Getting customers to buy from you once is hard enough. Getting them to come back and buy again? That’s where most e-commerce stores struggle, and it’s also where your biggest opportunities lie.
Most store owners put all their energy into attracting new customers while their previous buyers quietly move on to competitors. But repeat customers spend more, buy more frequently, and cost far less to convert than first-time visitors.
The good news is you don’t have to manually chase down every customer with follow-up emails and special offers. Using your online store builder , you can automate the entire process of bringing customers back.
Why Automate Repeat Sales?
It’s no secret that retaining customers is often more cost-effective than constantly seeking new ones. According to one study, 1 increasing customer retention by just 5% can lead to an increase in profits of 25% to 95%. But how do you achieve this consistently?
The answer is automation. When you automate your repeat sales process, you create an effortless way for customers to return and make additional purchases. Instead of spending hours on customer outreach, you can create an automated sales funnel that nurtures relationships and leads customers back to your store.
Let’s break down the key benefits of automating repeat sales:
1. Saves Time and Effort
Manual follow-up is exhausting. You’re constantly trying to remember who bought what and when to reach out again. With automated systems, your store handles all of this for you. It sends thank-you emails, recommends related products, and reaches out with special offers—no more sticky notes or reminders cluttering your desk.
Automating repeat sales means your store works for you even when you’re not actively managing it. You can create funnels that re-engage previous customers with tailored offers, bundles, and promotions, increasing your revenue with minimal extra effort.
3. Builds Stronger Customer Relationships
Automation helps you stay connected with customers between purchases. It sends helpful tips about products they bought, care instructions, styling ideas, or early access to new items that might interest them. This consistent engagement keeps your brand at the forefront of your customers’ minds and makes them feel valued.
How to Automate Repeat Sales Using Your Online Store Builder
Automating repeat sales might sound complicated, but the right tools simplify it. Here are some creative ideas for your automated sales system:
1. Create a Customer Loyalty Program
One of the most effective ways to encourage repeat sales is by setting up a loyalty or rewards program. Your online store builder can help you create a system that rewards customers for their purchases.
For example, it can:
- Award points for every purchase customers can redeem for discounts or free products.
- Send automated email reminders about points balances and available rewards.
- Offer bonus points for customers who reach certain spending milestones.
When customers see they’re earning something with each purchase, they’re more likely to return and shop more with you.
2. Set Up Abandoned Cart Automation
Many customers add items to their cart and leave without completing the purchase. Abandoned cart funnels help you automatically follow up with these customers to bring them back and complete their order.
Abandoned cart automation works by:
- Sending a friendly reminder email a few hours after someone leaves items in their cart
- Following up with incentives like free shipping or a small discount to encourage completion
- Creating urgency with a final time-limited offer before the items are removed
Since these customers already showed interest by adding products to their cart, they often just need a gentle nudge to complete their purchase.
3. Automate Follow-Up Email Sequences
It’s important to keep customers engaged with your brand beyond the first purchase. Use your online store builder to set up automated email sequences that nurture the relationship post-purchase. These can include:
- Thank-you emails: Show appreciation for their purchase and offer a coupon for their next order.
- Product recommendations: Suggest related products based on their previous purchases.
- Exclusive promotions: Send limited-time offers or early access to new products for returning customers.
These emails keep your customers engaged with your brand. They are more likely to return and buy again.
4. Implement Subscription-Based Models
A subscription funnel can help you automate repeat sales by offering products that customers routinely need. For example, if you sell skincare products, coffee, pet food, or supplements, customers can sign up to receive them automatically every month or quarter.
With your online store builder, you can set up a subscription service with automated billing, product delivery, and renewal reminders. This creates predictable recurring revenue while making it convenient for customers to get their essentials.
5. Leverage Upselling and Cross-Selling Automation
Automating upsell and cross-sell offers is another powerful way to increase repeat sales.
Once a customer makes a purchase, the system can:
- Offer a more expensive or premium version of the product they just bought.
- Suggest related products that enhance or complement their original purchase.
This process works particularly well when your online store builder is integrated with your sales funnel system. With all your customer data, purchase history, and automation tools in one place, creating offers that feel timely and relevant to each customer becomes easier.
6 Steps to Create a Funnel for Repeat Sales
Creating an automated system for repeat sales is easier than you think. Here’s how to set it up step by step:
1. Choose Your Automation Platform
Pick funnel software that handles both your online store and email automation in one place. This makes it easier to track customer behavior and create relevant follow-ups based on what people actually buy.
2. Map Out Your Customer Journey
Think about what happens after someone makes their first purchase. Do they need tutorials on how to use the product? When would they likely need to reorder? Plan out the touchpoints that make sense for your specific business.
3. Set Up Your Email Sequences
Create automated emails for different scenarios: welcome messages for new customers, follow-ups after purchases, and re-engagement emails for people who haven’t bought recently. Keep them helpful rather than pushy.
4. Create Your Offers
Design special offers for repeat customers like loyalty discounts, early access to new products, or bundle deals. Make these offers feel exclusive to encourage customers to keep buying from you.
5. Test and Launch
Start with one simple automation, like a thank-you email series after purchase. Test it with a small group first, then expand to other automated sequences once you see it working.
6. Monitor and Improve
Check your results regularly to see which emails get opened and which offers convert best. Use this data to refine your sales funnel automation and make it more effective over time.
Start Building Your Automated Sales System
You’ve got the blueprint, now it’s time to choose your tools. Choose a platform that can handle your online store, email automation, and customer tracking all in one place.
Most platforms offer free trials, so you can test the features before committing. Use that trial period to set up one complete automation sequence and see how it performs with real customers. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll have a system working behind the scenes to grow your revenue.
1 https://hbr.org/2014/10/the-value-of-keeping-the-right-customers
