Mobile Customer Retention Strategies

One thing I've noticed when working with clients and doing discovery calls is that a lot of companies are not using customer signals to be proactive instead of reactive. Being proactive rather than reactive is the key to ensuring customer satisfaction and retention. One effective strategy to stay ahead of potential issues is by documenting and understanding "customer signals" – subtle behaviors and indicators that can serve as red flags. Recognizing these signals across the organization allows businesses to engage with customers at the right moment, preventing issues from escalating and ultimately fostering a more positive customer experience. Teams should not just try to save the account once there is a request to cancel or an escalation. You need to pay attention to the signs before you hit this point. Ensuring the entire team knows what to look for means that everyone is empowered to care and improve the customer experience. Here's a list of customer behaviors that could be potential red flags, gradually increasing as they check out or consider leaving: 🔷 Reduced Engagement: Decreased interactions with your product or service. Limited participation in surveys, webinars, or other engagement opportunities. 🔷 Decreased Usage Patterns: A decline in frequency or duration of product usage. Reduced utilization of features or services. 🔷 Unresolved Support Tickets: Multiple open support tickets that remain unresolved. Frequent escalations or dissatisfaction with support responses. 🔷 Negative Feedback or Reviews: Public expression of dissatisfaction on review platforms or social media. Consistently low scores in customer feedback surveys. 🔷 Inactive Account Behavior: Extended periods of inactivity in their account. No logins or interactions over an extended timeframe. 🔷 Communication Breakdown: Ignoring or not responding to communication attempts. Lack of response to personalized outreach or engagement efforts. 🔷 Changes in Buying Patterns: Drastic reduction in purchase frequency or order size. Shifting to lower-tier plans or downgrading services. 🔷 Exploration of Alternatives: Visiting competitor websites or exploring alternative solutions. Engaging in product comparisons and evaluations. 🔷 Billing and Payment Issues: Frequent delays or issues with payments. Unusual changes in billing patterns.

"We're looking at alternatives" is the most expensive phrase in customer success. Your strongest renewal weapon isn't ROI data or new features. It's status quo bias. The same psychological force that makes us buy the same toothpaste for decades, frequent the same coffee shop, and stay in questionable relationships is the secret to retaining your SaaS customers. Here's why this matters in B2B: When your customer is considering alternatives, they're fighting a powerful psychological force that wants them to stay put. This creates an incumbent advantage you can leverage. Status quo bias exists for four specific reasons: 1️⃣ Preference stability- We intrinsically value what we're already using simply because we're using it 2️⃣ Change costs- We instinctively understand that switching solutions means disruption, retraining, and adaptation costs 3️⃣ Decision paralysis- Too many similar alternatives make confident selection nearly impossible 4️⃣ Anticipated regret- We fear future blame if a new selection proves worse than what we had Here's the strategic asymmetry: Sales must overcome these four forces to win a new customer. They must create enough urgency and certainty to justify the pain of change. But in customer success, we can align with these same forces. Instead of fighting psychological gravity, we can harness it. The essential questions shift: ❌ Sales must answer: "Why change? Why now?" ✅ CS must reinforce: "Why stay? Why not yet?" This isn't just theoretical. In practice, this means: • Emphasizing transition costs during renewal discussions • Highlighting the embedded knowledge your customer has built in your solution • Documenting the specific workflows that would be disrupte • Comparing the "perceived future perfect" of alternatives with the "known quantity" of your solution Your renewal strategy must capitalize on your customers' natural inertia while continuously improving their current state. The most successful CS leaders I know don't just sell value—they make the status quo increasingly comfortable while making alternatives appear increasingly risky. What's your most effective strategy for leveraging status quo bias in retention conversations?

