When we talk about the customer lifecycle , or customer life cycle , you might think that this ends with the purchase of the product or service. In reality, if you implement an adequate customer management strategy , your customer’s life cycle is far from over at the moment of purchase.
Analyzing the phases of this process in depth means arriving prepared with your marketing , sales and especially customer service strategies. It means transforming occasional customers into loyal buyers who are fond of your brand, through customer retention techniques .
The “customer lifecycle” process is the path in which buyers become aware of a product, complete the purchase and become loyal customers of the company, closing the customer journey they have undertaken.
Manage the customer lifecycle
Managing the customer lifecycle is the process of mapping out the steps of the lifecycle, assigning metrics , and measuring the success of goals based on those metrics. The goal is to track the performance of your business as it engages with the customer, to create the best possible customer experience .
Every business has the opportunity to control and guide their customer through this journey. It’s not about manipulation, but about providing the right information to guide your customer toward meeting their needs.
Obviously, this activity cannot be done
Without analyzing and collecting data related to the behavior of your customers. This data must be easily accessible to all the company functions involved (especially marketing and sales ) for the study and addressing of the customer journey. A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform is the ideal solution to do this.
The 5 Stages of the Customer Life Cycle
There are five main phases in the customer lifecycle process :
Reach (Reach contact)
Acquisition
Conversion
Maintenance
Loyalty
customer lifecycle
1. Reach
This is the stage where a customer actively searches for a product after becoming aware of their need.
This is the best time to respond to their need with your product or service.
The customer in this phase compares the products of the various brands, does research and informs himself by reading reviews. Some tools such as SMM , SEO and SEM can help you in this phase to get back on his radar.
The goal you must set yourself in this phase is that his choice falls on your products or services, and he contacts you for more information.
At this stage you need to answer these questions:
Where can a customer see my brand for the first time? TV channels, social media, sponsored ads or search engines?
How is my brand performing on these channels? CTR and Impressions can be a valid indicator of this information.
What are your competitors doing to reach customers that you aren’t?
How is your brand reputation ? Are you well or badly known?
Do you post regularly on social media?
WhatsApp allows businesses to send personalized messages, which can help in reaching specific groups of people based on their preferences and data. By using a well-curated mobile number list, businesses can create targeted campaigns aimed at middle east mobile number list segmented audiences, ensuring that their messaging is relevant to each group.For example, a company selling beauty products in the Middle East might send different offers to customers.
2. Acquisition
The moment the customer comes job function email data library into contact with you, we are in the acquisition phase . Depending on the channel used to contact you, you will have to respond quickly to satisfy their needs and doubts asb directory about your products or services.
If the channel through which the customer arrived is your website, you should provide them with content that helps them and satisfies their doubts. A well-built website should work to provide the customer with what they need and push them to proceed to the next step to complete the purchase.
At this stage, customer care is important, among other things . Every moment is a potentially interesting touchpoint between you and the customer, so here you need to take advantage of all the useful tools, such as live chat , call to action , contact form , etc…
This is the stage where every tool you use is important, but even more important are the information and content you will be able to provide.
Here are some of the questions you should ask yourself:
What kind of content is on your site right now that can help a customer make a decision?
Do you have a blog ? Is it easy to read and navigate?
Have you created content that can encourage the customer to make a purchase?
Are your prices visible on your website? Is there a way for the customer to get in touch with you or your team if they need it?
Is your site easy to navigate?
3. Conversion
Once you have obtained all the necessary information, if satisfied, the customer should continue with the purchase .
This is the stage where you have to make the customer understand that what they are doing is not simply a first purchase, but the beginning of a relationship with your brand, and not the final stage of the customer life cycle.
In this stage you will have to demonstrate your ability to maintain the relationship with the customer and make it habitual.
Also, in this stage, it is important to verify that there are no obstacles that prevent the customer from completing the purchase.
Here are some helpful questions:
Is the purchasing process simple and straightforward?
Are there any obstacles to completing the purchase? An insecure domain, an outdated checkout page, bugs?
Have you created a privacy policy that protects your customers?
Can your customers understand the quality of your products based on the descriptions?
4. Maintenance
The first step in this phase is to understand the customer. One of the most direct ways is always to ask him. Through a good customer service campaign , non-invasive, try to measure your Customer Satisfaction Score and try to understand what you could improve.
Remind your customer that they can help you continuously improve their shopping experience. For example, by offering them exclusive content and services, or discounts, if they decide to become a regular customer and contribute to improving your service. When analyzing the retention phase , try to understand where to improve the customer experience, for a more lasting relationship.
Here are some useful tips to improve this phase:
How do your customers perceive your brand?
Do your customers find it easy to do business with you again?
Have you thought about a customer success management program ?
What do your customers think about the products they just purchased?
Have you offered a personalized experience to your customers? Do they feel appreciated and recognized by your brand?
5. Loyalty
In this phase the relationship created in the previous one is strengthened and the customer becomes an important part of the brand. Social proof (a testimonial, a review, etc.) has a huge importance to certify brand loyalty .
The customer reaches this stage once influenced by the previous four steps. In other words, it is impossible to create brand loyalty from scratch. It must be the end point of a positive experience that the customer has with your brand.
Building loyalty with your customers is difficult. To improve this phase, you need to analyze the probability that the customer will return for a new purchase, and perhaps even bring in new customers.
Here are some helpful questions:
Have you included social media buttons ?
Do you engage with current customers on various social platforms ?
Do you have any special plans like exclusive offers , discounts to make your customers come back?
Is your brand easily accessible to customers, through email ( lead nurturing ), telephone and live chat?
