You’ve heard the figures: it costs 7 times more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one. With numbers like that, it makes sense to have a program in place to make sure your customers know they’re valued and to remind them of what you have to offer.
Here are some suggestions:
1. Mail More Often. Most catalogers leave a lot of money on the table by not mailing to their customers often enough. If results barely drop from one mailing to the next, you should be mailing more often.
2. Use Optimization Well. I see a lot of companies that only optimize inactive buyers to decide which to remail. Optimizing your active buyers can help you decide how frequently to mail some of the best segments of your list.
3. Encourage Email Opt-Ins. Lots of companies take a pretty passive approach to encouraging email sign ups. Since email is so much more affordable than postal mail, that’s a real waste. Read our recent blog post for some advice on how to encourage more email sign-ups.
4. Send Relevant Offers. It may not be wise to send every email to every customer just because email is inexpensive. Annoy your customer with irrelevant emails and you risk having them opt out of your list. Here are some tips for segmenting your email list.
5. Update Web Content. If you’re blasting out emails inviting customers to visit your web site, make sure it offers something worth seeing. If you keep linking to the same old content, pretty soon repeat visitors will stop coming.
6. Remember to Upsell. One little question is often all it takes to increase a customer’s order size. Use upsell suggestions at every opportunity. Read this article for some tips on effective upselling.
7. Include Package Inserts. I’m shocked at how often companies miss a prime opportunity to sell when they deliver product. That’s perhaps the only time a customer is guaranteed to open what you send them, so use the opportunity to forge a relationship. Say thank you, tell them more about your company, or make a special offer just for recent buyers.
8. Use Product Reviews. I recently heard someone describe adding customer reviews to their web site as “transformative.” I couldn’t agree more. Not only will sales jump as a result of adding product reviews, but you can then start promoting your top-rated products in emailings, your catalog, and on your web site.
9. Try Event-Triggered Emails. Event-triggered emails, also known as autoresponders, are emails that are sent automatically only when certain conditions are met. Emails to people who have abandoned their shopping cart are one of the most profitable uses of this technology. For other opportunities, click here.
10. Invite Feedback. People love to be asked their opinions, and as a good marketer, you should be all ears when they offer them. Better yet, create an email that goes to every customer a few weeks after their product ships. Thank them for their order, and ask them to tell you how they like the product by posting a product review.
Your house list is one of the most valuable assets you have. Make the most of it!
