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How to turn first-time buyers into long-term customers

Last update: February 19, 2025

Contents

Turning one-time buyers into loyal customers is key to long-term success in e-commerce. Discover how to boost retention, lower marketing costs and increase your customer’s lifetime value.

After peak sales periods when you’ve done the hard work to drive traffic and sales to your e-commerce store, you’ll want to make the most of your new customer base. Research consistently shows that repeat customers spend more and have higher conversion rates compared to new customer acquisitions. Not to mention that acquiring a new customer can cost five to seven times more than retaining an existing one.

What’s more, the longer you can keep a customer after their initial purchase, the higher their customer lifetime value (CLV). The top 20% of customers generate 80% of revenue, while the bottom half are often responsible for just 4%.

But with consumers, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, more likely to switch brands, how do you turn one-time buyers into loyal customers?

Build trust

More than ever, trust in a brand is what drives a customer to complete a purchase. While this skews more positively towards younger generations, 71% of respondents across all ages have stated that it’s more important now than in the past. And once they trust a brand, they’re more likely to become advocates or buy new products, even if these products aren’t as cheap as other options.

However, trust is a multi-faceted concept that goes beyond the quality of the goods you provide. There’s no question that if you have a high-quality product and a good warranty policy, you’ll develop a reputation for dependability. But customers today evaluate brands on their broader impact, including social and environmental responsibility, ethical practices and alignment with personal values.

It’s no longer enough for a brand to be competent or reliable; lifelong customers are those who appreciate a business’s integrity. A brand that champions sustainability, treats employees fairly and takes a stand on meaningful issues can build trust that extends far beyond the quality of its products or services.

Here are some ways to build trust.

Be transparent

People – not just customers – value honesty. Share the story behind your business, including how your products are made, where your materials come from, the ethical practices you follow and your values. If you invest in sustainability, you could publish reports or highlight certifications to back your claims.

Address any mistakes openly if they occur and show how you’re taking steps to improve. Even global brands make mistakes, but how they handle them can make all the difference. When faced with a PR crisis, companies that respond quickly and communicate transparently are far more likely to rebuild trust and even strengthen customer loyalty.

Consumers are also increasingly concerned with data security, so being clear on how customer data is used and protected can help ease these fears.

Use social proof

Social proof helps customers feel more confident in their purchasing decision. Nine out of 10 consumers factor in reviews when making a purchase. It’s a powerful way to build credibility with your audience, since it’s independent validation of your company’s claims. Highlight genuine reviews from happy customers, testimonials and case studies that showcase real experiences with your brand.

Engage in open dialogue

Building trust involves creating opportunities for two-way communication. Show that you value your customers’ opinions by asking for feedback through surveys, social media or direct conversations – and act on their suggestions where possible. Then, communicate how their input has influenced your decisions. When you show you’re listening and responding, you’re deepening their connection to your brand.

Be consistent

Consistency is key to earning and maintaining trust. Your values, messaging, and actions should align across every aspect of your business—whether it’s marketing, customer service, or day-to-day operations. A brand that acts with integrity and follows through on its promises builds credibility over time. Customers are more likely to trust a business that reliably stands by its commitments. So, if you advertise next-day delivery, make sure your logistics team can fulfil this every time. Other aspects, like tone and visuals, should also be standardised across all your channels so the branding is cohesive.

Collaborate with trusted and values-aligned partners

Your partnerships reflect on your brand and working with trusted and values-aligned organisations can strengthen your credibility. Whether it’s suppliers, influencers, co-branding initiatives or causes you donate to, choose partners whose ethics and practices mirror your own. Highlighting these collaborations not only reinforces your brand’s integrity but also expands your reach through association with respected names. When customers see you working with others who share your vision, it further validates your commitment to the principles you stand for.

