Today, every business must consider the best way to build customer loyalty. Customer loyalty helps your business thrive at its best, but it also helps you survive tough and difficult times. As a business owner, the reason for your business is your customers. As a result, it’s important to consider your customers in everything you do. The forefront of your business should be your customers’ needs. This is because it’ll not only drive more sales in your business but will also help you build customer loyalty in the long haul.
Therefore, without intentional efforts, customer loyalty isn’t bound to happen. Highlighted below are the key steps to building customer loyalty.
Know your customers (and vice versa)
To boost customer loyalty, you need to be personal with your customers. Learn about their names, buying habits, and stories. You shouldn’t treat them as just paying customers; rather you treat them as a person. For example, on a customer’s birthday, you can send a personalized birthday message with a special offer for them. Also, sending emails that specifically appeal to them is a big plus.
Furthermore, you would have to share information about yourself and your business as well if you want your customers to trust your brand. For instance, don’t be afraid to admit to rough patches, and also keep your customers updated on business news ( before it hits the press!). This will make your customers understand your brand, thereby making them more comfortable about doing business with you.
Develop a customer loyalty program
Another great way to encourage and reward customers is to create a customer loyalty program. There are different criteria for rewards in these programs (e.g. the customer is required to spend X amount per month). However, the customers’ benefits far outweigh these conditions.
Credit card programs, punched cards, and point system, are some of the various customer loyalty programs today. The common aim of these programs is to provide an incentive for customers to spend more money on your products or services.
Start a referral program
Similar to a loyalty program, a referral program rewards customers when they engage with a business. In this case, if a customer refers your company to a friend or loved one, they will receive certain benefits. Therefore, this not only helps attract new customers, but it also ensures you keep your existing customers.
Play to your strengths
What do you value most? Do you know your business unique offering? What does your business do best? You’ll be able to frame your brand if you can provide answers to these questions. Therefore, to really connect with buyers, you have to focus on what you do best and stay true to your brand. Be a constant in the market – consumers must always rely on your business to deliver.
Use social media
Social media is arguably the best way to engage with your customers. In fact, many customers will perceive you as irrelevant if you aren’t on social media. Therefore, having an active business profile on various social media platforms is very important.
Interacting with your customers, as well as sharing behind-the-scenes information about your brand and products or services, will create a strong online community that encourages customers to come back for more. Think about the companies you trade with the most and how they behave on social media: Does their brand voice align with their values? Do their posts align with their target audience? Are they authentically interacting with their followers? The odds are your answer to these questions is “Yes”.
For more inquiries on how to build customer loyalty for your business, contact us at ovacomconsulting.com
