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š”Convert One-Time Buyers Without Discounts
Turn First Purchases Into Habits, No Codes Needed
Hey, itās Ray.
Hereās a stat that should keep you up at night: most brands lose 70% of first-time buyers within 90 days.
And the knee-jerk response?
āLetās give them 15% off to come back.ā
But hereās the truth: if your best idea to drive repeat purchases is a discount, youāre building a promo-trained customer base, one that waits, hesitates, and churns the second you stop feeding the sale cycle.
Thereās a smarter, margin-friendly way to turn first-time buyers into loyalists and it doesnāt involve a single discount code.
Letās break it down.
Why First-Time Buyers Donāt Come Back
Your product mightāve been great. The delivery mightāve been fast.
But none of that matters if they donāt feel connected to your brand after the first purchase.
Repeat buying is emotional. If they donāt feel:
Seen (you understand what they care about),
Confident (they know how to get the most from what they bought), and
Curious (theyāre excited about whatās next)...
They disappear.
And no ā20% off your next orderā can fix it.
Build Loyalty Without a Single Discount
Hereās a step-by-step, retention-first journey that actually converts, not just āreminds.ā
1. Rebuild the Post-Purchase Flow
Your current one probably looks like:
āOrder Confirmed ā ā
āYour Order Shipped š¦ā
...and then nothing, or a generic āBuy Againā CTA.
Thatās transactional.
You need relational.
Instead, send:
Day 2: āYou Picked This, Hereās How to Win With Itā
ā Product education, setup tips, bonus features
Day 5: āHowās it going?ā
ā Light check-in, request for UGC or review
Day 10+: āPeople Who Bought That Also Loved...ā
ā Smart cross-sells based on affinity, not urgency
2. Make Onboarding Feel Personal
They made a choice.
Make it feel smart.
Add QR code inserts that link to welcome videos or tutorials
Use Klaviyoās predictive analytics to recommend a ānext bestā product
Show how others use their product (UGC carousel, styled looks, before/afters)
3. Replace the Discount With a Status Ladder
Your goal isnāt a second sale. Itās the start of a habit.
Try:
āYouāre one order away from Insider Accessā
āWant early access to our limited run drops?ā
āSpend $X more to unlock your loyalty perk (free shipping, surprise gift)ā
Make the second purchase feel like a membership, not a transaction.
ā Quick Launch Checklist
ā Segment one-time buyers from past 90 days
ā Build a three-step post-purchase education flow
ā Use delivery, not order date, as trigger
ā Tag high-margin collections for behavior-based follow-up
ā Track second purchase conversion + time delay
ā Never lead with a promo code
Your Next Big Move
One-time buyers donāt hate your product.
They just didnāt get a good enough reason to come back.
If you want to scale sustainably in 2025, your real growth lever isnāt new customers, itās turning first-timers into loyalists without discounting your brandās value.
Need help setting this up?
Iāll map your flows, write the copy, and build your second-purchase engine from scratch, so you earn more with every new buyer.
Just hit reply and weāll talk.
Raymond Chen
Founder & CEO, 11 Agency
More Ways to Level Up Your Email Game
If this sounds like a lot to manage, donāt worry, Iāve got you covered.
Thereās a lot that goes into building a high-converting email strategy.
If youāre serious about optimizing your email marketing, letās talk.
Hereās what we can do:
ā Done-for-You Email Strategy: If youāre ready to scale but donāt have the time, weāll build out a full email system that maximizes your revenue. You can book a call with me here.
ā Or, if you just want to grab a free resource, get a FREE 10-page KPI audit and a 128-point health scorecard to optimize your email marketing. Get it here!
Extra Tips to Boost Your Email Strategy
If youāre up about boosting your email game, Iāve got a few more gems for you:
šŗ Check Out My YouTube Tutorial
Want to create a high-converting popup form that actually drives results?
In my newest YouTube video, I walk you through the process of designing popups in 2025 that boost email deliverability, grow your list, and drive more conversions. Using tools like Klaviyo and platforms like Shopify, Iāll show you exactly how to optimize your forms for success. š Watch it here:
š Win Back Shoppers with These 10 High-Impact Abandoned Cart Subject Lines
A lot of brands lose potential sales due to ineffective subject lines that donāt grab attention.
We've compiled a list of 10 powerful subject lines that will help you win back those shoppers and boost conversions. Want to see the subject lines that work? š Check out the full list here: 10 High-Impact Abandoned Cart Subject Lines to Win Back Shoppers
š” Letās Connect on LinkedIn
I share daily email marketing tips, behind-the-scenes insights, and strategies that actually work. If youāre looking for extra value beyond this newsletter, letās connect!š Follow me here.