4 Effective Local Line Hacks for Customer Retention

Retaining customers is key to building a sustainable and successful business. Often getting new customers costs significantly more than re-engaging existing customers. 

At Local Line, we’ve developed powerful features designed to help you keep your customers coming back. Here are four essential hacks you can use within Local Line to boost your customer retention.

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👉 Before we jump in–we’re hosting a free workshop: Mastering Retention: 4 Cheap Ways to Keep Your Customers. Register here to claim your spot! The session will be recorded.

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1. Price List emails: Keep customers engaged

One of the most effective ways to remind your customers to place orders is through automated Price List emails. These emails are sent on a set cadence to the members of a specific price list, so your customers always remember to order. 

You can customize the copy and headlines to make these reminders more compelling and tailor the message for different customer segments. Whether you’re targeting wholesale buyers, individual consumers, or your CSA members, Price List emails help maintain consistent communication and keep your customers engaged.

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How to set up price list emails

1. Head to your Price Lists table. Either select Add price list or edit existing price list.
2. Scroll down to Schedule price list update emails and toggle on Enable price list update emails. 
3. In this setting, you can add an email subject line, body copy and select your email schedule. Once this is toggled on, emails will be automatically sent to the members of the price list. You can update the copy and subject line at any time. 

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2. Leverage coupon codes: Reward loyal customers

Rewarding loyalty is a proven method for retaining customers, and with Local Line, you can create customized coupon codes specifically for your most loyal customers. Offering a discount or special offer to those who have been with you for a while not only makes them feel appreciated but also encourages repeat purchases. This simple gesture can go a long way in building lasting relationships with your customers.

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How to set up coupon codes

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👉 In this video series, we walk through how to set up various coupon codes to re-engage existing customers and attract new ones. Watch the whole series now!

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3. Subscriptions: Ensure recurring revenue

Subscriptions are an excellent way to secure recurring revenue and keep customers returning regularly. With Local Line, you can offer subscriptions on products that your customers need frequently. Whether it’s weekly produce boxes, monthly meat boxes, or any other recurring product, subscriptions provide convenience for your customers and steady income for your business.

With Local Line’s subscriptions feature, you can add, edit, and cancel subscriptions, manage customer settings, oversee customer management, and cancel their subscription from the back office. Customers can edit their subscription settings and add one-off purchases to their subscription orders–increasing flexibility at every corner. 

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How to create a subscription product

To display subscription products on your storefront, you need to define subscription settings at two levels: Price List and Product levels.

First, select which price lists you want to create subscriptions in. If you are using an existing price list, you can access the subscription settings by editing the price list. In the settings, you can: 

1. Enable and disable subscriptions on that price list
2. Set fulfilment options (i.e., which delivery zones and pick-up locations have this subscription available) and set frequencies for those fulfilment options (i.e., pickup location A occurs every two weeks, while pickup location B is available every week).
3. Set subscription order lead time. For example, if the lead time is seven days – at this point, the customer’s credit card will be charged, and the inventory will be deducted.
4. Define payment methods. Credit card, cash, e-transfer – you choose. You can also opt to prioritize store credit. This is relevant if you run a buy-down CSA model or pre-paid orders where the customer receives the same order weekly. 
5. Add discounts. You can offer discounts on subscription orders.
6. Enable subscription skipping. You may or may not want to offer your customers the ability to skip their subscription orders.

To enable subscription options to appear in your storefront, you must define subscription settings at the product level. 

To edit subscription settings for a product, click on which product you would like to update. You can also access subscription settings when creating a new product. In the subscriptions tab, you can: 

1. Select which price lists you want to include. 
2. Select which packages you want to include. 

Once you press save, your subscription options will appear on your storefront.

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4. Abandoned cart emails: Recover lost sales

Cart abandonment is a common issue in e-commerce. On average, 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned before checkout. That’s a significant portion of potential revenue slipping away, but you can win back those potential sales with Local Line’s automated abandoned cart emails. 

We recently launched two new automated emails to help you improve your cart conversions: abandoned cart and fulfillment cutoff date notice. The abandoned cart email gets sent out two hours after customers leave items in their cart without completing the purchase. You can nudge customers back to your site with timely reminders while their interest remains fresh.

The fulfillment cutoff date notice is sent 24 hours before the order cutoff for your customers' selected fulfillment method. Whether they plan to pick up their order or have it delivered, this reminder ensures they don’t miss out due to a forgotten deadline.

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👉 Want to learn more tips for increasing retention? Don’t miss our free workshop: Mastering Retention: 4 Cheap Ways to Keep Your Customers. Register here to claim your spot! The session will be recorded.

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Improving your customer retention doesn’t have to be complicated! Using these four features within Local Line—price list emails, coupon codes, subscriptions, and abandoned cart emails—can significantly boost your repeat sales. By keeping customers engaged, rewarding their loyalty, ensuring they have a reason to return regularly, and recovering potentially lost sales, you can build stronger, more lasting relationships with your customers. Implement these hacks today!