5 Tips For Turning Walk-ins into Repeat Customers

Getting a customer to walk through your door is the first hurdle; turning them into a repeat customer is the real challenge. While anyone can find your business, building loyalty requires a proactive strategy to bring people back time and again.

The following five tips, supported by data, demonstrate effective ways to convert first-time visitors into a loyal customer base.

1. Provide a convenient payment solution 

A customer's final transactional step, the payment, leaves a lasting impression. Providing an easy and convenient way to pay significantly increases the chances of a customer returning to your business.

We’re seeing a clear trend of declining cash payments, while digital wallets are becoming preferred. The more payment choices you offer at your point of sale (POS), the higher the likelihood that a customer will return for a future purchase.

2. Collect contact information at your POS

Once a customer leaves, you need a way to stay in touch. An effective and non-intrusive method is to offer digital receipts instead of physical ones, which allows you to ask for contact details. 

In this process, customers may provide their email address or phone number to receive their receipt. This simple exchange is invaluable, giving you a direct channel to encourage additional purchases and build loyalty. 

The value of this channel is clear: 59% of consumers say that marketing emails influence their purchasing decisions, and over 50% of consumers buy something from a marketing email at least once a month.

3. Offer free wifi

Free wifi is no longer just a perk, it's a powerful business tool. Offering free wifi encourages people to visit your business and return later. 

It also has a measurable impact on their behavior while on-site, as 62% of businesses report longer visits to their premises when free wifi is available for customers. 

Furthermore, free wifi can serve as another highly effective contact information funnel. By asking customers to provide an email address to use your free wifi, you can capture more leads than by relying on your POS system alone.

4. Implement a loyalty rewards program

A loyalty program directly incentivizes repeat business. You can give back to customers who purchase from you by offering points or special discounts for repeat purchases. Walk-ins are naturally more inclined to come back when they know they will gain something tangible from returning and spending more money. 

The statistics compellingly support this strategy. 70% of consumers report they will spend more with brands that have loyalty programs in place. From a business perspective, one-third of businesses saw their loyalty programs generate 5-7 times what they cost to set up.

5. Deliver personalized offers to walk-in customers

The contact information and loyalty data you collect are the keys to personalization. By using customer management tools, such as those provided by Paywhere, you can monitor trends and buying habits. This data allows you to send customers personalized offers that genuinely appeal to their specific preferences. 

This is precisely what modern consumers want, as 80% of customers prefer companies that offer a personalized experience catering to their needs. Sending a follow-up email or text with a deal related to a customer's previous purchase gives them a strong, relevant reason to return.

Converting a one-time walk-in visitor into a loyal patron requires a deliberate, multi-faceted strategy. Streamline payments, capture contact info, enhance the in-store experience, reward loyalty, and personalize value to build lasting customer relationships. This investment in the customer experience will pay significant dividends in both customer retention and long-term profitability.

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