It’s no secret that it costs more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. In fact, according to Harvard Business Review, it can cost from five to 25 times as much. That’s why it’s so important for businesses to focus on ways to win back customers who have strayed.

Winning back a customer is the process of convincing a customer who has stopped doing business with you to start doing business with you again. It’s also known as customer reactivation.

Fortunately, as an eCommerce business, you have a number of powerful marketing tools at your disposal to help you win back customers. In this blog post, we’ll share some proven strategies for using marketing tools to win back customers along with some tips on how to re-target users and how to improve customer loyalty.

Let's get into it.

Win-Back Strategies for eCommerce

There are a number of different strategies you can use when employing marketing tools to win back customers. This is a great way for you to tap into revenue that might be left on the table. By focusing on customer retention through winning customers back, you could actually increase profits: studies have shown that an increase of 5% retention can increase profits by up to 95%.

Getting familiar with these strategies is important for your retention plans. Here are some of the most effective:

1. Send a win-back email campaign

Email is a great way to connect with customers and stay top-of-mind, even if they’re not actively engaged with your brand.

When creating a win-back email campaign, it’s important to personalize your message and make it relevant to the customer. You should also offer them something of value, such as a discount or coupon code, to incentivize them to come back.

Here’s a template of a great win-back email that you can use:

Hi (First Name),

We noticed you haven’t been active on our site lately and we miss you! We want to let you know that we’re running a special promotion for loyal customers like you. For a limited time, you can get (insert offer here).

We hope to see you back on our site soon!

Cheers,

(Your Name)

As you can see, this email is personal and tailored to the customer. It also includes an incentive in the form of a coupon code. This can be an effective way to win back customers who haven’t interacted with your brand in a while.

2. Use social media to reach out

When using social media to win back customers, it’s important to be personal and authentic. You should also make sure you’re responsive to any customer queries or complaints.

Here’s an example of a social media messaging that could work:

Hey (First Name), we noticed you haven’t been active on our site lately and we miss you! We want to let you know that we’re running a special promotion for loyal customers like you. For a limited time, you can get (insert offer here). We hope to see you back on our site soon!

As you can see, this social media message is quite similar to the email template we shared above. The key is to make sure your message is personal and relevant to the customer and to give them an incentive to come back.

3. Use retargeting ads

These are ads that are served to people who have already visited your website or app but haven’t taken the desired action, such as making a purchase.

When creating retargeting ads, it’s important to make them relevant and targeted to the customer. You should also make sure your ads are creative and eye-catching.

For example, you could create a retargeting ad that says “Hey (First Name), we noticed you didn’t complete your purchase. We’re running a special promotion where you can get (insert offer here).”

This is a great way to win back customers who have already shown an interest in your product or service but haven’t made a purchase. Not only does it give them a second chance to take advantage of your offer, but it also shows that you’re paying attention to their behavior and are willing to give them a discount.

4. Implement a customer loyalty program

Studies have found that 57% of consumers tend to spend more with brands that they are loyal to. So finding ways to build up that loyalty is crucial.

When creating a customer loyalty program, it’s important to make sure the rewards are valuable and relevant to the customer. You should also make sure the program is easy to use and understand.

Here’s an example of one way you could structure your loyalty program:

• For every $100 spent, the customer will receive a $10 discount.
• For every 5 purchases, the customer will receive a free shipping voucher.
• For every 10 purchases, the customer will receive a $50 gift card.

As you can see, this loyalty program offers valuable rewards that will incentivize customers to come back and make more purchases. And when it comes to winning back customers, you could even consider rewarding them retroactively for their past purchases.

5. Reach out with a customer survey

When creating a customer survey, it’s important to make sure the questions very specific to the customer experience. You should also make sure the survey is easy to take and that you offer an incentive for completing it.

Here are some example customer survey questions you could ask:

• What made you stop using our product/service?
• What would make you start using our product/service again?
• What other products/services do you use that we could be compete with?
• What do you think of our customer service?
• Is there anything else we could do to improve your experience?

