Your data is useless without action.
If I had a pound for every time I saw an eCom brand collect vast amounts of data and do absolutely nothing with it, my piggy bank would be overflowing.
The usual narrative goes like this…brand gathers data from multiple touch points - their eCommerce platform, ESP, performance marketing channels, and analytics tools, but too often it just sits there gathering ‘dust’.
IMO, success comes from understanding the data at your fingertips and using it to strengthen your retention strategy.
Data alone means nothing without action.
The real impact comes from applying what the data conveys to make smarter, more informed decisions and drive long-term growth.
Here’s how to turn data into action:
Pinpoint where customers drop off: Data highlights key moments in the customer journey where they disengage, abandon their basket, or stop purchasing with you completely. Understanding this means you can address these issues and keep them coming back.
Identify what drives repeat purchase: Analyse purchase behaviour, order frequency, and engagement trends. Is it a specific product, a functionality you have in place like subscriptions or a personalised letter triggered to your VIPs? Understanding these patterns allows you to tailor your retention strategy and turn one-time buyers into loyal customers.
Create personalised experiences: Customers expect relevant and timely interactions from you. Using the data that you have, tailor messaging, product recommendations, and incentives to your different customer cohorts to improve engagement and conversion.
Focus on high-value customers: Not all customers contribute equally to your revenue. In my experience, a small percentage of customers drive a significant portion of sales. These are the ones worth prioritising. Analysing CLTV helps you identify your most profitable customers and tailor retention strategies to keep them engaged and spending.
Test, analyse, and refine: Making decisions based on guesswork or gut feelings is risky. A/B testing, tracking performance, and optimising based on data ensures your retention strategy is always improving.
The takeaway? Data alone doesn’t drive growth and retention - action does. If you’re not using insights to inform your retention strategy, you’re missing out on revenue and the chance to build lasting customer relationships.