Finding new customers has always been traditionally more difficult than keeping existing ones. Not only does it cost more to find brand new buyers, but there is a lot of effort that has to go into the marketing and sales funnel. Existing customers, however, are already part of that funnel, so there is less that needs to be done to entice them to keep buying from you. Of course, finding new customers is always going to be important, but if you are able to keep a large percentage of your existing customers happy, you will always have a baseline income to count on.
The key, of course, is ensuring that customers remain loyal to you. If they don’t feel any sense of loyalty, they will easily be persuaded to buy from others, and this is not a good position for any business owner to be in. With that in mind, here are some of the best ways you can keep your customers loyal and rely on them – as much as possible – to build your business.
Ask For Their Opinion
Your customers are the ones who are utilizing your business; they are looking at it from a different angle to what you will see, even if you look more deeply than simply what you are providing them and how it’s done. They are the ones who are actually experiencing your customer service, your products, your website, your delivery options, and so much more. Therefore, if they have something to say about these things, and if those opinions are going to help you, it’s crucial that you listen to them, whether they are positive or negative.
Although some customers will be happy to voice their opinions without being asked, many more will need some kind of invitation before they feel comfortable in letting you know what they really thought of your business. Therefore, make sure you do just that, and ask for their feedback after every purchase. Not everyone will respond, but enough should that you will get a better idea of what they want and can make any necessary changes. Once customers see that you’re taking their ideas and concerns seriously, they will be much more loyal.
Offer Rewards
Rewards, or perhaps you might call them incentives, are an ideal way to encourage loyalty. You might, for example, set up a loyalty card scheme, where every purchase someone makes gives them points or a mark on a loyalty card, and once they have bought enough, they can get something discounted or for free. Or perhaps you prefer the idea of offering your most loyal customers some kind of discount using coupons – take a look at how the Juicy Chemistry coupon works for a better idea of how to go about this.
Whatever you choose to do, make sure that the reward is going to be worth someone’s time and their loyalty. If the incentive you are offering isn’t a fair one, they aren’t going to be invested enough to want to obtain it, and they won’t stay loyal.
Keep In Touch
If you want to instill loyalty into your customers, it’s a good idea to keep in touch with them, so they don’t forget you. In this busy world, it’s easy for people to forget where they bought something, even if they had a truly positive experience, and although it’s possible to find out if they are in a hurry – as most people are – they won’t take the time to investigate their bank account or old emails, for example. Therefore, keeping in touch will give them a good way to remember you and ensure you can pass on any information that might be relevant to them, such as special offers or new products.
There are various ways to keep in touch, but the ones that work best include:
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Email marketing
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Social media pages and posts