As a business owner, you likely spend most of your time and money finding different ways to drive new business. But how much focus do you place on driving repeat business?

Repeat customers are just as valuable—if not more—as new customers and play an important role in your business. Think about it; repeat customers are easier to sell to because they are already familiar with your product or service. They’re also your most profitable because customers who keep coming back are likely promoting your business to others.

Use the ideas below to drive repeat customers and boost your revenue.

Start a Loyalty Program

Customers love getting exclusive deals with the brands they love. In fact, 67 percent of consumers have made a purchase they weren’t originally planning to make solely based on finding a coupon or discount, suggests 2018 RetailMeKnot data.

When it comes to driving repeat customers this is critical—the same data found that 93 percent of consumers would make a repeat purchase with retailers who offer “good discounts” and 48 percent said they avoid brands that don’t offer these deals. Give your customers these rewards, and encourage them to spend more, with a loyalty program. This not only helps build customer affinity, but it’s also an effective way to increase purchase frequency because customers are motivated to spend more to earn more.

Invest in Email Marketing

A critical element of customer retention is keeping your brand top of mind. Email marketing is a great way to do that while building relationships with your customers after their initial purchase.

There are many ways you can stay in touch with your customers post-purchase via email, from content-based newsletters to new product or service announcements. When developing your emails, keep a couple of key tips in mind:

• Personalize and reduce promotional: Not only are personalized emails more effective, but 27 percent of consumers want brand emails to be more personalized and less promotional, according to 2018 data from Adobe.
• Automate your emails: Build a funnel for post-purchase automation, so you spend less time creating emails and more time driving repeat customers. Sit back and let the automation work for you.

Provide Exceptional Customer Service

Customer service can make or break a company. According to NewVoiceMedia’s 2018 Serial Switchers Report, poor customer service is costing businesses more than $75 billion a year, up $13 billion since its last report in 2016.

“Brands are failing to create the positive, emotional experiences that drive customer loyalty,” says the report,” says the report. In fact, 67 percent of customers have become “serial switchers,” customers who are willing to switch brands because of a poor customer experience.

Today’s savvy customers don’t want to wait on hold or get routed to 3 different people only to be told that there’s nothing that can be done to solve their problem. Rather, they want fast, friendly, and consistent customer service.

Create a Seamless Checkout Experience

If it’s difficult for customers to purchase products because of a clunky check-out process, you can guarantee that they will go elsewhere to find what they need. This is critical for retailers and businesses who sell digital products to consider. In Selz’s guide to selling products online, they explain:

“Don’t make buying process long and don’t try to collect a lot of information from buyers. The more steps and information requested, the greater the friction, and the more sales you will lose as buyers abandon their purchase.” Instead, ask for needed information only and request the rest later. A common practice is to “check out as guest,” which makes their life easier and sets their mind at ease. With so many data breaches in recent years, consumers are wary to give away too much.

Drive Repeat Business Startinadults-apron-counter-580613g Today

Investing in repeat business is a must if you want your business to be profitable. Use the tips and tricks above to create loyal customers and drive sales. In the end, you’ll make more money and build a loyal following of customers who will spend more and, ideally, share with those around them—a win-win for your business.