Ecommerce is one of the best industries for small business owners to get into, but it’s also among the most competitive. With so many sites vying for customers’ attention, one of the greatest challenges that ecommerce store owners face is trying to get people to come back daily.
There are a few techniques that can work for ecommerce that have been successful elsewhere, such as greater personalisation and streak mechanics.
Borrowing Tactics from the Entertainment Industry
One of the best places to look for ways to get people to come back every day is the entertainment industry. For example, in the iGaming industry, players enjoy the fact that there is little time or effort needed from them on each visit. They can easily play slots with jackpot prizes like Big Bass Return to the Races and Lava Lock for a few minutes, and then close the app. The fact that they know playing these games doesn’t take too much of their time means that they can easily find a moment to play them the next day as well.
Streaming services such as HBO Max opt for a different tactic. They aim to offer content that’s so compelling that people want to open the app again and continue watching the next day. Episodes of hit shows such as The Last of Us and House of the Dragon end with cliffhangers, meaning that viewers have a reason to switch on again and catch the next episode.
Ecommerce sites can leverage both of these ideas. By improving the design of the site and making the purchase process swift and easy, sites can train users to expect a smooth and quick experience every time. There could also be some teasers that act like cliffhangers, where users get some information about a new product but have to log in the next day to find out more.
Introduce Greater Personalisation and Streak Mechanics
Other small tricks can encourage people to keep coming back to ecommerce sites on a daily basis. According to recent research, 80 per cent of customers are more likely to purchase from brands that offer personalised experiences. This can be as simple as addressing the customer by name when they return. With relevant product recommendations on the homepage and tailored offers, customers will enjoy coming back to a site to see what they’ll find next.
Streak mechanics have also taken the app world by storm in recent years, with language apps like Duolingo and fitness apps such as Strava encouraging people to log in daily. This could easily be implemented on an ecommerce page as well, where customers get access to greater reward tiers if they have a longer streak. It gives them something to work towards and doesn’t require much effort.
In today’s attention economy, ecommerce sites are competing with not only their rivals, but entertainment apps and social media as well. That’s why it’s hugely important to put measures in place to encourage people to build daily habits.
