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<\/p>\nAs most marketers have experienced at some point, it\u2019s one thing to hook customers, another beast completely to retain them. Improving customer loyalty should be a priority, or those\u00a0customers you worked so hard to convert could\u00a0vanish before you even know what happened.<\/p>\n
To avoid that, here are 25 ways to better your company\u2019s customer loyalty.<\/p>\n
To build a strong relationship with your customers, you have to share their values. According to a\u00a0study\u00a0by the Corporate Executive Board\u00a0of 7,000 U.S. consumers who said they had a brand relationship\u00a0\u201c64% cited shared values as the primary reason.\u201d\u00a0In fact, shared values are\u00a0\u201cfar and away the largest driver.\u201d If you want loyal customers, you need to tell them what your brand stands for.<\/p>\n
Sounds obvious, right? But, it deserves mention again because\u00a0excellent service is what creates lifelong customers, avoids negative word-of-mouth and differentiates you from the competition. This is how a company like\u00a0Zappos\u00a0has created such a loyal following. But, how can you improve customer service?<\/p>\n
For starters, listen to customers and address their concerns\u00a0a timely manner. Make it easy for customers to get in touch with a representative. Clearly display an email address, phone number and social media account. You have to \u201cwow\u201d them by going above and beyond.<\/p>\n
There will be days when things don\u2019t go as planned. Instead of denying the\u00a0problem, be honest with your customers about the bad news. When\u00a0Buffer had a security breach in 2013, the company old their customers about the situation, provided updates and\u00a0addressed concerns immediately.<\/p>\n
With so many social media platforms, there is no excuse for not creating a community.\u00a0Communities\u00a0are an effective way to start a conversation with your customers and encourage user-generated content. For example, you can ask customers to share pictures of them using your product and sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.<\/p>\n
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One of the easiest ways to keep in touch with customers is through\u00a0email. Ask for addresses after completing purchases so you can keep customers updated on new products or follow-up with them after a sale to ask\u00a0how was their experience. This information can be used to improve customer satisfaction and keep your current customers happy.<\/p>\n
Aileen Lee, partner at venture firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, describes social proof on\u00a0TechCrunch\u00a0as \u201cthe positive influence created when someone finds out that others are doing something.\u201d It\u2019s a great way for new customers to learn about your product or company.<\/p>\n
Typically, brands achieve social proof in the following five ways:<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve probably heard the clich\u00e9 that businesses should \u201cunder promise and over deliver\u201d. You can accomplish this by simply exceeding expectations. If you state a customer service rep will get back to the customer within 24 hours, and the rep gets in touch within six hours, that\u2019s exceeding customer expectations. As Noah St. John states perfectly on the\u00a0Huffington Post, \u201cDo what you say you\u2019re going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s incredibly easy to forget your existing customers when you\u2019re busy trying to reach new customers. To avoid frustrating your\u00a0loyal customers, make sure that your product or service doesn\u2019t diminish over time.<\/p>\n
Mistakes happen and customers have\u00a0many platforms to share their experiences with your company. Don\u2019t get defensive or sensitive if you get called out on something that was your fault. Instead, use these platforms to take responsibility and resolve the issue.<\/p>\n
Employees are extremely important for\u00a0improving customer loyalty. Employees\u00a0who buy into the culture are more likely to share their excitement with\u00a0friends, family and customers that they\u2019re assisting \u2013\u00a0like this email from Zappos. Make sure your employees have the proper training and tools to enhance the customer experience.<\/p>\n
Studies have proven that personalized emails have a transaction rate 6\u00a0times higher than impersonal emails. This could be addressing them by name, sending them a birthday greeting or an offering a coupon on the anniversary of when they became a customer. Customers appreciate the personalized messages that you send them because it can help create an emotional bond.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s say you\u2019re buying a new television, but have some questions. Would purchase the TV from the company who answered all of your questions or the company who couldn\u2019t give you an answer? You\u2019re probably more likely to support the company who addressed all of your concerns. If you want to attract and retain customers, you should become a reputable and trusted expert in your field by making sure employees are knowledgeable and sharing your expertise on question\/answer sites or writing blog posts.<\/p>\n
Research has proven the right words or phrases can help motivate customers. According to Kevan Lee, via\u00a0Buffer, the five most persuasive words in the English language are: You, Free, Because, Instantly, and New. If you use these words in headlines, email subject lines or calls-to-action you can increase the chances of converting customers.<\/p>\n
You want to give customers a reason to keep coming back. And, that\u2019s when incentives come into play. It could be something as simple as a discount on their next purchase or giving them a free drink after their tenth purchase.<\/p>\n
