Stop Courting Your Customers: It's Time To Commit
Returning customers and customer retention is key to a growing business. If this statement is true, why do businesses spend most of their time and resources working to reach new customers? In your flower shop you need to make sure that your customers enter into the final stage of the buying cycle: repurchase. Keep reading to learn how to stop courting new customers and start working towards building loyal, committed fans.
According to SumAll, 25% to 40% of the total revenues of the most stable businesses in the SumAll network come from returning customers. Even better, steady customers help businesses weather lean economic times; businesses with 40% repeat customers generated nearly 50% more revenue than similar businesses with only 10% repeat customers.
These statistics show that you should be pushing for the second sale. There are many factors that customers take into account before they will move into the last stage of the buying cycle and repurchase from your flower shop. Experience and satisfaction play important roles. The customer will evaluate how their overall experience was the first time. This is based on emotion and customer convenience. Next, the customer will consider how satisfied they were with what they purchased. Did the arrangement look like they thought it would? Was it delivered on time to the right address?
As you can see, getting a customer to repurchase is directly correlated to their original experience with your flower shop. This is why it is so crucial to provide excellent customer service. Keep in mind that not all interactions go smoothly. Sometimes there is a breakdown of communication and you have to deal with an angry or upset customer. Try to change any negative situations into positive memories. Promptly address concerns and show how dedicated you are to making the situation right. If the customer leaves the conversation feeling appreciated and listened to, then you have turned a negative experience into a positive memory that will impact future buying.
Entice Customers to Purchase Again
Consider how you are currently advertising to second-time buyers. Is it the same way you are targeting first-time buyers? With an FSN website there are very specific ways we speak to customers based on where they are in the buying cycle.
Smart Reminders
With an FSN website, customers receive emails annually for special occasions when they've previously sent flowers, such as a birthday or anniversary. This popular feature is called a smart reminder and they encourage repeat orders. The email also:
1) Shows the customer that you remembered an important detail about their life.
2) Makes it easy for the customer to quickly purchase a gift they were planning on getting anyway.
3) Reminds customers of their past buying experience.
This powerful tool is crafted to specifically help flower shops create loyal customers.
Do you need a way to encourage repeat business?
Learn more about the many marketing features that come with an FSN website.