Welcome to this comprehensive handbook on the customer lifecycle and ecommerce strategy! This handbook aims to provide an in-depth look at customers' various stages when interacting with a brand or business online.
A strong understanding of the customer lifecycle and crafting an effective ecommerce strategy is crucial for the success of any online business. The customer lifecycle refers to the journey a customer takes from initial awareness of a brand to becoming a loyal repeat customer. An e-commerce strategy encompasses the goals, techniques, and tools to acquire, engage, and retain customers at each lifecycle stage.
This handbook will break down the customer lifecycle into five key stages: awareness, consideration, purchase, retention, and loyalty. For each stage, we will explore proven ecommerce strategies to move customers to the next phase and turn one-time buyers into lifelong brand advocates.
Whether you are just starting with e-commerce or looking to improve your existing e-commerce strategy, this comprehensive guide has tips, examples, and best practices to help you nurture profitable customer relationships over the long term. Let's dive in!
Awareness Stage
The first stage in the customer lifecycle is awareness. This is when a potential customer becomes aware of your brand, products, or services for the first time. Most customers will start their buying journey by discovering you through search engines, advertisements, social media, email marketing, referrals, or other channels. Your ecommerce strategy goal at this initial stage should be focused on:
Increasing brand awareness and visibility online and offline
Making it easy for ideal potential customers to find you through relevant content and campaigns
Conveying your brand promise, values, and product/service benefits
Generating interest and consideration for your offerings
Here are some proven ecommerce strategies to boost brand awareness and get on customers' radars:
Invest in SEO to rank highly for relevant keywords in search engines like Google, so you appear in results when potential customers are searching for products/services like yours.
Run Google and social media ads targeting your target audience based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more.
Develop engaging content like blogs, ebooks, guides, videos, etc., that educate potential customers and demonstrate your expertise.
Promote your content through social media, email newsletters, PR, influencer marketing, and other channels to increase your reach.
Sponsor or exhibit at in-person events, tradeshows, and conferences attended by your target customers
Leverage referral marketing programs to spread positive word-of-mouth from existing happy customers about your brand.
The key is figuring out where your potential customers spend their time online and offline and ensuring they encounter your brand through informative, helpful touchpoints that will make a positive first impression.
Consideration Stage
Once a potential customer knows about your e-commerce business, you must convince them to buy from you. The consideration stage is when a prospect evaluates your brand and products versus alternatives to determine if you fit their needs. Your ecommerce strategy now should focus on:
Providing the detailed product information needed to inform their purchasing decision
Influencing brand perceptions by emphasizing your key differentiators
Overcoming potential objections and nurturing promising leads toward a purchase
Streamlining the research and comparison process on your e-commerce site
Tactics to move customers from consideration to purchase include:
Ensure your website has clear, comprehensive product descriptions, specifications, images, reviews, FAQs, and any other details needed to enable the customer to make an informed decision.
Create personalized, segmented email campaigns that educate prospects with relevant content based on their interests and send targeted offers to incentivize trial purchases.
Develop a lead scoring system and lead nurturing workflow to focus sales efforts on hot prospects showing purchase intent signals.
Share customer testimonials, case studies, and service guarantees to increase trust.
Make product selection and comparison easy through buyer guides, charts, bundles, and more.
Offer free trials, samples, or consultations to let prospects experience your offering at low risk.
The consideration stage is all about demonstrating the value of your brand over competitors, building credibility, and addressing any customer concerns or questions that may be preventing them from moving forward with a purchase.
Purchase Stage
Time to turn considerations into conversions! The purchase stage is when a prospect completes their first transaction and officially becomes a customer. The initial purchase experience will significantly impact customer satisfaction and the likelihood they will return to buy again. Your ecommerce strategy should make the buying process as quick and easy as possible. Essential factors at this stage include:
Offering a streamlined checkout process on your e-commerce site or sales channels
Providing multiple payment options to increase conversion rates
Clearly stating shipping costs and options
Having excellent product availability and order fulfillment processes
Following up with transaction confirmations and tracking info
Delivering exceptional customer service and support
Some best practices for optimizing the purchase process include:
Allow guest checkout and only require account creation after the purchase is completed to remove friction.
Make your website responsive with optimized navigation to ensure smooth ordering on all devices.
Integrate instant checkout options like Apple Pay and PayPal Express.
Show multiple images of products from all angles and include sizing charts.
Show inventory status and estimated delivery timelines to set expectations.
Send confirmation emails with order details and offer self-service options to track shipments.
For customer support inquiries, provide multiple contact options - phone, email, live chat, etc..
By perfecting each step of the transaction process, you can convert more visitors into satisfied paying customers.
Retention Stage
Congratulations, you've made your first sale! But the ecommerce strategy work continues beyond there. Retaining customers and keeping them engaged with your brand over time is crucial for long-term business growth. The retention stage focuses on nurturing new customers, exceeding expectations with ongoing service, and incentivizing repeat purchases. Goals at this stage include:
Delivering exceptional post-purchase customer service and support
Encouraging product reviews, ratings, and engagement on your website or social channels
Developing loyalty and referral programs to drive repurchases
Using email, content, and promotions to maintain awareness and engagement
Collecting feedback through surveys to proactively identify issues and improve experiences
Tactics that help strengthen new customer relationships include:
Following up with a welcome email thanking new customers for their purchase.
Sending an email or satisfaction survey after delivery asking about their ordering experience.
Providing easy self-service returns and exchanges to increase confidence.
Establishing a customer loyalty program with points, tiers, and rewards.
Create exclusive offers, sales, and perks for program members only.
Leveraging customer data to deliver personalized recommendations and relevant content.
Surprising and delighting VIP customers with special bonuses or upgrades.
Asking happy customers to share reviews on platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp.
Consistently delivering on your brand promise and providing exceptional ongoing service is critical to customer retention and repeat business.
Loyalty Stage
The pinnacle of the customer lifecycle is the loyalty stage when you've succeeded in developing devoted, lifelong customers for your e-commerce business. Loyal customers require much less effort to retain because they are emotionally bonded to your brand, actively recommend you to others, and will always choose you over competitors. To achieve loyalty status, your ecommerce strategy should:
Build personal connections with VIP customers
Amaze customers to turn them into brand evangelists
Provide exclusive perks and elevated experiences for top customers
Engage loyalists with your brand story, mission, and community
Enable simple one-click purchases for already devoted customers
Some examples of tactics to drive lasting loyalty include:
Upgrading shipping for most frequent shoppers to VIP 2-day shipping.
Giving loyalty members early access to new product releases or sales.
Sending handwritten thank you notes to your most valued customers.
Creating a brand community through a private Facebook group or exclusive events.
Sharing brand stories and behind-the-scenes content to make customers feel invested.
Surprising loyal customers with gifts or credits on their birthday or anniversary of their first purchase.
Make sure your best customers associate your brand with positive emotions.
The ultimate win is transforming new customers into enthusiasts who will champion your brand at every opportunity.
Conclusion
We've now explored the complete customer lifecycle from initial awareness through loyalty and all the ecommerce strategies that help move customers through each phase successfully. The key takeaway is that acquiring new customers is only the beginning. You must continually nurture relationships through stellar service, valuable content, and experiences that build an emotional connection over the long run. With a commitment to excellence, IoVista understands the importance of fostering these relationships and is dedicated to helping businesses achieve enduring success in every stage of the customer journey.
Name: IoVista Inc.
Address: 5220 Spring Valley Rd Suite 568, Dallas, TX, 75254
Phone No: 214–239–0143