How do you know what customers like or dislike about your products? How do they feel about your customer service? If you aren\u2019t aware of this information, then how can you make the appropriate changes to make your customers more satisfied? Whenever a customer completes a sale, ask them for their feedback through an email questionnaire or an online survey on your website.<\/p>\n
Earn a reputation for being consistent and dependable. This means if you promise a product to be delivered within 48 hours after the purchase, then make sure delivery occurs within that time frame. If you promise 24\/7 live customer support, then make sure that is a promise that you can keep. Since launching my\u00a0online invoicing\u00a0company I\u2019ve had to make sure that everyday I\u2019m keeping up with my customers and\u00a0deliver\u00a0what I promised.\u00a0If something changes or your business changes due to unforeseen changes, let your customers know and be very open with them.<\/p>\n
Talking with your customers\u00a0can serve several purposes. For starters, you can find out what made them become customers of yours in the first place. This information could be used to generate future content and marketing campaigns. You could also ask them to share their experiences for testimonials or case studies. This ensures you\u2019ll keep your current customers happy because you\u2019re taking the time to listen to their needs or hear their stories.<\/p>\n
You shouldn\u2019t always be worried about making a sale. Believe it or not, there\u2019s a lot more to marketing than just pushing your latest product or service. For example, if you own a home improvement store, than you could create YouTube videos or send out monthly newsletters that contain DIY home repair tips.<\/p>\n
There will be times when disaster strikes. Instead of scrambling to address and correct this problem, you should be prepared by implementing anticipatory services.\u00a0Udemy\u00a0uses an example of a bank that informs customers when their checking account is about to go below the minimum balance. Customers will receive a text message instead of getting hit with a fee after the account goes below the balance.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s important to have policies in place, you also have to remember that every customer has their own circumstances and problems. Let\u2019s say that you have a\u00a030-day return policy\u00a0and a customer wasn\u2019t able to return the product because of the\u00a0weather or they were out-of-town. Instead of refusing to accept the return, wouldn\u2019t it make sense for you to accept the return and offer either a refund or store credit?<\/p>\n
Automation\u00a0comes in handy because it can help you save time and keep customers in the loop. For example, you could send new customers an in-depth guide through an email after they have purchased a product or service. Not only does this answer all of their questions, it frees up some of your customer service reps.<\/p>\n
While technology has made it easy for customers to find the information that they\u2019re seeking regarding your product or service, that\u2019s not an excuse to completely hide behind it. There will be times when a customer has to speak with a real-life person. Make sure that your contact information is easily located throughout your website or that you have a click-to-call button on your mobile site.<\/p>\n
In this day in age, reviews are as important as ever.\u00a0Research\u00a0has found:<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t hesitate to ask customers to leave reviews and thank them for taking the time to review your product or service.<\/p>\n
Remember, it\u2019s the small and unexpected things that keep customers coming back. One of my favorite examples is what a\u00a0Rackspace\u00a0rep did during a lengthy troubleshooting session. The employee overhead the customer mention they were getting hungry; \u201cSo I put them on hold, and I ordered them a pizza. About 30 minutes later we were still on the phone, and there was a knock on their door. I told them to go answer it because it was pizza! They were so excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Go beyond a reward system and initiate a loyalty program for your customers. Kendal Peiguss suggests on\u00a0HubSpot\u00a0that you try one of the following tactics for an effective loyalty program:<\/p>\n
Simple Points System<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Customers earn points which can be used for a reward.<\/p>\n Use a tier system<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Provide a small reward and increase the reward over time.<\/p>\n Charge for VIP benefits<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Think of a service like Amazon Prime.<\/p>\n Support programs around your customer\u2019s values<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Customers aren\u2019t just concerned with monetary rewards, show your support for programs that they support.<\/p>\n Coalition programs<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Team up with a related company for deals outside of your company.<\/p>\n Make it a game<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Who doesn\u2019t enjoy playing games?<\/p>\n Scratch loyalty programs<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Build an awesome product, reward or benefits from the get-go and loyalty will happen organically.<\/p>\n Building a loyal customer base helps in several ways \u2013 it saves you from spending marketing dollars to constantly find new customers, and it helps build a loyal customer base. Remember, it is the little things that matter.<\/p>\n\n\n