BFCM

8 Post-BFCM Customer Retention Strategies Every Shopify Store Must Try

Neetika M
September 11, 2024
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Great, you’ve managed to win BFCM with your amazing deals and offers. Not only have you acquired several new customers, increased your average order value, and improved customer perception about your brand, you’ve also hit an all-time sale. 

Related: 21 Best Black Friday Cyber Monday Deals and Offers That Actually Work

Now, somewhere in the back of your mind there lies a single thought—Many customers did buy from my Shopify store, but were they making a one-time purchase just during BFCM or will they actually be a repeat customer?

It’s very likely that many of your customers visited your Shopify store just once for your BFCM deals and offers. It may sound harsh, but it's true. 

Young people giving their reviews to stores.
Designed by Freepik

So, the question then remains—Is customer retention possible after BFCM?

Simply put, yes. Customer retention after BFCM is not an option. It’s an essential time to use your BFCM data to retarget your BFCM customers. This ensures future sales with repeat purchases. Not capitalizing on this chance is in fact a missed opportunity. 

To make the most of your post-BFCM sales, there are 8 strategies you can use to retain your BFCM customers.

I’ll explain each of them in detail so that you have a clear understanding of each of the strategies and how you can use them. 

Let’s get started.

Why Should You Retain Shopify Customers After BFCM?

An image showing how to use customer reviews to enhance business performance and customer satisfaction.
Designed by Freepik

It’s important to retain your Shopify store customers post-BFCM. Why? In simple terms, customers that bought your products during BFCM are already familiar with how your Shopify store works. 

If you left a positive impression on them during BFCM, they’re more likely to have brand recall and engage with your brand if you reach out to them. This leads to more sales for you.

It’s a great way to:

  • Maximize your customer lifetime value by creating loyal customers.
  • Reduce churn rates due to one-time buyers.
  • Target seasonal spenders and increase sales.
  • Optimize your marketing spend by focusing on retaining customers rather than increasing Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC).

How to Retain Shopify Customers After BFCM

  1. Leverage BFCM Data and Use Personalized Targeting
  2. Capitalize on Customer Reviews
  3. Implement Post-Purchase Surveys
  4. Promote Loyalty Programs with Exclusive Deals and Offers
  5. Offer Exclusive Post-BFCM Bundles
  6. Encourage Long-term Discounts on Subscription Bundles
  7. Implement Cashbacks Offers
  8. Implement Multi-Channel Re-Engagement Campaign

These are the 8 strategies you can use to retain your Shopify store customers post-BFCM.

Let’s discuss each of the strategies in detail.

1. Leverage BFCM Data and Use Personalized Targeting

Your Shopify store customers would have purchased a lot of items during BFCM. 

The good part about that is that you now have access to their purchase history, browsing behavior, and customer demographics. You can use Shopify’s analytics or any third-party analytics to view this data.

So, the next question is—What can you do with your customers’ Black Friday Cyber Monday sales data?

The answer is to use it for personalized targeting. It is well known that customers engage better when they have personalized deals. 

For example, for first-time BFCM buyers, personalized follow-ups are key. Analyze the data collected during their shopping experience, such as purchase history, products viewed, and engagement with promotions. 

You can then send tailored emails that introduce them to similar products or offer exclusive discounts to encourage a second purchase. This approach helps turn deal-seekers into loyal customers by building on their initial experience with your store.

PRO TIP: Make sure to analyze your BFCM data and list customers based on micro-segments for targeting. For instance, you may find a set of customers who purchase only eco-friendly products or buy at night from your Shopify store. 

This type of additional insights allow for more detailed post-BFCM targeting, increasing your chances for actual customer retention as your customers find your promotions relevant. 

2. Capitalize on Customer Reviews

BFCM is done. Your customers made their purchase. What’s next?

You should probably ask your customers for their feedback on your BFCM products, shipping, offers, and customer support. 

To gather feedback, you can run an email campaign for those who purchased from your Shopify store during BFCM. You can offer them gift cards as incentives to encourage them to give their review. 

