How do you retain your online community members after they’ve joined your site? Is it even possible? If you’re looking for ways to improve your retention rate, check out these strategies; they might work for you.
There are many sites online today that claim to offer free membership services. Most of them are nothing but an ad disguised as legitimate sites. Your loyal visitors will probably join such fake websites if they get interested in joining.
It is crucial to retain your subscribers. People are signing up for your service or following your blog or social media account because of their faith in you as an individual.
Retain the leaving customers by creating offers
Did you have the experience of having left your online shopping cart only to receive an email requesting you to go through your shopping and return with a discount coupon?
This method is working on my part. Therefore, why not make something similar for your members?
The goal here is to offer those who have not been engaged or are lapsed members something appealing to them to contend again.
These are suggestions:
- A discount on the first month’s subscription
- Free access for a limited period
- An invitation to a free event
1. Ask for feedback- Online Community Members
Have you ever quit your job and received an interview to discuss your exit?
Exit interviews are so crucial because employers will gain important information that can be utilized to boost retention.
The same principles apply to membership in online communities. If a member decides to leave you, ask them if they’d be willing to discuss why they’ve chosen to go.
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Some of the most popular motives I’ve seen are:
- They have left the business
- They don’t feel invested enough
- You’re not getting the correct value for their membership
- They believe it’s too costly
- They’ve forgotten not to make the necessary renewals (which is an excellent occasion for them to be reminded!)
If you spot any trends in the feedback of members you receive, It’s a good idea to alter the way things are done so more members do not leave. In addition, you may be able to attract former members returning.
2. Make your members feel welcomed
Have you ever bought something only to be disappointed immediately afterward? It’s known as Buyer’s Remorse.
It sometimes happens to new members who sign up but don’t receive the attention they’d hoped for.
It helps inform the member of the benefits and resources they have access to and direct them in the right direction to answer any questions they may have (but might be too shy to ask). This means they feel more comfortable about their choice to become a member.
Over time, I’ve seen numerous welcome emails for new members. These are the five components they’re typically composed of:
- A customized message from a person who is actually at your company
- An introduction to the history of your organization
- A complete list of benefits for members they are now able to gain access to
- Links to valuable resources on your site
- A clear outline of what’s coming following, for example, the invitation for an event or a reminder to keep an eye out for the following newsletter.
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3. Keep in touch with your members- Online Community Members
It’s typical for members to alter their views of an organization as time passes. When members are first enrolled, they become aware of the company’s culture and beliefs. After that, they’ll enter an era of growth as they use their membership benefits. Then, they reach the point where they can decide (whether consciously or unintentionally) whether they’ll become an ambassador who talks to other members about the benefits of joining.
Being aware that members can change their opinion depending on the length of time they’ve been with the organization is one of the reasons why the annual survey is an excellent instrument to use. Additionally, there are a lot of alternatives like bbPress, Wpforo, and Google Forms that will help save money while getting closer to keeping your members engaged.
4. Give rewards to loyal and productive members
In the next step, you must reward desired behavior. Desired behavior is the actions a member performs that you’ve always wanted to see. For instance, a member writes a glowing review of your company on social media or mentions their membership to a family member.
Depending on how they interact, this could be different for every organization and individual member. If, for example, you have a member’s post about your organization through social media sites, you may offer them a discount on tickets or merchandise. Even if it’s only 10 percent, the customer will be thankful that you noticed their post and decided to acknowledge them for sharing the news. It’s not expensive and is a massive gesture for them! Rewarding your members demonstrates that you value and appreciate their commitment to your business.
Members who feel respected, heard, and appreciated will be more inclined to remain active and engaged than those who feel disengaged and unappreciated. It is one of the best membership retention strategies.
For instance, a mobile e-commerce application gives you a gift when referring your website/app to another person.
Also Read: Why You Need To Create Community Around Your Brand
5. Rethink your membership models
Sometimes, the member needs to withdraw from your community if you are charging for membership and give the option of stopping it, lessening the possibility of members not canceling altogether.
In the same way, a member might be able to leave since they can no be able to afford dues. A lower-cost version of membership that isn’t able to access the same features and content is a cost-effective option that can help those who are in this circumstance?
Online Community Members – The Wrap Up
There are so many great resources out there for you to implement in order to help retain your customer base and keep your sales coming in. In fact, we wrote an article just for you. It offers a list of some of the top retention strategies out there today. We believe that they will work for you, too. They include email marketing, retargeting, remarketing, social media, mobile apps, and more! We also have some awesome tips for how to maximize those techniques. So, check it out and let us know what works best for you.
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