Customer Retention Archives

A-B comparison. Split testing. Concept vector illustration

A/B Testing Can Make or Break a Store

September 6, 2022 • Pamela Hazelton

The king of A/B ecommerce testing (and conversions) is Amazon. Affordable tools make testing doable for all merchants. Here's how to get started.

Customer Retention

6 Steps to Identify Your Target Audience

August 21, 2022 • Pamela Hazelton

The first step for a successful brand and product is identifying the likely customers. But the process is not always obvious. Here's how to get started.

Word cloud illustration focusing on "Competitor Analysis"

Customer Retention

To Drive Conversions, Spy on Competitors

August 8, 2022 • Pamela Hazelton

The best ideas often come from competitors. Here are eight ways to scrutinize the tactics of rival sites to improve your own.

Customer Retention

6 Subscription Ideas to Stabilize Revenue

July 10, 2022 • Pamela Hazelton

Subscriptions are not new for ecommerce. But done well, they remain an effective way to stabilize revenue, especially during economic downturns. Here are six ideas to get started.

Tablet computer with "Profit" text on the screen

Customer Retention

Ecommerce Profitability Revisited

June 26, 2022 • Charles Nicholls

In 2013, most ecommerce merchants generated losses from first-time shoppers. It's the same for 2022, although the circumstances differ. Contributor Charles Nicholls revisits the drivers of ecommerce profitability: 2013 vs. 2022.

Customer Retention

Is Text Messaging the Next Commerce Channel?

June 16, 2022 • Armando Roggio

Gary Vaynerchuk's Wine Text is a pioneer in selling goods via text messaging. Other services have followed. Will consumers embrace text commerce?

Customer Retention

Online Shopping Has Shifted to the Edge

April 26, 2022 • Charles Nicholls

In a bygone era, shoppers entered an ecommerce site directly or via a search engine. No more. In 2022 it's social media that increasingly starts the process, creating opportunities and challenges for merchants.

Customer Retention

Text Commerce Is Upfront Permission to Sell

April 10, 2022 • Armando Roggio

Text commerce is the process of obtaining payment and shipping info from shoppers upfront as well as permission to send offers. The model can solve multiple hurdles for merchants.

Photo of an older couple in front of a laptop

Customer Retention

Need Repeat Customers? Try Low-tech Selling

December 29, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton

If you lack the budget for high-end automation tools, there are still plenty of ways to fill the gaps left by massive competitors. Here are nine ways to catch the attention of savvy online shoppers and keep them returning for more.

Customer Retention

Subscriptions, Books Drive Man Flow Yoga

December 17, 2021 • Eric Bandholz

Dean Pohlman is a global authority on yoga instruction for men. He's written best-selling books on the topic and conducted hundreds of in-person classes. His company, Man Flow Yoga, is thriving with an on-demand instructional program driven by paid subscriptions.

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Customer Retention

11 A/B Testing Tools to Optimize Conversions

November 17, 2021 • Sig Ueland

A/B testing, the process of exposing randomized visitors to one or more variables, is among the most effective strategies to optimize user experiences and conversion rates. Here is a list of A/B testing tools.

Customer Retention

Subscriptions Power Disco Past iOS 14.5, Amazon

November 12, 2021 • Eric Bandholz

The year 2021 has been a doozy for Ben Smith. In March, he celebrated an investment round for Disco, his direct-to-consumer skincare company. In April, Disco's customer acquisition cost increased by a whopping 300% with the release of iOS 14.5. In May, he began selling a top item on Amazon.

Illustration that reads "Attract - Convert - Retain"

Customer Retention

9 Ways to Reduce Customer Acquisition Costs

August 23, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton

Customer acquisition costs can make or break an ecommerce business. Efficient spending could produce new, profitable customers. Spending too much could bankrupt the company. Computing the CAC is straightforward: Divide total promotional costs by the number of new customers.

Image of an older man and woman shopping on a computer

Customer Retention

Online Shopping, Post Covid, Retains Consumers

July 14, 2021 • Marcia Kaplan

Covid-19 brought a huge increase in online shopping. Many consumers became online shoppers for the first time. It appears that they will continue to rely on ecommerce for a myriad of items. Second-quarter 2021 results demonstrate that online shopping is holding on to much of its gains.

