How to Build Customer Loyalty In 8 Simple Ways
If you are a business owner, you must agree that customers are the wheels of any business, which keep the company going. But you must also agree that attracting customers is an entirely different deal than retaining them. Think of it this way; you open a new food truck venture. People will come to try your menu just to try the new place out. They left satisfied, but who will guarantee that they will come back some other time as well? This is why it is rightly said that customer loyalty is the lifeblood of any business, and should be given, if not the most, rational priority.
8 Tips on How to Build Customer Loyalty
Not every business owner knows the art of building customer loyalty, and those who do, generate more sales in the long run. Also, if they know what is centralized recruitment, the company may be able to recruit talents without any internal conflicts which can sometimes be damaging to the business.
Here are some top tips to help you improve your sales by cultivating customer that shop from you on repeat.
#1. Know Your Customers
The foremost tip on how to generate customer loyalty is to get personal with your customers. Now, being personal doesn’t mean that you start visiting their houses or invite them to yours. Simple gestures, like asking and remembering their names, their shopping preferences, whom they usually shop for in your brand, and giving them honest advice on what to buy and what not to are great ways to making them feel comfortable and homey.
#2. Be Transparent
Since you get to know who your customers are, it is only fair to let them know who you are. Share information about your brand, what made you start it, what troubles you went through, and how customers like them keep you motivated in doing what you do. Another great way to do that is to share a rough incident you had and how you overcame it. Remember, the more humane your brand seems, the more trust your customers establish in your business.
#3. Exceed Their Expectations
“Under promise and over-deliver” is a famous phrase among the businessmen community. Not only does exceeding customers’ expectations urge them to admire your brand, but it also motivates them to shop again. Now, your customers won’t expect you to deliver a pizza alongside their parcel, but you can buy them one to win their hearts. Just kidding! Say your delivery time is seven days; deliver their package in 4, which will surely put a lasting impact which will motivate customers to shop again.
#4. Get In Contact with Them
Another great way to build customer loyalty is by getting your clients’ email addresses or phone numbers. Not only will this help you to market your newly launched products for free, an essential task for which renowned brands spend thousands, but it will also make it easy for you to follow up with them to get feedback on their shopping experience. A quick tip, personalize your emails by addressing them by their name to get more clicks on your sales pitches.
#5. Offer an Incentive
Looks like your customers aren’t returning to your brand. Now is the right time to use the greatest tool of all time – incentives. They can be anything; something as small as a 10% discount or a free drink to special coupon codes on the anniversary of when they first shopped from you. Such attractions work like bait to pull customers into your stores.
#6. Make Their Shopping Easier
Brands like Amazon Prime have a high customer retention ratio because they make shopping experiences easier by storing their information. You can do so too, in the very same way. And you don’t even have to follow any tedious procedures for that. For instance, you could allow your customers to create an account on your website or download your application that securely stores their shipment and payment information. This way, they will have a one-touch convenience of making frequent purchases from your business simply by clicking ‘Buy Now.’
#7. Provide Exceptional Customer Service
As obvious as it might sound, businesses usually lack in providing quality customer service to their clients. Mistakes and miscommunication are part and parcel of every business. But what makes one business stand out from the others despite its mistakes is its ability to cater to its customers’ concerns promptly. When undergone an unfavorable experience, customers usually demand getting in touch with the managers. If that’s what they want, that’s what you give it to them! Make it easy for them to reach out to the representatives. Take responsibility for the mistake, note down and timely address their concerns, and avoid bad word-of-mouth reviews.
#8. Don’t Forget Your Existing Customers
During the process of attracting and retaining new customers, don’t forget about the existing ones. Stay in touch with them, thank them for their purchases, ask for their feedback, and keep them updated on new products. Remember, retaining customers is 5X cheaper than alluring new ones.
Conclusion
While customer loyalty can help your business bloom in the most favorable times, it can also help your business survive uncertain conditions. Improving customer loyalty should be paid proper attention because the customers that seem retained one day might disappear the other.