Like most people, I am a creature of habit. I enjoy spending my money with companies which I know have exactly what I need. However, I am also at times forgetful, I know I loved a product, but will forget where I got it from. Part of optimising your website is having the ability to effectively drive business back to your website. Attracting a new customer costs five times as much as retaining an old one, but how do you hold onto them?

Here are some of my ideas for getting those customers clicking back to your website.

1. Coupons
These are a great way to get people coming back. This coupon may only last  3 months (or whichever time period you choose), but it serves its purpose of reminding customers that you are there. Consider the last time that you received a coupon; you probably printed it off and put it in your wallet or on the fridge for safe keeping. Then the next time you wanted that new hammer, or kids t shirt, you were reminded that you already had a helping hand and went straight back to the same website.

2. Deals after purchase
I was recently buying a present for a friend online. One day after the transaction, I was offered a discount on limited items within a small time frame. As I had only recently opened my virtual wallet, spending some more money at a discounted rate did not seem like a bad idea. The new deals had me thinking if there was another birthday coming up, so I had a good look and found a small gift for a birthday a month later. This is another way of getting repeat business, by offering customers new deals right now.

3. Birthday emails and vouchers
Birthday emails are a great way to nudge customers back to you, at a time when they are feeling particularly generous with their money. By gathering a customer’s information at the checkout, you are now able to add them to your email marketing database. Simply wish them a Happy Birthday, or even better, attach a small gift voucher. In doing this, you are reminding customers you stock products they like and have bought. You never know, you may be the only one who remembered their big day!

4. Post purchase emails
Think about the last time you went on a shopping binge, or bought a large gift; you probably felt a little guilty afterwards. This is problematic for online retailers because you do not want your customer to associate that feeling with you! Post purchase emails solve that problem. Send your customers product reviews, these  lower that negative feeling, by showing customers that other people just like them, have bought and loved their purchase. Encourage them to write a review too! Not only that, but thank them for their purchase, and loyalty; you can never have enough positive thoughts about your company.