Many retailers are now offering online purchasing options on top of their brick-and-mortar locations. Additionally, there are merchants who operate solely on the internet. Whatever choice these businesses are using for ecommerce, more focus needs to be put on increasing customer retention through the web, especially as internet purchases continue to increase.

For the third quarter of 2012, comScore found that online retail sales reached $41.9 billion, representing a 15 percent year-over-year increase, states Venture Beat. This is the twelfth quarter in a row that has seen growth for internet purchases. The comScore reports expects that retailers will experience an exceptional holiday season online as consumers take to the web to buy the items and gifts on their holiday lists.

So what can retailers do to keep shoppers coming back to their websites, even after the holiday season is over? Offering quick and discounted shipping options is one way to retain customers, writes eConsultancy. Maintaining consumer data effectively, such as purchase history, can help companies create loyal buyers. Customer service is another important aspect, retailers can offer this by providing simple return policies and answering consumer inquiries quickly.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Tuesday, November 13th, 2012 at 4:53 am .