Another way to find out what your customers think is through social monitoring on social media. Encourage your customers to share their unboxing experiences or photos of their new purchase on social media for rewards or discounts. Track the various mentions of your brand using Hootsuite or Brandwatch.

Now you’ve got the feedback from your customers. What’s next?

Well, highlight the best reviews on your website’s homepage, product pages, and landing pages including checkout, for better conversion. This will help your brand gain more credibility, and customers are more likely to make a purchase from you post-BFCM.

Increase conversions and trust by featuring glowing customer testimonials on your checkout page after BFCM using Checkout Wiz.
A customer testimonial created using Checkout Wiz.

Another way of promoting your reviews would be on your social media accounts. This will help customers think of your Shopify store as a credible one. 

By ensuring that you highlight your BFCM happy customers and make your prospects trust your brand with good reviews, you ensure more customer retention after BFCM.  

PRO TIP: By incorporating social proof, you influence your customers’ purchasing decisions positively. 

Also, by following up with your dissatisfied BFCM customers and retargeting them with a promise of a better experience and better deals for the inconvenience, you can improve your customer retention rate.

3. Implement Post-Purchase Surveys

Another way to ensure customer retention is to collect data from your BFCM customers about their BFCM experience and use it to refine your post-BFCM strategy.

An easy way to get your customers to provide their experience to you is by using a post-purchase survey. During BFCM, when your customers make a product purchase, give them an automatic post-purchase survey to fill out.  

Collect valuable post-purchase feedback effortlessly using Checkout Wiz.
A post-purchase survey created using Checkout Wiz.

Make sure your surveys cover all aspects of the BFCM experience—the shopping flow, product satisfaction, delivery and fulfillment, customer service, and any other relevant suggestions. 

Once you do receive post-purchase feedback from your BFCM customers, analyze the data. Identify trends and common feedback points. It could be shipping delays, product quality concerns, or website usability problems. Make sure to rectify those concerns for a more positive customer experience.

Then, segment your BFCM customers based on their preferences, satisfaction levels, and purchases made. As discussed before, use personalized targeting for each of these segments via email or SMS. You can promote related product recommendations, deals, and discounts and retarget your BFCM customers. 

If a BFCM customer had a positive experience with your product and they’re highly satisfied with it, they’re more likely to purchase more similar products if retargeted. 

For customers who had a negative experience, a follow-up message with an apology, an update on how their feedback was used, or offering them better deals and discounts may make them come back to your Shopify store and purchase from you again. 

Such a way of segmented retargeting your BFCM customers will lead to more customer retention.

PRO TIP: Post-purchase surveys aren’t just meant for retargeting satisfied or dissatisfied customers. The insights you get from them can be used for future marketing campaigns. By listening to customers and giving them what they want, you increase your chances of customer retention and repeat business.

4. Promote Loyalty Programs with Exclusive Deals and Offers

Keep the momentum of BFCM going, show your BFCM customers that they will receive better deals and offers if they’re a part of your loyalty program. You can offer your loyalty program customers special discounts on future purchases, encouraging them to return to your Shopify store. 

As these deals are “exclusive only to loyalty program customers,” your customers are going to feel valued and are more likely to make repeat purchases.

You can even use a tiered loyalty program, where your customers have to keep spending more to unlock better deals and offers. This will encourage your customers to keep making repeat purchases, and your customer retention will be longer.

Also, by offering various time-sensitive offers for your loyal customers, such as “exclusive 48-hour discounts” or “members-only flash sales,” you can encourage your customers to join your loyalty program, and buy from you for the long term.  

Another way for customer retention is to send your loyal customers ‘thank you’ notes or messages. A positive brand experience is going to ensure your customers stay with you in the long run.

Lastly, you can offer bonus points collected during BFCM to be claimed at a specific period after BFCM. A notification via email or SMS that your customers’ points may expire soon and to use them for exclusive deals by a particular date, will encourage your customers to return to your Shopify store and make quick purchases.

PRO TIP: Make sure you offer your loyalty program customers actual meaningful deals and not offers that you’d probably give regular customers during holiday or seasonal sales. 

