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Forget the data mining, number crunching, high technology tools for a moment and personally thank some of your valued customers. With simple expressions of appreciation, you can convert a one-time customer to a long-term loyal shopper.
Post a sign in your workspace with the statement, "It costs more to acquire a customer than it does to retain a customer" and make it a goal to do something every day to inspire a return visit. Here are some tokens of gratitude you can bestow upon your customers without depleting your assets:
- Free shipping - the delivery cost can often be the deciding factor in whether a particular item is purchased online or offline.
- Discounted merchandise - offer a reduced price on gardening gloves to all customers who purchased tulip bulbs.
- Gift Certificates - Reward a customer's tenth order with a gift certificate.
- Free Samples and Demos - the best way to get a customer to buy a new brand of cologne or computer game is to let them try it first.
- Private Sales - offer exclusive pricing to some of your best customers.
Notify the recipients of your generosity via personalized e-mail or even a phone call. If you do something unexpectedly nice for a customer, they will come back and also tell their friends and associates about your business.
Reprinted from ECommerce Guide.