No matter the size of your business, customer loyalty is incredibly important. The numbers don't lie. Repeat customers spend up to 67 percent more than new customers and it's up to ten times more expensive to try to attract new customers than it is to keep your current ones. Here are three ways your business can build a loyal customer base.
Communicate with Your Customers
Communication with your customers keeps you fresh in their minds and lets you relay important information to them. Communication is key in any relationship. Customers won't remain loyal if they believe they are nothing more than dollar signs to you.
There are a myriad of ways you can keep the lines of communication open such as sending out an email newsletter once a week to update them on new products, services, or sales, or a monthly flier. Don't limit your messages to just advertisements for your business either. Communication can be as simple as a reminder card for a tuneup, a simple thank you card for their latest order, or a greeting card during the holiday season.
Offer Exceptional Customer Service
Customer service starts with the initial contact of a customer. How friendly is your staff? Are emails and phone calls responded to promptly? Is your website easy to navigate? Is your in-store experience positive? If there is an issue with a product or service, how quickly is it resolved?
No business is perfect. We are all human. There will be a time where mistakes will happen. Just make sure you make it right. Loyal customers will forgive mistakes if they see your business go above and beyond to ensure wrongs are righted when they do happen. It is inevitable that customers will remember a negative experience, but equally they will remember an exceptional experience too.
Pay attention to your customer's complaints. Look at it as an opportunity to resolve the problem and improve your performance and relationship with that customer. Provide your customers with a quick and clear channel of communicating with your brand. These suggestions are all quite simple but will make a big impact on the experience your customer has.
Give Back By Offering Customer Incentives
Show your customers that you value them by giving something back. How do you do that? Offer a loyalty discount, invite your best customers to an exclusive event or create a loyalty card system. The type of incentives will obviously vary by your industry, you can even test out various different types of incentives through performance marketing. Send out buy-one-get-one offers to some customers and discounted service/product coupons to others, and see which one works best.
All in all, your goal is to make them feel appreciated and valued by your brand. When you reward your customers for their loyalty and ask for nothing in return, they’ll feel appreciated and they'll feel even closer to your brand, encouraging them to stay.
In today's 'customer-centric' world, customer loyalty is an important part of your business strategy. Customers have the power and they want great customer experience from companies they can trust. These three tips will get you on the right track to building a loyal customer base who will want to continue doing business with you for years to come.
