Stuck at $10-99K Monthly Revenue? Here's Your Escape Plan

Let's cut through the noise. If you're reading this, you're probably grinding away at a 5-figure monthly revenue and wondering why the hell you can't break through to the next level. I've been there. Most founders have. The problem isn't your product—it's your retention strategy.

Here's the brutal truth: acquisition gets all the glory, but retention pays the bills. Let me show you exactly how to fix your retention game and finally scale past that frustrating plateau.

Stop Hemorrhaging Customers

First things first—you need to plug the leaks. The average ecom store loses 70-95% of first-time buyers. That's not a business model; that's a hamster wheel.

Track your cohorts religiously. If you don't know your 30, 60, and 90-day retention rates by heart, you're already failing. Set up proper tracking today—not tomorrow, not next week. Today.

Email Is Still the Champ (Stop Neglecting It)

I don't care what shiny new platform you're chasing—email remains the highest ROI channel in ecom. Period.

If your post-purchase sequence is just "Thanks for your order" and "Here's your tracking number," you're leaving serious money on the table. Build out:

• A strategic welcome series that indoctrinates customers into your brand story

• Educational content that helps them get maximum value from their purchase

• Cross-sell/upsell sequences based on purchase behavior, not random guessing

• Re-engagement campaigns that trigger before customers go cold

The brands crushing it in 2025 are sending tailored, segmented emails that feel like they were written just for that customer.

Loyalty Programs That Actually Work

Most loyalty programs are garbage. Points that expire, impossible redemption thresholds, and benefits nobody cares about.

Design a program with instant gratification. Make the first reward attainable fast, then create a clear path to VIP status with benefits that matter. Think exclusive products, early access, free shipping for life—tangible value that keeps customers in your ecosystem.

Subscription Is Not Optional

If you don't have a subscription component to your business, you're leaving predictable revenue on the table. Even "non-obvious" products can be transformed into subscriptions with some creativity.

The average LTV of subscription customers is 400-800% higher than one-time purchasers. Figure out your subscription angle, even if it means creating a new product category.

Community Building = Retention Engine

The brands breaking through to 7 and 8 figures are building communities, not just customer lists. When your customers talk to each other, they sell for you.

Create private groups, host virtual events, build user-generated content campaigns that showcase real customers. Community members churn at a fraction of the rate of isolated buyers.

Leverage AI for Personalization at Scale

It's 2025, and you're still sending the same emails to all your customers? Wake up.

Implement AI-driven product recommendations, predictive replenishment reminders, and dynamic content that adapts to user behavior. The technology is accessible and affordable now—no excuses for one-size-fits-all messaging.

The Ad Strategy That Complements Retention

Here's the ad strategy most 5-figure store owners are missing: stop burning cash exclusively on cold traffic.

Reallocate 40-50% of your ad spend to target existing customers (If your main goal is to increase LTV for a period). Create custom audiences of:

• Past purchasers who haven't bought in 60+ days

• Cart abandoners from the last 30 days

• Email subscribers who clicked but didn't purchase

• Your highest value customers (lookalike audiences from these are gold)

These warm audiences convert at 3-5x the rate of cold traffic, with significantly lower CPA.

Measure What Matters

Stop obsessing over vanity metrics and focus on:

• Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

• Purchase frequency

• Average order value over time (not just first purchase)

• Repeat purchase rate

• Net Promoter Score

If these numbers aren't improving month over month, your retention strategy needs work.

The difference between 5-figure and 6-figure monthly revenue isn't more customers—it's making more from the customers you already have.

Fix your retention, and watch your revenue climb.

– Frankee Muryan, Founder, ETP Tech

Share this with a friend who's sleeping on their email game 👊