Customer retention and inspiring return-customer purchases is the name of the game. Sure, you've mastered your funnel from top to bottom and you can convert your customers through social media, blogs, and service pages. But all that work is a one-time success unless you can turn those conversions into return customers and loyal regular sales.

Today, we're diving into what current web design technology in store for inspiring customer retention. Join us for two absolutely effective strategies in web design for bringing customers back time and time again.

Hone the Checkout Process Experience

First and foremost, polish that checkout process. There is nothing more important to customer conversion and return-shoppers than the ability to checkout smoothly. Not only should your platform remember customer payment information and streamline their checkout process (old news, we know), but now your platform also needs to make the experience fun, fast, and completely transparent.

• Try to Make Sure Customers Always Have a Discount Code: Discount codes are awesome incentives to buy and return. But there's also a slight feeling of sadness when you see that discount code slot and have no code to enter. Start using clever tricks to make sure customers always have a discount code ready to go. Send weekly codes or offer a code-wheel game every time customers come back. Just in case.
• Clearly Display All Shipping or Service Fees in the Cart Add-Up: Make sure no fee takes a customer by surprise. Give them the receipt ring-up on the cart page early so customers can calculate the entirety of their costs. Including shipping and any service fees. Surprise fees make for abandoned carts fast.
• Payment Should Never Exceed a Two-Step Process: Don't make customers click too many times to purchase or they're likely to get frustrated and shop somewhere faster. If they have already entered all their information, purchasing should be one click to submit, one-click to confirm, and the next page is a display of their completed order summary.

Use Wishlists and Automated Marketing to Inspire Return Customers

Wishlists are one of the most powerful tools you can use for bringing back return customers. Not on their own, of course, but in conjunction with the latest automated marketing techniques. Wishlists allow customers to put together items they want but aren't ready to buy. Automated marketing is there to help them come back and make that wish come true.

• Allow Customers to Create Named Wishlists: First, allow customers to make more than one wishlist and categorize and/or name each wishlist based on why they're building it. You'll see all sorts of things from 'Work Stuff' to "Katy's Birthday Presents" and everything in between.
• Update Customers When Wishlist Items are On Sale: Customers may not want to hear about every sale, but they definitely want to know when a coveted (and possibly pricey) item has suddenly dropped in price. Many will jump at the opportunity to get their favorite unbought things at a discount. They will feel both clever and grateful at the same time as they proudly check out.
• Use Those Wishlists to Inform Up-selling and Cross-selling: Use wishlist items in your automated cross-selling and up-selling. Do it smartly. If a customer is buying pillows, suggest that lovely throw blanket they wish-listed months ago. If a customer is buying motor oil, remind them that they wish listed new wiper blades as well. Many will be delighted at the reminder of things they intended to buy and forgot about.
• Send Discounts and Package-Deals for Wishlist Contents: When it comes time to make personalized discounts and package deals (holidays and birthdays, for example) use the wishlist items! Send customers a uniquely discounted package of all their art-supply wishlist items at once during back-to-school or use the colors and themes in their wishlist items to provide a themed-category discount for the holidays.
• Use Wishlists for Back-End Trend Analysis: Finally, use customer wishlists in addition to buying histories when teaching your trend-analysis AIs how to predict customer purchases and desires in the future.

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