The Secret To Retention? Ask Your Customers!

Loyal customers are the heartbeat of every successful brand.

While they may only make up around 21% of your customer base, they often drive nearly half of your orders and revenue.

These are the people who already trust your brand, come back regularly, and spread the word.

So the real challenge isn’t just getting more customers, it’s turning more of them into loyal ones.

And that all comes down to what you do after the first sale.

This is the moment that can make or break your business. Too often, brands jump straight into searching for tools or apps to “fix” their retention problem.

But retention isn’t something you buy—it’s something you build.

So here is everything you need to know about customer retention to make sure your Shopify store is set for success.

Why Retention Is a Customer-Centric Game

Retention isn’t driven by tools but by trust. Customers stick with brands that understand their needs, solve real problems, and make them feel valued.

No push notification or loyalty program will work if the experience isn’t relevant. In a world full of choices, loyalty comes from connection.

The brands that win aren’t the ones with the most features—they’re the ones that listen, respond, and put their customers first.

Why Retention Matters More Than Ever

Acquisition vs. Retention

Now that almost every shopping journey begins online, the game has changed. It’s no longer just about getting new customers through the door—it’s about keeping them coming back.

Customer acquisition has become more competitive and expensive, with rising ad costs and crowded platforms making it harder to stand out.

Retention, on the other hand, offers a smarter, more sustainable path. When someone already knows your brand and has bought from you before, it’s easier—and far cheaper—to reach them again.

A quick email, a well-timed push notification, or an exclusive offer can bring them back without the high price tag of lead generation.

That’s why many brands are rethinking their strategy: instead of pouring all their budget into finding new customers, they’re doubling down on the ones they already have.

Lifetime value of repeat customers

Retention doesn’t just keep the revenue flowing—it amplifies it.

When you build strong relationships and keep customers coming back, their value grows with every interaction. Instead of constantly chasing new leads, your team can shift focus to long-term growth, knowing that existing customers are already driving profitability.

In fact, even a modest 5% boost in customer retention can lead to a 25% to 95% increase in total profits. Why? Because loyal customers don’t just return—they buy more often, spend more each time, and account for the majority of your sales over time.

The longer you retain a customer, the more valuable they become.

What Causes Poor Retention in Shopify Stores?

Poor retention doesn’t happen because you lack features—it happens because you lack connection.

Customers leave when they don’t feel understood, when the experience feels generic, or when there’s no clear reason to come back.

If you're not solving real needs or offering real value, they’ll quickly find someone else who does.

To stand out in a crowded market, you need to give customers a better reason to choose you—and keep choosing you. That starts with understanding what they care about, not just adding more tools.

Why Understanding Comes Before Retention

Before you launch another campaign, tool, or feature—pause. Ask the one question that most brands overlook: What do my customers actually want?

Retention doesn’t begin with automation. It begins with listening.

Start by digging into the signals your customers are already giving you:

What do they keep coming back for? Where do they drop off? What do they rave about in reviews or complain about in support tickets?

Look at purchase patterns, product preferences, and ask for feedback that you will actually act on it.

Once you know what matters most to your customers, your retention strategy becomes clear.

Every message, offer, and feature should answer a real need—not just check a box. Because when customers feel heard, they stick around.

What Tools To Use Once You Know Your Customers?

Once you know what your customers truly care about, the role of technology becomes clear: to support their journey. The right tools are the ones that quietly solve problems and add value.

That’s where a mobile app comes in.

Having a personal channel from where you can communicate with your customers, being there for them every step of their journey is something that would be very valuable for your Shopify store.

With different retention tools in place, your mobile application can become a retention hub.

With a mobile application you can:

• Personalize in-app user experience

Use what you’ve learned about your customers to tailor the app journey around their preferences.

From showcasing relevant product categories to having personalized recommendations, every touchpoint should feel like it was made for them.

When the experience is smooth, relevant, and aligned with their needs, customers are more likely to stay engaged and come back because it feels like your brand understands them.

• Send AI-powered push notifications:

Reach your customers instantly, with no extra cost.

Unlike ads or emails that get lost or ignored, smart push notifications land directly on their devices.

When personalized and well-timed, they are helpful and are one of the most effective (and cost-efficient) ways to bring customers back.

• Offer in-app chat support:

Let customers ask questions and get answers in real time, right where they are. It’s about reducing friction, not adding another step.

• Integrate with tools for loyalty & rewards programs:

Show appreciation in ways that matter. Whether it’s points, perks, or exclusive offers, rewarding loyalty keeps customers engaged long after their first purchase.

Success story: How a Shopify brand doubled their customer retention rate with a mobile app

The Lash Oasis, a UK-based B2B brand supplying professional lash products, wanted to stand out in a crowded beauty market.

As a new name in the industry, they knew that engaging their customers and encouraging repeat purchases would be key to sustainable growth.

Instead of relying on traditional marketing channels that weren’t delivering results, they focused on understanding what their buyers actually needed: a simpler, faster, and more personalized way to browse and reorder.

That led them to build a mobile app designed around customer convenience—featuring clean navigation, timely push notifications, and exclusive perks.

Built with a clean design and thoughtfully timed, personalized notifications, the app offered a seamless way for buyers to browse, reorder, and stay connected.

The results spoke for themselves.

The impact was clear. Without spending on ads, they doubled their customer retention rate to 80%. Even better, 90% of users who downloaded the app came back month after month.

The lesson? When you truly understand your customers, the right tools aren’t just features—they become extensions of a better experience.

Conclusion

Customer retention doesn’t start with technology; it starts with understanding.

The most powerful tools won’t drive loyalty if they’re not rooted in real customer needs.

When you take the time to listen, observe, and truly understand what your customers value, every decision you make, from how you design your app to when you send a message, becomes more effective.

This is why making sure your customers are having the best shopping experience is important, and a mobile app allows you to do just that. From a smooth app to personalized push notifications and all the retention tools you can connect to, your mobile app can become a retention hub.

In Shopney, this is what we do everyday for our customers with an easy-to-use mobile app.

You can upgrade your retention game by requesting a demo now: https://shopney.co/request-a-demo/