Wishing Your Customer ‘Happy Birthday’ is Just One Way to Build Brand Loyalty, Among Others

At the start of the pandemic, a tidal wave hit the retail community. Restrictions no longer permitted shoppers in-store, resulting in a surge of online purchasing. Because of this, brands shifted, and they did so quickly. Those that relied on their brick-and-mortar presence pivoted by putting muscle behind e-commerce marketing strategies, causing direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) brands designed to live online to adapt to a new pool of competition. Today, the competition is still just as fierce, and it’s important for brands to find avenues to connect with their customers by providing tailor-made shopping experiences that make them feel valued. Here's how:

Communicate Wisely

Communication is at the core of a brand’s relationship with its customers, but too often there are crucial opportunities that are overlooked. Transactional emails such as shipping updates, receipt of delivery, and product review requests are all touchpoints to take advantage of. In fact, 68 percent of retailers are opting out of utilizing order confirmation emails as a way to personalize marketing efforts.

Order updates are a great way to incorporate complementary product suggestions like a cover-up for a swimsuit or chairs to match a new dining room table. Shipping and delivery confirmations can also be leveraged to share messaging around a brand’s sustainability efforts, like recycling programs for old jeans and eco-friendly packaging options. These are also openings to engage around customer loyalty programs or social campaign hashtags and product giveaways.

Show the Customer You Care

Gaining a loyal customer base requires showing customers how much they matter to your brand. By tapping into customer data, such as purchase history or personal preferences, brands can better understand each customer’s persona. For example, if someone has repeatedly ordered vegetarian options for their meal subscription plan, avoid sharing the steak special of the week and instead extend a first look into the vegetarian meals that will be launching later that month. Other relevant updates include alerting customers when "wish list" items have gone on sale or creating personalized birthday offers to celebrate their big day.

Integrate the Right Technologies

Leveraging the right technology can make or break the customer experience. The e-commerce community is continuously evolving, driven directly by consumers. To be successful amongst this demanding customer base, it’s key that brands incorporate technology that will welcome opportunities to elevate the customer journey. One way to do so is in the form of personalized and embedded digital content, such as engaging instructional videos that teach the customer how to properly use a recently purchased product or service. For beauty companies, this could be as simple as application techniques, whereas a do-it-yourself furniture brand might go step by step on assembling the item.

Investing in technology that offers streamlined, tailor-made solutions from purchase orders through returns can improve the relationship between the customer and the retailer. When choosing a tech platform like this, it’s essential to note whether it's improving its offerings based on industry shifts. In less than two years, the e-commerce world changed drastically; invest in tech that grows with your brand.

Tobias Buxhoidt is the CEO and founder of parcelLab, a leading operations experience management platform.