.
7. Ask them for a review of your product (and reward them for doing it). You can also follow up to let them know when the review is posted and encourage them to share it with their friends (i.e. They’ll want to post it because they’ll feel special and users in their network will be more likely to click on a product link because it’s coming from someone they know and trust).
8. Offer them a coupon in exchange for sending you a picture of them using the product to include in a user-generated photo section on your site.
9. If they’re not already, ask them to subscribe to your newsletter so you can keep in touch.
10. Give first-time buyers a free gift. It doesn’t have to be something huge, just make it something that will make them feel special and want to come back to you.
11. Invite them, personally, to connect on social media. Greet them sincerely (and publicly) when they do and ask a meaningful question to start a conversation.
12. Send them a video series showing them how to get the most out of the product they purchases. This won’t work for everything, but when it does, the results can be magical.
13. Invite them to your open forums to join in on discussions.
14. Ask them to participate in a quick survey about their experience on your site (and reward them for their insights).
15. If they’ve purchased an item that requires refills or another purchase, send them a reminder that it’s time to come back for a visit before they run out. If they have a crazy, busy schedule, they’ll appreciate the reminder.
16. Send them an anniversary gift. This isn’t just any anniversary, this is a coupon or a freebie to celebrate the day they first became your customer.
17. If you have information on their birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates, you can send them a little something to make them feel special and want to keep coming back.
As you can see, you can do so much more to communicate with your customer after a purchase. Sure, order confirmations and shipping notifications are great (and necessary), but with ideas like these, you can continue to delight your customer post-purchase, turn them into brand advocates, and ensure they will want to come back to you over and over again.
Now, that is focusing on customer lifetime value.
Have questions? We're happy to help!