5. Offer Exclusive Post-BFCM Bundles

A unique strategy for customer retention after BFCM, is using post-BFCM product bundles. These bundles not only entice your customers to return but can help you improve your average order value as customers purchase more of your products together. 

During BFCM, you can give bundles that provide discounts on future purchases. For example, buy a bundle now and get a discount on your next purchase. This will encourage your BFCM customers to make a purchase after BFCM and lead to longer customer retention. 

Most brands may lay low with their deals and offers after BFCM. By continuing to give deals and offers on bundles to your BFCM customers, you can easily bring them looking for them to your Shopify store and increase your sales. 

First, analyze the performance of your BFCM bundles by collecting data on metrics like order value and total sales. Identify the top-performing BFCM bundles and use this insight to create similar post-BFCM offerings.

You can create various pure bundles or pre-curated bundles tailored to post-BFCM needs such as a Holiday Cheer Bundle or a New Year’s Essential Bundle.

Entice your post-BFCM shoppers with deals like “Missed out on BFCM? Here’s an exclusive bundle deal—Buy 5 for a fixed price” to capture interest from those who missed the main event. Use mix-and-match bundles to let customers choose their favorite products, or BOGO bundles for a buy-one-get-one-free offer. 

Highlight frequently bought together bundles to showcase complementary items. For example a Christmas Warm-Up Bundle with cozy essentials like blankets and hot beverages for seasonal appeal. 

Offer an Exclusive Member Bundle for loyalty members, a DIY Bundle for project enthusiasts, and a Post-Holiday Refresh Bundle to help customers organize after the holidays.

Finally, create a Holiday Gifting Bundle combining gifting options with popular items or add a Surprise Holiday Bundle with a mystery selection of items to maintain excitement and engagement post-BFCM.

Effortlessly create and manage various post-BFCM bundles on your Shopify store using Easy Bundles and Fly.
A pure bundle created using Easy Bundles.

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Offer early access to these bundles to your BFCM customers who previously purchased bundles from you, thereby ensuring customer retention after BFCM.

PRO TIP: Make sure you offer personalized bundles based on your customers’ past purchasing behavior during BFCM. This will ensure they are relevant to your customer and are more likely to be purchased. 

6. Encourage Long-term Discounts on Subscription Bundles

One of the simplest ways to ensure long-term customer retention after BFCM is using subscription bundles. 

You can easily create a subscription bundle with discounts on your product page based on your previous best-performing BFCM bundle (it was best performing for a reason!) Then, re-target your BFCM customers with subscription deals on this bundle via email or SMS. 

Your BFCM customers who’ve bought similar bundles (cue the best-performing bundle) are more inclined to subscribe to this bundle and are less likely to go to competitors. This makes sure there are consistent sales for your business post-BFCM.

This also ensures extensive customer retention even after BFCM and helps decrease churn rates as well.

Build lasting relationships with your customer. Offer exclusive subscription bundles on your Shopify store using Easy Bundles.
A subscription bundle created using Easy Bundles.

PRO TIP: Every time your BFCM customers receive your subscription bundle products, they’re probably going to keep thinking about your brand positively. This also leads to more brand recall and thereby contributes to long-term customer retention.

7. Implement Cashbacks Offers

One of the best ways to get back your BFCM customers is by offering them cashbacks. When your BFCM customers know they’ll receive a portion of their money for future use, they’re more likely to come back to your store post-BFCM to redeem their points or offer. 

Related: Best Cashback Strategies For Better AOV and Retention This BFCM

After BFCM, many customers reduce their shopping frequency. 

You can retarget BFCM customers via email and let them know they need to claim their cash back soon. This provides them with an incentive to visit your Shopify store soon after BFCM and continue their relationship with you.

Create personalized Shopify store cashbacks that resonate with your customers using Giftkart.
Cashback created using Giftkart.

PRO TIP: Post-BFCM, some customers may feel buyers’ remorse due to heavy spending. Cashbacks can alleviate this by providing a cheaper purchase, leaving your customers satisfied and more likely to be with you. This also impacts your customer retention positively.

