5 Strategies to Keep Your Customers Long-Term in 2020From flash sales to follow-ups, a handful of methods to ensure consumer loyalty in the coming year.

ByJohn Boitnott

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Thomas Barwick | Getty Images

With New Year's sales happening all around us, it's critical to implementcustomer-retention strategiesthat will keep your buyers loyal beyond peak revenue periods. After all, why should Amazon be the only retailer or e-commerce brand to grab so much of the sales?

Your customer-experience strategy should also encourage customers to stick around long after January, and into the decade ahead. Here are five customer-retention strategies for long-term customer engagement in 2020 and beyond:

1. Focus on the user experience.

Customers want toenjoy shopping, but they also want to get it done quickly. That's why they want to partner with companies that understand their expectations. The takeaway here is that you'll most likely keep customers coming back if you offer a streamlined user experience. Consider implementing tactics such as a single sign-in, mobile optimization, guest checkout and improved search and personalization features.

Related:4 Strategies to Help Small Businesses Increate Customer Retention

2. Conduct a post-salefollow-upfor in-store and online purchases.

To persuade your customer base to come back, adopt acustomer loyaltystrategy that, at a minimum, includes a personal thank you and a promotional incentive. This strategy also encourages customer feedback about new products to improve the service experience.

Provide a brief survey with access printed on their sales receipt as part of the online checkout process. Incentivize the feedback request with a discount or promotion that entices them to share their thoughts on the. Analytics tools can then uncover patterns in the responses that identify areas that need improvement.

Prioritize the effort to address problem areas immediately. Once you implement any improvements, announce them personally to the customer through an email or text. Also, share the customer experience changes across all public channels -- e.g. website and social media -- to catch the attention of potential customers and those who haven't shopped with you for a while.

3. Add a subscription or membership feature.

New customers and loyal customers enjoy receiving access to exclusive products, events and promotions. They feel like a VIP and enjoy the convenience that such an experience creates. In return, you can increasecustomer lifetime value.

To add a membership or subscription component to your business model, start by considering what you can offer throughout the year. It might be a curated monthly box of samples or products themed for different occasions, such as holidays and seasons. Alternatively, you may want to use a membership model where your customer base pays a small fee to enjoy free shipping and discounts for regularly reordering certain products.

4. Implement flash sales related to items they regularly buy.

你想让客户欣赏之外al value. Flash sale promotions help to stimulate impulse buys. They also tend to generate excitement and surprise. As an added benefit, this strategy can also help you better manage your inventory by discounting the products with extra stock that hasn't moved.

Use your social media channels and text-message marketing to share news of these sales. Focus on flash sales that reflect the trending products and then move to standard purchases that your Customer Relationship Management database tracks.

5. Nail your service-delivery options.

Increasing the variety of delivery options for in-store and online ordering always helps the customer experience. If you have an existingloyaltyprogram in place, you can create special delivery options like free one-day or two-day shipping services to sweeten the deal.

It's always possible to decrease churn and even continue improving your conversion rate. You can maintain a solid customer-retention rate through many delivery options that improve customer satisfaction and encourage them to shop more often. The above follow-up strategy is an ideal place to get more information on the type of delivery options your repeat customers most want.

Related:Steal These 4 Proven Customer-Retention Strategies

Your goal is to create customer relationships that deliver greater lifetime value. When current customers return throughout the year, you can ensure a higher sustained level of revenue by keeping them hooked. Additionally, you'll be able to focus on adding new customers that are seeking similar shopping experiences.

These five strategies create a customer-retention program that will help you meet and exceed buyers's expectations over an extended period of time, while allowing for flexibility that enables your brand to pivot in response to changing preferences.

Wavy Line
John Boitnott

Entrepreneur Leadership Network VIP

Journalist, Digital Media Consultant and Investor

John Boitnott is a longtime digital media consultant and journalist living in San Francisco. He's written for Venturebeat, USA Today and FastCompany.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Leadership

These Outdated Habits Are Leading to Workplace Inefficiencies And Taking a Toll on Your Productivity

No wonder companies are having trouble collaborating effectively digitally.

Business News

'This Is My Life Now': Man Hysterically Documents Elon Musk's 'X' Sign Blaring Flashing Lights Into His Bedroom Window

The sign, reportedly put up without a permit, is shining bright at X HQ in San Francisco.

Business News

'Awful Advice': Barbara Corcoran Slammed For 'Tone Deaf' Business Advice to Interns

The "Shark Tank" star shared tips on social media about how interns can increase their chances of getting hired full-time, but the public reaction didn't go as planned.

Money & Finance

Want to Become a Millionaire? Follow Warren Buffett's 4 Rules.

企业家是不能过度指狗万官方望太多a company exit for their eventual 'win.' Do this instead.

Leadership

How Tech Leaders Should Approach Layoffs — and How to Build Trust With Remaining Employees

How tech managers deal with team and workplace trauma amid layoffs will define how companies bounce back.

Growing a Business

3 Ways Leaders Can Use Data to Grow in Shrinking Economies

Business leaders need to find a way to make sense of this dynamic environment and use it to their advantage — and they can do so with data. Here's how.