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If you’re looking for ways to build a closer relationship with your customers, one of the best ways is to show them sincere appreciation. You might think that it was obvious, but remarkably very few companies actually take the time to genuinely thank their customers for their business.
When it comes to standing out amongst your competitors, it’s pretty crucial for eCommerce business owners to find their moments of opportunity. Companies that focus on the more meaningful customer experiences rather than just offering discounts will have a more likely loyal following in the future.
Thanking customers for their purchase goes a long way. In fact, 68% of businesses have lost customers due to that they feel a company is indifferent to them, and that appreciation for them as customers is an indispensable part of providing excellent care.
How To Say Thank You To Your Customers
Sending the perfect thank you really doesn’t have to be complicated as, to be honest, most consumers won’t have a high bar when it comes to appreciation from a business. You should be thanking customers without any expectations for anything return. An example of this would be not to pester them about following you on social media or to come back immediately and purchase something else from you. Simply express gratitude, personally and directly for a customer and the fact they have placed trust in you. That’s enough to create a good enough connection.
Who Should You Thank
It may feel slightly overwhelming to personally thank every single customer with every order, and as your business grows, it will be impossible to manage it all by yourself. For that reason alone, it’s a good idea to segment your customers into groups that you would want to prioritize.
Here are some ways you can group your customers for different tiers of thank yous:
- Every customer
- Every Repeat Customer
- Anyone who’s written into Support
- Customers on their birthday
- Specific holiday thank you cards (Christmas, Valentines Day)
Set Aside An Appropriate Budget
The budget for your thank you program will be directly linked to the number of customers who you want to reach out too. But don’t think that you will have to spend a shed load of money in order to show gratitude to your customers. It’s not about how much money you spend that shows your appreciated by your customers, it’s all about the care, attention and a bit of creativity that they will remember most.
Creative Ideas On How You Can Say Thank You
While creative planning and smart decision making will set the stage for delight, at the end of the day you still need a few simple ideas to act on. To give you a little inspiration, here are 6 ways you can spread the love and gratitude around.
1 – Handwritten Thank You Notes
This is by far the best tried and tested way to thank your customers on a very little cost. Writing out personalised thank you notes will show your customers that there is a real person involved behind the screen.
Thank you notes are effective as let’s face it, they’re a bit of a lost art. When was the last time you actually sent a handwritten letter, instead of quickly firing off a text or Whatsapp message? Yes, those mediums allow for incredible efficiency and will save a lot of time, but a handwritten card goes beyond the ephemeral nature of our digital inboxes and creates something tangible and more meaningful.
2 – Include Package Inserts
Adding a little extra something to an order that’s heading out of the door is a great way to say thanks. Packaging inserts are all about exceeding your customer’s expectations. Unboxing is an experience in itself, and customers look forward to the moment they finally get their hands on their new product. They will be primed with delight with just a little extra effort. You don’t have to go overboard with these little extras, so whether it be a bag of sweets, stickers or a branded pen it will sure do the trick to put a bigger smile on your customer’s faces.
3 – Providing Free Gifts Or Samples
Is there anything that customer like more than free samples? Throwing in a small sample or gift with their order is the perfect way to say thanks for the purchase.
Free samples aren’t just an amazing way to surprise and delight your customers, they also showcase something the customer may haven’t tried yet, and if they like you may even see them purchase it in their next order. It’s important that if you do this that you match the surprise sample with something that you think they will actually use.
4 – Creating Personal Connections
If you want to go one step further then personalised videos are the way to go. Creating any type of video content is very time consuming and require a fair bit of manual work. Videos are particularly great for special occasions and also holidays where you can really be creative with the theme. Some companies will send out a little personal video from their founders to new customers. They don’t have to be long or in depth, but they are warm and welcoming and showcase the humanity behind the brand.
5 – Offer post-Purchase Discounts
Rewarding your loyal customers with discounts and coupons is the perfect way to keep them coming back while thanking them for their patronage. Although you have to be very careful with discounts as they can train customers to just sit and wait for the deals, sending a discount to new customers is usually a pretty cost-effective way to get them to return and make another purchase with you.
A Little Thank You Goes A Long Way
There are so many different ways to thank your customers and create moments of delight post-purchase. Remember, the key here is to be personal, thoughtful and most importantly genuine. Customers and people in general love a sincere thank you but dislike insincerity.
When you have an attitude of gratitude, creating meaningful connections with customers is natural. Building these customer relationships gives you the opportunity to elevate your brand above your competition.