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How To Build Customer Loyalty

customers shopping

Your business’s relationship with its customers does not end after they click to purchase what’s in their shopping basket. In fact, if you’re smart, you’ll dedicate a lot of your marketing resources to reach those who have already converted, since it’s often more cost-effective to get them to come back than it is to win over a new customer. That can be made all the better still when you take steps to instil some customer loyalty. Here are a few ways to do that.

Stay communicating

One of the biggest lessons of 2020 is that businesses that have been able to keep their customers informed during turbulent times often benefit from it. It can be difficult to be responsive to major disruptions in the market but you should consider your customers a stakeholder than need to be informed of any changes to your service. Do this, and they will appreciate it.

Throw a little extra in

Sometimes you need to show that you’re putting the customer above the bottom line, and one of the best ways to do that is to throw a little something extra in. Personalised or exclusive giveaways from teams like 4AllPromos can not only help instil a little goodwill in your customers. It can also help your brand remain a little more memorable and fresh in their minds.

Make their success a priority

Customer service and customer support are two parts of the customer management process that you might already be well aware of. However, one idea that is getting traction lately is in tracking customer success.

Effectively, keeping in touch, using feedback, as well as your support systems to see whether or not customers are having a good experience with your products and services leads to a mindset that better builds loyalty by placing your focus where it should be.

Reward that loyalty

A freebie here and there can do a lot of good, but customers also react very well to direct incentivization. A decent rewards system set up as shown by sites like Smile gives your customers a little extra reason to finish a purchase, as well as to keep coming back. The more they shop, the closer they get to some manner of reward, whether it’s a discount, a free item, or something more exclusive.

Listen to them

Customers need to be treated like a partner, not just someone that you’re trying to market and sell to. One of the best ways to make sure that they feel like their interests are being taken seriously is to seriously listen to them. Implementing feedback systems like HappyOrNot can make it easier for customers to share their thoughts, allowing you to collect to and respond to their concerns.

Similarly, if they reach out on social media, don’t immediately direct them to your support systems, but address the problem publicly first. Others will see that you’re taking their concerns seriously and appreciate it.

Customer loyalty isn’t as easy as boiling it down to a formula. You need to get to know your customers, their wants, and what additional benefits could push their level of support for your business to the top. The above ideas can hopefully lend some inspiration.

PM Today Contributor
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