Acquiring customers can be challenging. Keeping them for days, months and years is even harder. For this very reason, earning customer loyalty should be a top priority, or those customers you worked so hard and spent so much time and money to convert could easily vanish before you know it.
Try to create a culture around your brand to connect with your customers. Remember that they have access to a large amount of information about your business, and they will definitely stick with your company if you create a great customer experience. So, build a company where your customers will buy your products even when they aren’t on sale, recommend your services to friends and always come back for more.
Here are 15 things you can do to earn customer loyalty:
1. Get personal
By treating each customer the same way, you can possibly lose the loyal ones. People love it when you treat them as an individual – remembering their birthdays, mentioning their names in the newsletters, etc. The customers who have opted into a brand’s products or services deserve to feel rewarded by being treated differently.
2. Provide excellent customer service
Even though this sounds too obvious, there are still some companies that fail to provide good customer service. When customers provide their feedback about some issues and feel like their voices are heard, they are more likely to stick with your company.
3. Train your staff
Your staff plays an essential role in maintaining customer loyalty. You need to be smart about who you choose as an employee because staff is your connection with your customers. That is why you should invest a lot of time, resources and training into your employees in order to have workers who can provide fantastic customer service.
4. Create community
People usually feel some sense of loyalty to the communities they belong to. This concept is the same for your business: you can boost their loyalty by creating a sense of community. For example, you can engage your customers on social media by asking them to share pictures of them using your product in a fun way.
5. Encourage customer feedback
Ask your customers to share their feedback about your product or service. Encourage them to express what they really love about your business and what they would change about it. Fortunately, there are dozens of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) programs like Say2B that will help you digitize this process and make it easier for customers to share their opinions.
6. Share your values
Each company should have a set of shared values. Besides buying your company’s products or services, customers also buy “what your company stands for”. Sometimes customers are more attached to your company values than with your actual products or services. So, shared values can be the primary reason your customers have a loyal relationship with your business.
7. Be flexible with policies
It is highly essential to set and stick to your company policies. But sometimes there are situations where being flexible can help you keep your current customers and make them come back. Every customer can have issues while using your product, so being flexible specifically for them will make them feel appreciated and grateful.
8. Be the best at what you do
This might sound like a cliché, but you can earn customer loyalty by simply being the best out there. Create a product that is easy to use, reasonably priced and trustworthy for customers. Just do your best and make customers come back to you for more.
9. Reward your customers
Everybody loves receiving gifts, right? Your customers love it too. Customer loyalty and relationship management software like Say2B lets you easily reward your customers with coins, gifts or discounts. This is a great way to increase customer loyalty and make your old and new customers come back.
10. Use social media
Use social proof in order to let your customers know more about your company and your product, and earn their trust. For example, you can share reviews left by customers that go hand in hand with customer loyalty. Also, it might be beneficial to share statistics by a credible source, and celebrity endorsements. Social media lets you connect with your business’ customers on a personal level, so be as creative as possible to earn their loyalty.
11. Be transparent
Sometimes companies make mistakes, or things just don’t go as planned. In these kind of situations, it is very important to be transparent and honest with your customers. Explain the situation to them, provide updates and address concerns right away. By denying the problem, you can easily lose their trust for your company.
12. Communicate
Make it easier for your customers to reach you at any time. Add a click-to-call button on your mobile site or make sure that your contact information is easily located on your website. Try to avoid sending emails from no-reply addresses. Sometimes customers need to speak with a real-life person instead of completing some automated forms to get their answers.
13. Go digital
Nowadays, every business should implement a digital strategy in order to succeed. Businesses have started integrating customer loyalty programs in their company’s websites and mobile apps. Apps like Say2B guarantee continuous loyalty by rewarding the customers for it.
14. Spend more time with customers
Talk with your customers! Ask them why they decided to use your product and how they made that decision. This information will be useful for your future content and marketing campaigns. Also, don’t forget to put a little extra effort into your current customers. Never neglect your loyal customers when trying to reach new potential customers.
15. Surprise them
Remember: happy customers are the key to your company success. So, small and unexpected surprises will definitely keep them coming back. Try to surprise them with discount coupons on their birthday, or early access to your brand new products. By making them feel special and valued, you earn their loyalty and contribute to your business success.
