Offering Subscriptions Ensures Better Customer Experience
Offering Subscriptions Ensures Better Customer Experience
Amazing product quality isn’t the main selling point for everyone. And when it boils down to customer experience—what’s the secret juice that keeps them locked in with your subscriptions? Offering subscriptions ensure a better customer experience.
Selling subscriptions is a win from the get-go. Your customers pay you on a recurring basis, and that means you can predict your revenue. As a subscription owner, you can also show your customers you care about the goods you sell. Continuously improve your product quality, and your customers will be more likely to keep using your services.
What four reasons tell why selling subscriptions ensure a better customer experience? What happens when selling non-subscription products?
1. Customers appreciate convenience.
Life as a consumer in the 21st century means slowly. Going. Crazy. Remember the last time you went to the store to buy new shampoo? It takes nearly 20 minutes to choose from the 100 shampoos they have in store. Time well spent? Not really.
Speed, convenience, and friendly service are the most important factors for today’s time-poor customers. They’d rather leave some decision-making to others than spend their time choosing.
Customers value convenience, and subscription boxes are just that. Sign up for a subscription, choose the timing interval for your deliveries, and get what you need without extra effort.
Tip: Think ahead of your customers and identify other ways how you can save them time. Maybe your subscription is missing a product that your customers would otherwise need to buy as an extra? For example, are you offering a monthly beard care subscription box, but aren’t including styling gel for mustaches? Fix that!
2. Customers feel they’re getting an exclusive deal.
Exclusivity sells, and that’s another reason why customers love subscriptions. In most cases, customers think they’re getting a better deal on products because they’re harder to find in stores.
To keep your customers feeling special about your subscriptions, try to always include new products before they hit the main market. Positioning yourself as an industry insider makes customers more confident about their purchases. They know they’re getting an exclusive deal, so they have an easier time justifying their expenses on your subscriptions.
As an added bonus, by offering subscriptions, you also offer a chance to join an exclusive group. Your customers see you as more than just a box or a service but access to a community and insider knowledge.
Tip! Try sourcing free samples from indie retailers who need exposure. Your customers will appreciate new and exciting products. And who doesn’t love gifts?
3. Customers see you as their best friend
As a subscription box owner, you can befriend your customers through your products and services on a recurring basis. You have the opportunity to let your customers know how good of a friend you are by delivering what they signed up for.
You show that you care about them (and your business!). As a subscription owner, you must always assure your customer’s payment methods are up-to-date.
Sending an email inquiry is a way to nudge your customers to update their card info, so they don’t miss out on their subscription. It’s a win-win situation. You don’t lose a paying customer, and your customer is thankful that they received their subscriptions without any inconveniences.
4. Customers value personalization
Another reason why your customers see you as their friend is that you know them. Or at least you know them enough to cater to their needs.
Customers value their products or services tailored to their needs. They’ll stick with your services if you ensure that experience.
To start off right, many subscription businesses ask their customers to fill out a survey about them. If it’s for a healthy snack box, they ask if you prefer sweets or savory snacks. If the subscription box contains healthcare products, then it’s worth asking if your customer wants more hair or skincare products. You get the gist of it.
Provide your customers with the products they signed up for—that’s the most bulletproof way to ensure their satisfaction. And keep gathering feedback and adjusting offerings with your customers. Their wishes will change over time. It’s important you catch these shifts to keep your customers and build on that loyalty pillar.
5. Customers get anticipation and surprise
Offering subscription boxes basically makes you the Santa (all year long!). Who doesn’t love Santa? Your customers sure do!
Subscription boxes give people the joy of unboxing a gift they’ve ordered for themselves. The moment your customers tear up that subscription box, their brain gets a powerful dopamine kick. You feel anxious, excited, hopeful, surprised—all whilst digging into your received box to find out what’s in it. It’s magical how subscription boxes give customers this experience.
Tip! If you’re into the psychology behind anticipation, go over Burrhus Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning. In a nutshell, one of the most powerful forms of positive reinforcement happens when there is an uncertainty to get a reward, much like in gambling.
Keep your customers on their toes by introducing fresh and trendy items to be excited over. Every fifth customer values the idea of sampling products without actually purchasing them. To elevate your customer experience, offer surprise free samples to renew interest and boost purchases.
At the end of the day, subscription boxes are a way for customers to gift themselves something and still be surprised by the contents. Keep your subscription products changing, and you’ll deliver that excitement your customers are expecting.
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