Side Profit Insider: Issue 04

Welcome to the fourth issue of Side Profit Insider.

Here’s what’s inside this week’s issue:

• A guide on how to promote your brand without paid ads

• An excerpt from a highly recommended book

• A free sales tracker for tracking profits

• Side hustle tools I’ve been testing

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🧠 This Week’s Picks:

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💸 Turning One-Time Shoppers into Loyal Customers

How to turn one sale into 10 sales using customer retention strategies

There are lots of ways to market your brand and sometimes paid ads either aren’t possible with your budget, or you’d like to try new strategies, whatever it is here are some ways of promoting your brand without paid ads.

Personalise the post-purchase experience

Make your customers feel special after they buy. For example, enable customer accounts so returning buyers see their past orders, saved addresses, and personalized recommendations, Shopify notes this “makes repurchasing a breeze”.

Encourage account creation by offering an incentive (like bonus points or a coupon for the next order) once they place their first order.

Use Email and Messaging to Re-Engage

• Welcome and Thank-You Messages:

  Send a friendly follow-up email after a purchase (e.g. “Thanks for your order!”) and mention related products they might like.

• Automated Sequences:

  Set up automation for cart reminders, reorder reminders, or “we miss you” messages.

  For instance, a simple win-back email offering a small discount can nudge one-time buyers to return.

• Segmentation:

  Group customers by purchase history or interests and send targeted messages. A tool like MailerLite (free for up to 1,000 subscribers) can auto-create segments (e.g. first-time vs. repeat buyers) and send tailored content.

• Free Email Platforms: 

  Many email services offer generous free plans. Shopify Email (included free with any Shopify store) lets you send 10,000 emails/month at no cost.

Educate and Engage Through Content

• Points & Rewards Programs:

  Give customers reasons to come back. Many Shopify and WooCommerce apps (e.g. Smile.io, Joy Rewards, LoyaltyLion) offer free tiers.

  For example, Smile.io’s free app lets you quickly “create your own loyalty and rewards program to turn first-time customers into forever customers”.

• Referral Programs:

  Encourage word-of-mouth (no ad budget needed). Create a dual-sided referral reward: give both the referrer and the friend a discount or credit.

  Shopify highlights that when customers “refer friends and family…new customers are more likely to buy” because of that trust.

  Tools like ReferralCandy or Smile.io’s referral feature (free on basic plans) can automate this. Even manually, you can email a coupon (“Give $10, Get $10”) to past buyers and ask them to share it.

• Surprise Discounts & Store Credit:

  A well-timed coupon for a repeat purchase pays off. Shopify suggests offering more than the usual 10% – a 20% off code or a $X store credit feels like a real gift and can boost loyalty.

Educate and Engage Through Content

Keep customers interested in your brand by educating them. Send newsletters or post on your blog about how to use your products, new arrivals, or behind-the-scenes stories.

Shopify advises that how-to guides and tutorials “help customers get the most out of their purchases and feel more connected to your brand”.

For example, a fitness gear store might email workout tips, or a kitchenware shop might share recipes using its products.

These don’t cost anything but time, and they remind customers why they bought from you.

You can also build a community via free platforms: start a Facebook or WhatsApp group, post on Instagram, or host a live Q&A to answer user questions in real time.

User-generated content (like sharing customers’ photos or reviews) is free social proof that encourages others to buy again.

Simplify Returns and Service

A hassle-free experience encourages repeat business. Make returns easy by clearly stating your policy on your site and providing pre-paid labels or a simple online return portal (tools like AfterShip or Return Magic have affordable plans, or even a free WooCommerce returns plugin).

Shopify notes “a great returns experience encourages customers to return and buy again”.

Likewise, when mistakes happen, turn them into an opportunity: quickly apologize, replace damaged items for free, and follow up; studies show resolving a problem well can build even more loyalty than if nothing went wrong.

Use a simple CRM or helpdesk (like the free HubSpot CRM) to track these interactions so you never lose a customer complaint or request in your inbox.

Reward Loyalty and Referrals

• Email & SMS:

  Email & SMS: Shopify Email (free 10k emails), MailerLite, Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or Sendinblue (Brevo) free plans let you send newsletters and follow-ups at no cost.

  PushOwl (free plan) can send 500 web push notifications/month to subscribers - use it for flash sales or back-in-stock alerts.

  Even a free SMS service like Twilio or a WhatsApp Business account (with limits) can be used for personal follow-ups.

• Loyalty & Reviews:

  Smile.io, Joy Rewards, and Yotpo all offer free loyalty programs (points for purchases, referrals, VIP tiers).

  Yotpo also handles product reviews (its loyalty app is free up to 200 orders). Judge.me and WooCommerce’s built-in coupon system can let you reward reviewers or repeat customers with future discounts.

• Chat & Service:

  Install a free chat app (Tawk.to, Crisp, or Shopify Inbox) on your store to answer questions instantly.

  For CRM, HubSpot’s free plan covers contact management and email tracking. Use Google Forms or SurveyMonkey (free tiers) to collect feedback or post-purchase surveys, then act on that data.

• Analytics:

  Track who’s buying again. Shopify, WooCommerce, and Google Analytics can report repeat customer rate and lifetime value.

  This helps you spot which strategies work (e.g. which email got the most clicks, or which loyalty rewards customers love) so you can double down on effective tactics.

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Thank you for reading the fourth issue of Side Profit Insider!

I hope today’s story gave you a nudge forward and helped you see the real path to long term success and the resources have given you an idea of how to get started on that path.

See you next week!

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