Building relationships with customers is critical for eCommerce businesses. The competition for purchase dollars and buyers' attention has never been more heated. To cut through the noise and create a real connection with customers, your interactions must be memorable. While competitors rely on boring text-based emails you should be leveraging personalized video to establish real relationships with customers.

Video can be a game-changer for your customer interactions not just because it is uncommon to send personalized videos, but also because it lets the customer know you care in a personal and authentic way. A text email that says "thank you for your order" does convey appreciation. Now imagine a video that says, "Hi Janet, we wanted to thank you for your purchase of our new limited edition shoes. We hope you love wearing them as much as we loved making them!"  Which do you think resonates more with the customer and develops a real bond?

A video shows that you are trying to communicate with the customer one-to-one. People do not want to feel like any other customer or any other client. They want to be appreciated for the individual that they are. A personalized video does that.

In this post, we will examine how to use video to build real relationships with customers. Whether you are selling software licenses, limited-edition content, or physical goods, a personalized video will take your customer engagement to the next level.

Importance of Relationship Building

The modern consumer is inundated with choices. There are an infinite number of products and services to choose from, all vying for attention. To make matters worse, customers can purchase items from anywhere in the world with a few clicks. Winning over buyers is more difficult than ever, which is why relationship building is critical for eCommerce businesses

Relationship building is the process of developing a bond with another person. In business, this usually takes the form of developing a rapport with customers or clients. The goal of relationship-building is to create loyalty and repeat business by establishing a connection with the customer.

There are several reasons relationship building is important for eCommerce businesses. First, it helps you stand out from the competition. In a world where anyone can sell anything to anyone, developing a personal connection with customers is a differentiating factor.

Second, relationship building increases customer lifetime value. Retaining even a few extra customers can have a huge impact on your bottom line.

Finally, relationship building makes good business sense. It costs five to ten times more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. Satisfied customers are also more likely to leave positive reviews and recommend your products to others.

Relationship-Building Strategies

There are many different ways to build relationships with customers. The most important thing is to be personal and authentic in your interactions. Imagine that the roles are reversed. Imagine you are the customer, prospect, or client.  What would get your attention? Even more than that, what would make you feel valued? What would make you feel like your time and attention were important to this brand?  

You would want to trust the brand and feel their values aligned with yours. You would hope that your satisfaction is important to them. You would want to feel like you were worth more than simply the money that was exchanged when you placed an order. In short, you would hope that the relationship with that brand was founded on more than a simple transaction. That is where relationship building comes into play.

Some common relationship-building strategies include:

Building Trust

Trust is the foundation of any good relationship. It takes time to build trust, but once it is established, it is very difficult to break. Ways to build trust with customers include being transparent, honest, and consistent in your actions.

Personalized videos help build trust because they do not feel generic. A personalized video shows that you are trying to communicate with the customer one-to-one. People do not want to feel like just another customer, just another client. They want to be appreciated for the individual that they are. A personalized video helps do that.

Showing Interest in Your Customers

One of the best ways to build relationships is to show that you care about your customers. This can be done in a number of ways, such as sending handwritten thank-you notes, remembering important dates (e.g., birthdays, anniversaries, etc.), or offering exclusive deals and discounts.

Personalized videos take this to the next level. A video that affirms their good taste or shares something interesting about a product they purchased shows that your interests and theirs are aligned.

Going the Extra Mile

Going above and beyond for customers shows that you are willing to go the extra mile to make them happy. This could involve going out of your way to solve a problem, offering a freebie or upgrade, or simply responding quickly to customer inquiries.

Customers who receive a personalized video after a support interaction, for example, will perceive that you have taken extra effort to assure their satisfaction. Personalization communicates that you have taken the time to reach one directly compared to receiving something like a templated email. The former shoes care and interest. The latter shows a lack of real effort.

Keeping in Touch

Staying in touch with customers is a great way to keep the relationship going. You can do this by sending periodic email newsletters, updates on new products or services, or simply saying hello every once in a while.

A personalized video that shares information about a new product or service accomplishes this. The customer stays informed and, because of the use of video, the relationship grows. In fact, any email that keeps the customer close to your brand serves to strengthen the relationship. Leveraging personalized videos helps your update or informative emails stand out.

Use Personalized Videos to Bring Everything Together

eCommerce businesses that want to create lasting relationships with customers need to invest in personalized video. Personalized videos are a great way to show customers that you care about them and appreciate their business. They help build trust, show interest in customers, and go the extra mile for customer satisfaction. When used correctly, personalized videos can help eCommerce businesses forge strong bonds with customers that will lead to repeat business and increased profits.

Think about how you can leverage video for relationship building. Relationship-building takes time but once established, strong relationships are difficult to break down. By using personalized videos that show customers you care - such as follow-up emails or thank you messages - they will feel closer to your brand and more likely buy from you again. If all this sounds like too much work (or if it doesn't come naturally), let us know! The Windsor platform makes personalized video at scale simple and fast. Do not take your eCommerce customers for granted. Invest in building relationships with them and they, in turn, will invest in your business by becoming repeat customers. Click "Get Started" to see Windsor in action and learn how to leverage personalized videos to build great customer connections.