Acquiring Customers Is Hard. Losing Them Is Easy. Most businesses—whether eCommerce or SaaS—spend a fortune on ads, influencers, and outreach to get new customers.  But what happens after the first sale or sign-up?  For many, the answer is… nothing. And that’s why they struggle with retention.  Retention isn’t just about keeping customers—it’s about keeping them engaged, happy, and spending more over time. After 20 years in marketing, I’ve seen what works.  For Product-Based Businesses (eCommerce, DTC, Retail) 🔹 Personalized Post-Purchase Sequences – A simple “thank you” email isn’t enough. Instead:   ✅ Follow up with product care tips, how-tos, and customer stories.   ✅ Offer exclusive discounts or early access to new products.   ✅ Gather feedback to show customers their opinions matter.  🔹 Loyalty & Rewards Programs – Customers love to feel appreciated. The best programs:   ✅ Offer points not just for purchases, but also for referrals, reviews, and social shares.   ✅ Provide VIP perks—early access, limited-edition drops, or surprise gifts.   ✅ Focus on emotional loyalty, not just transactional rewards.  🔹 Subscription & Replenishment Offers – Make repeat purchases effortless.   ✅ Automate reminders for products they may be running low on.   ✅ Offer a subscribe-and-save model for recurring purchases.   ✅ Create exclusive subscriber-only benefits.  For SaaS Companies:  🔹 Onboarding That Reduces Drop-off – First impressions make or break retention.   ✅ Guide new users with interactive tutorials and milestone-based check-ins.   ✅ Provide immediate value—don’t overwhelm them with features they don’t need yet.   ✅ Use behavioral emails and in-app nudges to keep engagement high.  🔹 Community & Education – People stay when they feel invested.   ✅ Build an engaged user community (private groups, webinars, AMAs).   ✅ Offer ongoing education (courses, use cases, best practices).   ✅ Showcase real customer success stories to inspire further usage.  🔹 Proactive Customer Support – Don’t wait for churn to happen.   ✅ Identify users at risk (e.g., those who haven’t logged in for weeks).   ✅ Send personalized re-engagement campaigns before they cancel.   ✅ Provide live chat or dedicated support for power users.  Retention isn’t a one-time effort—it’s a strategy.  If your business is struggling with repeat purchases or high churn, it’s not just about your product. It’s about how you engage your customers after the sale.  How is your retention strategy working right now?  #digitalmarketing #technology #management #entreprenuership #marketing

Long and discounted trial periods may drive a high volume of sign-ups, but it often leads to low retention and extended CAC payback periods. Shortening these trial periods can improve retention and the efficiency of cash flow for subscription businesses. One of the most successful experiments we ran at Los Angeles Times last year was shortening our introductory period. It unlocked millions in revenue. On the Customer Retention Show with Tom Burrell, I explain how to look at long and cheap trial periods through the lens of CAC payback. Here are 3 other takeaways related to retention: 1️⃣ Focus on Personalization at Cancellation The point of cancellation is critical for saving subscribers. Tailored messages leveraging behavioral cues like time spent, articles read, and personalized offers based on user engagement levels can effectively reduce churn. 2️⃣ Retention Starts with Activation Many retention issues are rooted in activation problems. Identifying and encouraging key actions (e.g., app logins or newsletter subscriptions) helps build habits that drive engagement and long-term retention. 3️⃣ Make Cancellation Easy to Encourage Returns Simplifying cancellations improves customer experience and increases re-subscription likelihood. Brands focused on long-term growth prioritise trust over short-term barriers.

How We Helped a Brand Jump from $9M to $13M in Just One Year When this brand came to us, they had the revenue, but their growth was plateauing. The challenge? Their focus was all on acquisition, and retention was an afterthought. Here’s how we changed that: 1️⃣ LTV-First Strategy We built a retention system using Klaviyo email flows, personalized SMS campaigns, and loyalty incentives that turned one-time buyers into repeat customers. 2️⃣ Segmentation & Personalization We segmented their audience by purchase behavior and tailored messaging to meet their needs—because not every customer is the same. 3️⃣ Increased AOV Through Bundling We introduced strategic bundles and upsells, boosting average order value while improving the overall customer experience. The result? ➡️ A $4M revenue jump in 12 months. ➡️ A 35% lift in repeat purchase rate. ➡️ A loyal customer base driving sustainable growth. Retention isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the foundation of profitable scaling. Curious how a retention strategy could transform your brand? Let’s chat in the comments. 👇