Ecommerce
Subscription Commerce: How to Attract & Retain a Repeat Customer Base
June 5, 2023
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6 min read
Ecommerce
The Free Delivery Phenomenon: 11 Pros & Cons Every Business Should Consider
September 18, 2019
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3 min read
If you want to dominate BFCM, reach is everything. The bigger and more engaged your audience, the better your chances of making it a blockbuster event. But what if you’re struggling to build a substantial following before the rush? Sweepstakes can be a quick win.
Offer a prize that directly appeals to your target market, and run the competition across your social media and website.This tactic will help you rapidly grow your email list and social following with people who are genuinely interested in your brand. Once you’ve captured their attention, engage your audience with email campaigns, social media posts, and retargeting ads throughout the holiday season.
FlySafair, for example, ran a sweepstake offering free flights for a year and captured data from 154,795 entries just by adding a link on their landing page. They drove over 18,000 Facebook shares and 12,000 tweets, which had a huge impact on expanding their reach and engagement.
More eyes on your deals means more clicks, and ultimately, more sales. Sweepstakes are also a great way to gather valuable data. Consider interactive incentives like a “spin the wheel” feature for an extra 5% discount in exchange for sign-ups, giving you a head start for future campaigns. With tools like ViralSweep, setting up and managing these promotions is simple, ensuring your sweepstakes run smoothly and capture maximum leads.
QUICK TIP:
Use sweepstakes to grow your social media following and email list before the big event.
Get started with ViralSweep today.
If you have a loyalty program in place, use it to your advantage by creating special offers for your top-tier members. Offering early access to your BFCM deals and exclusive perks not only keeps your best customers engaged but gives them a compelling reason to choose you over cut-price offers from competitors. It’s not just about retention; it’s about driving more revenue from your most loyal and valuable customers.
For example, Sephora’s ‘Beauty Insider’ loyalty program rewards its top-tier members with early access to Black Friday deals, creating urgency and driving early sales while boosting overall revenue. This strategy strengthens customer loyalty by making them feel valued and special.
Along with early access, encourage these customers to refer friends by offering additional rewards for every successful referral. It’s a proven approach—92% of consumers trust referrals from people they know, and shoppers are 4x more likely to buy when referred by a friend.
By combining early access with referral incentives, you build a more engaged and loyal community that drives higher sales during BFCM and beyond. And if you don’t have a loyalty program, you can still get in on the action by setting up a quick referral campaign with tools like Influence.io.
QUICK TIP:
Reward your top-tier customers with early access to deals and exclusive offers.
BFCM brings an influx of new customers, along with the opportunity to collect a high volume of product reviews. But it also brings a surge in orders across eCommerce as a whole, leading to potential delays that are often beyond your control. In 2023, 54% of negative reviews during BFCM were due to late shipments. To avoid this damage, pause your review requests to give a grace period for orders to reach recipients before asking for feedback. This strategy also gives you the chance to handle any complaints that may arise.
Once you’re confident that deliveries are on track, resume your review requests with messaging tailored to the busy period, such as “Thanks for your patience!” and “Sorry for any holdups!” It’s all about timing—connecting with the customer when they’re most satisfied and turning potential negatives into positives. By managing the timing of your review requests, you can protect your ratings and enhance your brand’s reputation during BFCM.
QUICK TIP:
Hold off on review requests until deliveries are completed, giving customers time to enjoy their purchases.
Try out REVIEWS.io for free now!
If you have a large product catalog, AI can be a game-changer for your store’s performance during BFCM. Instead of focusing solely on discounts for individual items, use AI to create profitable bundles and personalized recommendations. Highlight “frequently bought together” products or let customers build their own bundles.
For example, a fashion brand might promote “Complete the Look” bundles, while an electronics store could offer discounted accessory packs. This strategy doesn’t just boost AOV; it enhances the shopping experience by offering products that are relevant and valuable to each shopper.
AI-powered bundles can lead to a 20% increase in customer satisfaction during BFCM because shoppers perceive greater value when they can purchase complementary products at a discount. Research shows that AI-powered recommendations can increase revenue by up to 300%, improve conversions by 150%, and boost AOV by 50%. Use AI to guide your customers to products they’ll love, maximizing their BFCM spend and driving your sales higher than ever.
QUICK TIP:
Use AI to bundle frequently bought-together items or recommend products based on browsing history and search terms Frequently Bought Together
Sign up for Boost Commerce today!
A single failed delivery can cost up to $18 in re-shipping and handling fees. Beyond these direct costs, it can damage your reputation and lead to a loss of customers—85% of online shoppers say a poor delivery experience would prevent them from ordering from the same retailer again. As order volumes surge during BFCM, delivery issues also increase, with more customers entering incorrect or incomplete addresses, leading to delays, lost shipments, or returns.
To prevent these issues, implement an address validation tool at checkout. This will automatically check and correct errors, ensuring every package reaches its destination on the first attempt. Address validation isn’t just valuable during BFCM; it’s a smart, year-round strategy that can save you money, reduce complaints, and improve customer satisfaction throughout the year.
QUICK TIP:
Implement an address validation tool to ensure every order reaches the right destination.
Add Address Validator to your tech stack today!
During BFCM, customers often buy multiple sizes or variations of products to ensure they get the right fit or style, leading to an inevitable increase in returns. But with the right approach, you can turn potential losses into gains. Nudge customers toward exchanges over returns with incentives like free shipping or small discounts on the new item. This simple tactic can make exchanges the more attractive option and help you retain the revenue you’ve already earned.
It’s also crucial to have a clear and simple returns policy in place. About 67% of customers check the return policy before making a purchase. If they see that your process is straightforward, they’re more likely to convert. In fact, displaying a clear returns policy can reduce cart abandonment by 20-30%. By making the returns process easy and offering incentives for exchanges, you can turn potential losses into wins, keeping your customers satisfied and your revenue steady during BFCM.
QUICK TIP:
Offer free shipping or discounts on exchanges to retain more revenue.
Try out Rich Returns today with a free demo.
Maximizing your BFCM success doesn't have to be overwhelming. By implementing these strategic quick wins, you can significantly boost your reach, engage high-value customers, protect your reputation, increase average order value, and retain revenue. With the combined power of REVIEWS.io and additional tools from our AppHub ecosystem, you have all the solutions you need to make this BFCM your most successful yet.
Don't wait - start implementing these strategies today and watch your BFCM sales soar!
Ready to transform your BFCM strategy? Book a demo with REVIEWS.io today!