Make them feel valued

Building customer loyalty starts with changing their perception of you, from a business focused solely on transactions, to one that genuinely appreciates their patronage. People are far more likely to stick with a brand that rewards their loyalty and recommend your brand to others. Here are some effective ways to build lasting relationships.

Offer exceptional customer service

Ninety five percent of consumers say that customer service is key to their brand loyalty, with 86% abandoning a brand after two negative customer experiences. Beyond simply resolving issues, exceptional service comes from the speed of response, and how knowledgeable, approachable and empathetic your team is. While a bad experience can drive your customers to competitors, a positive experience can turn them into advocates.

Reward them with a loyalty program

Having a rewards program makes 60% of shoppers more likely to purchase from a brand. They’re a simple yet effective way to show that you value customer loyalty.

Who doesn’t have a loyalty card tucked away, where every tenth coffee is free, or where every dollar earns you credit? Rewards, such as discounts, freebies, or exclusive perks like free shipping, can encourage purchases, while tiered programs that unlock better benefits over time can further encourage loyalty.

Offer a birthday gift or exclusive discounts

A birthday gift or anniversary discount code for being part of your community shows that you’re invested in your customer’s experience. Research has found that birthday emails and personalised email campaigns are more likely to convert than regular marketing emails and have higher revenue per email. While holiday season promotions may work to get one-time buyers into your store, it’s ongoing incentives that keep the customer retention rate high.

Understand customer preferences

With 73% of customers wanting better personalisation in their customer journey, and almost two-thirds expecting companies to adapt to their preferences, it’s clear that a personalised approach can enhance customer satisfaction and foster loyalty.

It makes commercial sense too, because personalisation reduces marketing costs and lifts sales revenue. When you know how your customers like to shop, communicate and engage with your brand, you can tailor their experience in ways that feel relevant. 44% of customers said they would purchase from a retailer again if they offered a personalised shopping experience.

Some areas to personalise include:

Email marketing: Tailor email frequency and content based on customer preferences, by asking them what they want to receive; some like to receive promotional emails, while others will mark as spam straight away

Customer service: Offer multiple contact options like live chat, phone and email, or if your audience is active on social media, via social channels

Product recommendations: Use purchase history and browsing behaviour to suggest products customers are likely to want

Website experience: Make it easy for customers to find what they’re looking for. If most of your buyers shop on mobile, make the design a mobile-first experience

Cart abandonment: Send reminders for abandoned items with incentives like free shipping or discounts to encourage checkout. Cart abandonment emails have a 41% open rate, almost double a regular marketing email

Delivery options: Over 80% of online shoppers want free shipping, while a quarter want it on the same day. If offering both at the same time isn’t possible, give your customers the choice. They may also prefer the option to click and collect, or pick up from a location near them

Make it easy to repurchase

When customers find it effortless to buy from you again and again, it removes barriers to repeat business. Convenience is a key factor in customer retention – if the process is too complicated or time-consuming, they’ll likely give up. Conversely, if they can make their purchase in a couple of clicks, the friction virtually disappears.

Here are some ways to make repurchasing simple.

Optimise your website

With our increasingly short attention spans, we now expect a website to load in less than three seconds before abandoning the page. Other things, like displaying out-of-stock items or inaccurate filters can increase frustration and make it more likely for an unhappy customer to bounce. Simple website hygiene factors include:

Page load speed: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTMetrix to audit your page. Compress images and enable browser caching to speed things up

Search functionality: A search bar helps customers quickly locate products. Make sure it supports filters like price or category and accounts for variations in search terms

Mobile responsiveness: If many of your customers are shopping on their phones, the mobile experience needs to be optimised for smaller screens

Navigation: Organise your menu logically, with categories that align with how customers browse. Breadcrumbs can help them navigate back to previous pages easily

Personalised elements: Implement dynamic features like “Recently Viewed”, “Popular Products” or “Top Picks for You” to make it easier for customers to pick up where they left off or discover new items