Customer Retention

Text Messages Are an Ecommerce Opportunity

May 31, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Many ecommerce and omnichannel marketers treat text messaging as pared-down email campaigns. But text alone is a powerful way to drive sales. Nearly everyone, after all, grabs their mobile phone the moment a message arrives.

Screen capture from the Qualaroo home page

Customer Retention

17 Tools for Customer Feedback

May 18, 2021 • Sig Ueland

Feedback surveys can help determine what's working with your website or service and provide fresh insights from customers and prospects. Here is a list of tools for surveys and forms.

Customer Retention

Here’s Why Your Ecommerce Subscriptions Aren’t Selling

March 29, 2021 • Armando Roggio

A recurring subscription model is a powerful tool for growth and profit — if you can get subscribers. “A lot of brands install our subscription software and slap a ‘subscribe and ...

Customer Retention

5 Ways to Prompt First-time Customers to Buy Again

February 22, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton

Loyal customers talk about the business and its products, driving more shoppers. So it makes sense to shift some of your marketing efforts to retain the buyers you already have. Here are five ways to do it.

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Customer Retention

Want Repeat Customers? Foster Long-term Relationships

February 8, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton

Successful brands make a point of building long term relationships with customers. It’s a crucial step in a company’s growth. But it takes more than exclusive deals and special features. Here are seven ways to foster long-lasting relationships.

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Customer Retention

7 Customer Retention Strategies for 2021

January 6, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Retaining ecommerce customers lowers costs and boosts profits. In 2021, customer retention could be critical. “In 2020 we saw multiple years of ecommerce growth….And when we look at [2021], the big question is 'Will this shift to ecommerce last?'"

Customer Retention

It’s the Perfect Time to Launch a Loyalty Program

July 21, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton

The pandemic is prompting consumers to stay at home and buy online. It's a perfect opportunity for ecommerce companies to introduce a well-defined loyalty program. Also called rewards or points, loyalty programs help the business and its customers in three key ways.

Customer Retention

Building Trust during the Pandemic Drives Long-term Loyalty

May 20, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton

As most U.S. states start to reopen, it's easy to consider ditching temporary coronavirus policies. Instead, online businesses should focus on retaining customers and addressing concerns. Consider the following pointers.

Customer Retention

Tips to Retain Online Customers after the Pandemic

April 14, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton

The coronavirus is raising the visibility of ecommerce among consumers. Merchants, especially those selling so-called "essential" goods, have experienced a boost in sales. What follows are tips to consider now, to help retain those new customers when the pandemic passes.

Customer Retention

Yes, Smaller Ecommerce Stores Can Evolve (and Prosper)

January 21, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton

Merchants know that ecommerce is highly competitive. It's also dynamic and ever-changing. Alternative forms of selling and servicing (such as social commerce, voice commerce, and chatbots) are examples. What can a smaller online store do to keep up?

Customer Retention

Use Cross-selling to Increase Trust, Loyalty, Sales

January 7, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton

Cross-selling is the act of successfully offering complementary items on the same or subsequent orders. This tried-and-true practice can help retailers of all sizes and product types boost average sales totals and customer loyalty.

Customer Retention

6 Customer Retention Ideas for the Holidays

September 16, 2019 • Armando Roggio

The holiday shopping season from October to December is a boom time for most retailers. Sales are up. New customers are plentiful. What follows are six ideas to retain holiday shoppers after the busy season.

Customer Retention

Retargeting Improves Conversions from SEO

June 30, 2019 • Jill Kocher Brown

Retargeting turns visitor actions on your site or app into a second chance to capture a sale. It’s an excellent way to move top-of-funnel traffic from organic search to conversions.

Customer Retention

Branding Is the Key to More Ecommerce Sales

June 20, 2019 • Pamela Hazelton

Positive branding is key for any business. It takes a lot of work over time, but the benefits make it worthwhile. The products you sell, interactions with shoppers, transparency — all impact branding.

Customer Retention

Analyzing the Impact of Customer Retention on Profits

March 26, 2019 • Armando Roggio

Customer retention is a good indicator of an ecommerce business’s potential for long-term growth and success. With this in mind, ecommerce owners and managers should consider making customer retention a ...

Customer Retention

8 Micro Conversions to Instill Trust, Obtain Customers

January 23, 2019 • Pamela Hazelton

Micro conversions are smaller actions that can lead to sales. Micro conversions can instill trust, and therefore influence the 90 percent of visitors who do not intend to immediately purchase.