8. Implement Multi-Channel Re-Engagement Campaign 

To keep the energy going after BFCM, implementing a multi-channel re-engagement campaign is important for customer retention. This strategy could involve various communication channels—web push notifications, emails, social media, and SMS—to retarget your BFCM customers.

Begin with segmenting your BFCM audience, such as high-spending BFCM customers, BFCM bargain hunters, abandoned cart BFCM customers, and first-time BFCM customers. Next, use their purchasing behavior to personalize content and offers for them. 

Then start your multi-channel re-engagement campaign.

Web push notifications

Web push notifications allow you to send personalized messages directly to your BFCM customers’ web browsers. They’re quick and non-intrusive.

Here’s how you can use it for post-BFCM customer retention:

  • Send your customers notifications about exclusive post-BFCM deals. 
  • Offer deals tailored to your customers’ purchasing behavior and upsell similar complementary products.
  • Remind your customers of their abandoned BFCM cart (if they didn’t complete the purchase), with a post-BFCM discount to encourage purchase.

Emails

Email marketing remains a powerful tool for customer retention. Well-timed emails can keep your customers engaged long after BFCM is over.

Here’s how you can use it for post-BFCM customer retention:

  • Create an email series to thank your customers for their purchase and offer them post-BFCM deals to incentivize repeat purchases.
  • Recommend related products that your customers bought during BFCM or encourage them to complete a collection or try complementary products.
  • Invite your BFCM customers to join your loyalty programs with an incentive, like bonus points or discounts on their next purchase.

Social media

Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are a great way to reconnect with your BFCM customers.

Here’s how you can use it for post-BFCM customer retention:

  • Offer post-BFCM deals to your BFCM customers via social media ads.
  • Encourage your customers to share their BFCM purchases on social media and win prizes or discounts. 
  • Use polls, quizzes, or challenges related to your customers’ BFCM experience to keep them engaged.

SMS

SMS marketing is highly effective due to its immediacy. The key is to keep the message concise and create a sense of urgency.

Here’s how you can use it for post-BFCM customer retention:

  • Send SMS messages to your BFCM customers with limited-time post-deals or exclusive offers.
  • Follow up on your BFCM customers’ purchase with personalized messaging, offering discounts or related products to their previous purchase. 

By integrating these channels into a re-engagement strategy, you can maximize customer retention, turning one-time BFCM shoppers into loyal, long-term customers. 

PRO TIP: When selecting communication channels, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. You need to see your business goals, customer needs, and past channel performance to determine which channel(s) you want to focus on for re-engagement.

Putting Post-BFCM Customer Retention Strategies Into Practice 

By now you know why retaining customers is important for the long-term success of your Shopify store. 

By implementing the 8 strategies discussed above, you can effectively nurture customer relationships and maximize your post-BFCM sales.

Remember, the goal is to keep the momentum going and ensure your customers feel valued and engaged even after the BFCM excitement has passed.

I’d recommend trying out four Skai Lama apps—Checkout Wiz, Easy Bundles, Fly, and Giftkart—as they’re designed specifically for Shopify stores and can very easily help you bring some of these post-BFCM customer retention strategies to life. 

These apps have helped increase customer retention rates by 2X, improve repeat purchase rates by 27%, and enhance customer lifetime value by $130 dollars for the Shopify merchants who used them.

Interested in achieving similar results? 

Reach out to our team in case you need help with your post-BFCM strategies.

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FAQ 

1. Will post-Black Friday Cyber Monday sales be as good as during BFCM?

Post-BFCM campaigns can be equally effective, if not more so. By leveraging historical data, employing personalized targeting, implementing strategic retention tactics, and tracking metrics like conversion rates, retention rates, and customer lifetime value, you can maximize the impact of your post-BFCM marketing efforts.

BFCM: The Ultimate Guide to Ecommerce Sales
Maximize BFCM success with expert strategies, tools, and insights for ecommerce growth
Free BFCM 2024 Audit
Comprehensive BFCM ToolKit