Ecommerce today has placed the whole marketplace just a few click away! You need not travel for miles to purchase something exclusive or even something regular. A few clicks or taps on your screen and you can get what you want at your door step – literally! That said, ecommerce solutions today are highly evolved and customers are expecting a lot more than mere sales and purchases. In-store experiences now moved to web store experiences and customers expect two major things in terms of shopping experiences – exclusivity and personalization.
Here’s where “Members Only” stores excel. Ofcouse, it is a known fact that allowing guest checkout is one way to ensure sales, but truly long term, it’s about traditional marketing values of retaining customers with great services. Making a shopper feel the exclusivity he gains from being a member, and giving a personalized touch to your services that are customized to customer requirements, in the long term will be beneficial to your business.
Exclusivity
Making a store members only would mean that ensuring that a user signs up and provides you information about their preferred size, colour, style etc. You can later use this information for customizing your marketing efforts as per their preferences giving them a great experience with your store. The sign up to your store should however be short and free.
For those type of sites that customers buy high end items and where customers are ready to consider their options and put in a little more effort, the Members Only site offers exclusivity. They get the feeling that the products are worth it and have been tailored to their tastes. This instills a sense of exclusivity and such customers will definitely be there with your business – long term.
Personalization
Welcome messages to new customers ensure that your customers have a positive experience with your store. Customer service emails will ensure that your customers are reminded that you care. Triggering the right kind of emails post purchase can ensure that you retain your customers and improve you customer loyalty stats. Well, another important aspect of post purchase customer experience is asking for feedback in the form of customer satisfaction surveys. IF customers get a voice in your business, you are sure to gain their loyalty.
Promotional offers
Members only websites are better equipped for personalization according to customer tastes. They can easily draft emails whenever a customer’s favourite product is on a free upgrade, or on sale or on a special price offer. Such stores can also customize their stores to provide customers with what they are interested in. A Men’s apparel store can highlight the casuals for a customer who has set his preference and has a history of purchasing only casuals from the store. Customers will definitely appreciate the effort and come back for more! Personalization is a great way to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
As a store owner, you in turn get deeper customer engagement and greater customer loyalty. The core marketing practices still stand good in the e-world. A happy customer sells better than any other sales personnel. Well, gaining new customers is a good thing, retaining them requires efforts on the part of merchants. Customers who feel good shopping at your store will definitely be loyal and engage long term with your store!