Simplify checkout

The average cart abandonment rate hovers around 70%, causing headaches for e-commerce merchants. While around half of these are simply because the buyer isn’t ready to purchase, the remaining half cite extra costs (48%), account creation (26%) and the checkout process (22%) as some of the reasons for abandoning their carts. Some ways to boost conversion rates include:

Saving payment and shipping details: Allow customers to save their payment information and delivery address for future purchases so they can skip multiple steps

Offering different payment methods: Ensure your checkout has a variety of payment options, such as card, wallets, PayPal or Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services, and is localised for the region you’re selling in (for example, Alipay in Asia)

Accepting multiple currencies: If you have a global site, or sell internationally, the ability to pay in local currencies removes a major barrier for customers. A recent Shopify survey found that 49% of respondents in the US and UK would abandon purchases not in their local currency. The World Account makes it easy to do business like a local. Receive payments from 100+ marketplaces and payment gateways in over 20 currencies, and hold or manage funds with no ongoing account fees

Displaying costs upfront: Make the customer aware of all costs – including shipping, taxes and fees – upfront

Enabling quick reorders: Some products are naturally suited for repeat purchases, such as food and beverages, cosmetics or pet food. For these everyday essentials, provide an option to reorder past purchases with just a click, or even offer a subscription service

Keep them engaged

Engaging your customers keeps your brand top of mind and builds affinity.

Create relevant content

Find out what interests your customers and use your content to provide value, while keeping it on-brand. A health and wellness company might provide educational information like wellness tips or self-care routines; a food and beverage business could share recipes or pairing suggestions.

The format of the content is also important – short videos might work best for social media, while in-depth blogs or downloadable guides are ideal for more detailed information. Is your audience likely to watch short reels on Instagram, engage with interactive polls on Facebook, or read longer articles on your blog? These insights will help shape your content strategy.

Use a multi-channel approach

The average person uses six to seven different social networks a month, and almost three quarters of internet users will look on social media for brand research. It makes sense, then, to show up where your customers are looking. Omni-channel shoppers spend more and are more loyal, a study has found, using digital channels to find out everything from company and product reviews to in-store stock levels.

Take control of customer retention

Turning one-time buyers into loyal customers comes down to value, convenience and trust. When you create a streamlined shopping experience, personalise interactions and provide valuable content, you encourage customers to keep coming back.

The World Account for global e-commerce sellers

For businesses with international customers, making it simple to pay in their preferred currency is key. The World Account helps you collect, hold, and manage payments in over 20 currencies, cutting costs and reducing barriers for global customers.

Why e-commerce sellers choose the World Account

Collect payments in 20+ currencies: Get paid by global marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, and payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal
Hold and manage funds: Avoid unnecessary currency conversions and transfer funds when it suits you
Pay suppliers worldwide: Send payments in 40+ currencies to your manufacturers and suppliers
Fast transactions: Most payments arrive within 24 hours; World Account to World Account transfers are instant and free
No monthly fees: It’s free to receive payments and there are zero ongoing fees

A smooth and simple payment process frees up your time to focus on reaching more customers. Opening an account online takes just minutes*. Get started today.

*Subject to completion of onboarding process

Disclaimer: The information contained is general only and largely our views. Before acting on the information you should consider whether it is appropriate for you, in light of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Although information has been obtained from and is based upon multiple sources the author believes to be reliable, we do not guarantee its accuracy and it may be incomplete or condensed. All opinions, estimates, mentioned products/services and referenced material constitute the author’s own judgement as of the date of the briefing and are subject to change without notice. WorldFirst shall not be responsible for any losses or damages arising from your reliance of such information.

Based in Sydney, Jim is responsible for the WorldFirst business across Australia and New Zealand. He brings with him over 25 years of experience helping Business Owners, CFO’s and Treasury Managers overcome the challenges with cross border payments and navigating volatile foreign exchange markets.

Jim Vrondas

Author

Country Manager ANZ at WorldFirst

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