Customer retention should start the moment people interact with your brand for the first time. 95% of customers are interested in some degree of proactive communication from companies. 37% of them expect these communications to be tailored to their needs.

Therefore, for retaining customers, brands need comprehensive and personalized marketing strategies. They have to support leads at every stage of the conversion funnel and prevent them from bouncing.

In 2021, customer retention strategies will become more automated and data-driven. Marketers will delegate routine tasks and trigger-based messages to the software and focus on strategic planning instead.

For more practical customer retention tips, read our article about:

• Customer retention overview: Predictions for 2021-2025
• Ways of retaining customers under current conditions
• Best customer retention practices: customer reach, online address verification services, content, and more
• Inkit’s address validation service and other tools for customer retention

Customer Retention Overview: Predictions for 2021-2025

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic decline have impacted daily life, business, and marketing strategies. Now, marketers can no longer rely on previously loyal customers and keep using the customer retention strategies that seemed effective before.

Deloitte’s report on Global Marketing Trends and other reputable statistics show that everyone has become less secure. After COVID, only 35% of CEOs were confident about their business’s future compared to 55% in 2019. They weren’t sure their companies would remain profitable and retain customers.

While C-executives worry about surviving the crisis, customers pay attention to other things. One in five customers states that a positive brand’s response to the pandemic increases loyalty on their part. They become more likely to keep using its products or services and recommend them to their peers. The image below shows how positive or negative COVID-responses affect customers’ reaction:

These findings allow us to predict that a brand’s social position will continue to impact customer retention rates in 2021 and beyond. According to the survey with 34,000 respondents organized by the Edelman Trust Barometer, people expect businesses to solve global issues. Surprisingly, they see businesses as a more competent group than governments or non-profit organizations.

Consumers want to know that the brand they are buying from is responsible and flexible. The stability and readiness to take action are valid reasons to make them stay.

Digitalization is among other factors that impact customer retention. Consumers admit that lockdown restrictions made them more likely to use digital technologies. This provides businesses with additional channels of communication with customers. Now, in addition to email or social media marketing strategies, companies invest in e-commerce apps.

Thus, in the following years, customers will expect personal and multi-channel customer retention strategies. It’s also essential to think about the brand image of your company and act proactively.

Ways of Retaining Customers Under Current Conditions

There are several tried and tested practices that can help you boost customer acquisition and retention in 2021. Both SMEs and large enterprises should use these strategies.

Analyze your customer base to detect any changes and trends

Even though there are some global trends, the last year has impacted every business differently. That’s why you should compare your current customer retention and satisfaction rates with your previous results. This will help you understand what categories of customers bounce the most often, analyze their behavior and better tailor your customer retention strategy.

Use multiple channels to connect with your target audience

A customer that has come across your offer on social media may later visit your website, download an application, or see an online ad. If you don’t connect all the involved channels and track them, you won’t be able to control customer retention. Thus, it’s essential to power retention strategies with software that easily integrates with other tools. This way, you will be able to stay in touch with consumers and boost retention by offering them quality customer support.

Invest in e-commerce stores and applications

By 2023, retail e-commerce sales are expected to reach 6542 billion US dollars, up from 4206 billion in 2020. If you don’t have a decent online store yet, it’s high time to launch it in 2021. Those who can afford to develop a mobile application should invest in both. A handy app with a one-click payment and automated address validation service will make customers more likely to stay with your brand. It will give you a competitive advantage over competitors that don’t have an online store or an app.

Adopt automation software for personalized customer service

If you want loyal customers to stay with your brand for a more extended period, mind their preferences. Automation software is an effective way to keep new leads and existing customers. You will be able to personalize the customer journey for every individual. Messages, communication channels, and the content will depend on the person’s specific needs and tastes.

Best Customer Retention Practices: Customer Reach, Online Address Verification Services, Content, and More

To implement an effective retention strategy and increase customer lifetime value, you need to combine different elements. The most critical of them are listed below. 

• Comprehensive onboarding. To boost customer retention, you should encourage leads to create an account in your online store, subscribe to updates, follow you on social media, and download your application if you have it. The onboarding experience has an enormous impact on how customers feel about your brand.
• Streamlined checkout. To make people return to your online store again and again, optimize order placement. You should implement an automated address autocomplete, AVS checks, domestic and international address verification to allow customers to complete a purchase in a few clicks.
• Reach enablement. Use automation software like Inkit to automatically send personalized communications online and offline based on triggers. This improves customer relationships and retention.
• Content creation. Engaging and professional content is an essential element of customer retention strategies. You should write articles, create video reviews, publish manuals, and anything else that helps your customers get the most out of your product and see the value your services bring.
• Automated messages. Send automated emails, social media messages, and other communications when customers complete specific actions. This will allow you to stay in touch with your leads and strengthen customer relationships.
• Address validation service. Connect your systems with online address verification services to verify contact information. Thanks to this, you will always reach the right customers at the right time (e.g., when they abandon the cart).

Overall, to implement a retention marketing strategy based on these best practices, you will need reliable software. We offer you to test Inkit as one of the top options.

Inkit’s Address Validation Service and Other Tools for Customer Retention

Inkit is a reach enablement platform with address validation service and other tools that benefit customer retention. Here are its core products and how you can benefit from them:

• Inkit Verify is an address validation service that auto-completes and verifies addresses provided by customers. It’s layered into existing shopping carts and websites to prevent customers from making mistakes when giving shipping addresses. This enhances the onboarding experience and speeds up order placement.
• Inkit Render helps you generate and store PDF invoices, bills, and other documents based on personalized information to enhance customer service and retention.
• Inkit Send allows you to deliver messages based on triggers or events for ultimate personalization. 

The combination of these features is a perfect fit for customer retention strategies. It enables you to proactively react to customers’ actions and tailor your offer throughout the customer journey.