These questions will help you gain valuable insights into why the customer stopped using your product or service and what you can do to win them back. And while these insights are valuable, it's still difficult to convince people to fill out surveys. It takes time and effort—and it really is a favor to you. That's why it's important to offer an incentive, such as a discount or free shipping voucher.

6. Send a hand-written note

This personal touch is a great way to show customers that you care about them. They can also be used to thank customers for their business or to apologize for any problems they may have had.

When sending a hand-written note, it’s important to make sure the message is relevant and targeted to the customer. You should also make sure the note is well-written and free of grammar and spelling errors.

While the messaging may be similar in a hand-written note, it's important to make sure it doesn't come across as insincere. A customer can easily tell the difference between a mass-produced, generic note, and a sincere, hand-written one. Here are some tips for writing a sincere hand-written note:

• Mention something specific about the customer or their order. This could be something like “I noticed you ordered our new product and I wanted to say thanks!” or “I’m sorry to hear you were unhappy with your purchase.”
• Write in a friendly and personal tone. Avoid using formal or business language.
• Keep the note short and to the point. Customers are more likely to read and appreciate a shorter note than a long one.

By following these tips, you can be sure your hand-written note will come across as sincere and that it will have a positive impact on the customer.

7. Reach out with a phone call

When making a phone call, it’s important to make sure the call is well-timed and that you have a clear purpose for making it.

Here are some talking points you could use when making a phone call to a customer:

• Introduce yourself and explain why you’re calling.
• Thank the customer for their business.
• Mention something specific about the customer or their order.
• Apologize for any problems they may have had.
• Inquire about their current satisfaction with your product or service.
• Ask if there’s anything you can do to improve their experience.

By following these tips, you can be sure your phone call will be well-received and that it will have a positive impact on the customer. Your goal is to build a relationship with the customer and to show them that you value their business.

8. Give a Freebie

When giving a freebie, it’s important to make sure the message is relevant and targeted to the customer. You should also make sure the freebie is of good quality and that it’s something the customer will actually want.

How you frame this message is important. You don't want to come across as insincere or looking to take advantage of the customer. Instead, focus on how the freebie is a way to thank the customer for their business or to show that you're committed to making things right.

By following these tips, you can be sure your freebie will be well-received and that it will have a positive impact on the customer. Your goal is to build a relationship with the customer and to show them that you value their business.

The Missing Piece: Automate Your Customer Win-Back Campaigns

Now that you know some of the best strategies for winning back customers, it’s time to put them into action. And the best way to do that is with AfterShip Marketing.

AfterShip makes it easy to create and automate customer win-back campaigns. With AfterShip, you can:

• Automatically segment your customers based on criteria like purchase history and customer lifetime value
• Send targeted emails, SMS messages, and push notifications to customers who are at risk of leaving
• Run personalization campaigns to give customers the best possible experience
• A/B test different win-back strategies to see what works best for your business
• Analyze customer behavior to identify trends and areas for improvement

For example, let’s say you want to run a customer win-back campaign using the “give a freebie” strategy. With AfterShip, you can create an automated campaign that will send a freebie to customers who haven’t made a purchase in 30 days. The campaign could consist of a series of emails and push notifications that are sent over the course of a week. And if the customer doesn’t respond to the campaign, they will automatically be sent a freebie.

Another way to use AfterShip to win back customers is to run a personalization campaign. With Aftership, you can create a campaign that will show personalized product recommendations to customers who haven’t made a purchase in 30 days. The recommendations will be based on the customer’s purchase history and customer profile.

Essentially, you would be creating a customer win-back campaign that is tailored specifically for each customer. And the best part is that the campaign will be automated so you don’t have to do anything except sit back and watch the results come in.

To learn more about how AfterShip can help you win back customers, sign up for a free trial today.