[Total Retail] 5 Reasons Why VIP Customers Are the Key to E-Commerce Growth

[Total Retail] 5 Reasons Why VIP Customers Are the Key to E-Commerce Growth

(Originally published on Total Retail by Josh Kim)

Credit: iStock.com by Tom Werner

In the crowded and rapidly changing world of e-commerce, understanding the importance of loyal customers is key to achieving sustainable growth and long-term success.

VIP customers significantly impact a business’ bottom line, often contributing a substantial portion of total revenue. For context, these are the customers who continue to buy from you over and over again, and should account for the majority of your total sales. In fact, we’ve found that at least 50 percent of a company’s revenue should come from these VIPs in order to maintain steady growth.

Mastering the art of identifying and nurturing these invaluable customers isn't just advantageous — it's essential for growth and long-term brand value.

Here are five reasons why VIP customers are the key to e-commerce success, as well as how to make sure you engage them properly to nurture a long-term relationship:

1. Audit who your VIPs are — and use technology to treat them accordingly.

VIP customers are the cornerstone of revenue generation in e-commerce. Their frequent purchases, higher average order values, and unwavering loyalty make them a formidable force in driving sales and profitability.

According to a study by McKinsey, VIP customers only comprise the top 1 percent of a company's customer base — but can generate 20 percent to 50 percent of their total revenue. Furthermore, research from Bain & Company indicates that increasing customer retention rates by just 5 percent can boost profits by 25 percent to 95 percent.

For businesses without a VIP engagement strategy, artificial intelligence offers a strong and compelling solution. By using AI-integrated CRM technology, companies can identify their VIP customers more effectively than ever before. AI algorithms can pinpoint patterns and behaviors indicative of VIP status, allowing businesses to create a tailored and personal experience for that customer.

As these studies suggest, companies that nurture relationships with their VIPs ultimately drive revenue growth and increased profitability.

2. Understand what they want so they can be effective brand advocates.

According to Nielsen, 88 percent of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family more than any other form of advertising.

Beyond their monetary contributions, VIPs serve as influential brand advocates. Their positive experiences and unwavering loyalty translate into invaluable word-of-mouth marketing, often influencing the purchasing decisions of others.

Therefore, leaving VIP interactions up to chance would be detrimental. Luckily, AI allows any business to harness its data to identify VIPs, understand their needs, and deliver the highest level of service so they can become brand ambassadors.

3. Use AI to create personalized engagement.

VIP customers crave personalized experiences that cater to their unique preferences and behaviors. By leveraging first-party data and advanced analytics, e-commerce retailers can tailor their offerings and communications to resonate with individual VIP segments.

AI can help brands get to know their customers much better, faster, and at a higher volume than ever before. In the past, to provide personalized service to your customers you would need to spend a lot of time and effort on hiring, training and maintaining a large number of customer service support resources. AI is enabling support teams to focus on the conversations that matter, reducing the hours spent resolving repetitive and generic inquiries.

By investing in AI-integrated CRM technologies that enable personalized interactions, businesses can create meaningful experiences that resonate with all customers, not just VIPs, to drive long-term retention and advocacy.

4. Instill the trust and loyalty that VIP customers expect.

Building trust is essential in today's digital landscape, especially as concerns about data privacy and security continue to rise. VIP customers are more likely to remain loyal to brands that prioritize transparency, authenticity and customer-centricity.

Between phishing websites and the egregious volume of click-bait, many consumers want (and need) a level of trust from a brand to make a purchase. To build that trust and foster long-term loyalty, brands need to consistently deliver exceptional experiences and demonstrate genuine care for their VIPs. The best way to begin doing that is utilizing data to quickly recognize past purchasing and browsing behavior, ask questions about their preferences and how they want to be communicated with, acting on those preferences, and treating them with respect.

AI shouldn’t just be used as a tool for automation. It should be used to quickly recognize who a customer is so that resources can be quickly shifted to give that customer the best experience possible. Brands that waste time answering basic questions could be leveraging their resources more effectively to instead be driving sales.

Unfortunately, it’s quite easy to overlook or miss an opportunity for a genuine customer interaction if you haven’t implemented the right technologies. But VIP customers who feel valued and appreciated by a brand are often more forgiving of these occasional missteps or hiccups.

5. Embrace innovation that improves your VIP customers’ experiences.

As the e-commerce landscape evolves, businesses must remain agile and innovative to stay ahead of the curve. With third-party data becoming more scarce due to privacy regulations and consumer preferences, retailers need to be exploring alternative strategies for customer insight and engagement.

By embracing innovation and investing in cutting-edge technologies, such as AI-powered analytics and CRM platforms, e-commerce businesses can adapt to changing dynamics and continue to thrive in competitive markets. Leveraging technology enables brands to better understand and serve their VIP customers — which is crucial for driving growth and success in the ever-evolving digital retail ecosystem.

VIP customers are not just valuable; they're becoming more and more indispensable to e-commerce growth. By recognizing the significance of these loyal customers and prioritizing their needs, businesses can unlock new opportunities for revenue generation, brand advocacy, and long-term success in the digital marketplace.

From personalized engagement to trust and loyalty, VIP customers are the driving force behind growth. Knowing how to identify, engage and care for them is key to achieving sustainable revenue growth and competitiveness in this ever-evolving e-commerce landscape.

Josh Jaehong Kim is a serial entrepreneur who created and drove three successful startup exits. Currently, he is founder and co-CEO of Channel Talk, a leading CRM-based AI messaging platform used by over 160,000 brands globally.