It doesn’t matter if you own a small business or a big business; either way, customer loyalty is very important. Around 65% of business sales come from loyal customers, and over 80% of businesses say that it is easier to retain customers than it is to acquire them.
So if you want your company to succeed, you must focus on customer loyalty – and we are here to help you with that. Here are four simple ways to encourage customers to buy from you again.
1. How To Establish Customer Loyalty: Reward Loyal Customers (In A Way They Actually Want)
One of easiest ways to encourage customer loyalty is by rewarding loyal customers in a way that actually benefits them. This will encourage them buy from you again, and there are lots of ways you can do this; for instance, if you own a coffee shop you could give out a rewards card that can be stamped for a fifth free coffee, or if you run a virtual assistant service you could offer customers 10% off if they work with your company again. This is a simple way to establish customer loyalty, and it is very effective. In fact, 75% of customers prefer businesses that offer rewards!
2. Build A Stronger Relationship With Your Customers
You can also build stronger relationships with your customers to improve loyalty. Set up an email newsletter for people who regularly buy products, and advertise the newsletter on your website and social media pages. Send out personalised emails (such as happy birthday emails, or thank you emails after the customer buys a product) to show customers that you remember and value them.
You can also strengthen customer relationships by being more honest and transparent about your business in the newsletters. Give updates about new employees or changes that are being made, and send out apologies if a mistake is made. These little touches can be automated, so they are simple to do, but customers will certainly appreciate them.
3. Beat The Competition
One of the best ways to establish customer loyalty is by being the best business out there. If you sell better quality/more affordable products than your competitors, you will give customers an obvious reason to buy from you again – and if they are really happy with your service, it is likely that they will recommend you to their friends and family. A win-win situation for everyone involved!
4. Focus On Feedback From Customers
Finally you should focus on feedback from customers. Some businesses hate the idea of a bad review, but in reality a bad review gives you the chance to improve your products or service – and if you let the unhappy customer know that you are changing because of their advice, they may be tempted to try the new and improved product.
If you decide to do this, we suggest using a few different ways for customers to leave feedback. You could post regular polls and questionnaires on Instagram stories, and you can encourage customers to leave reviews on Facebook or Yelp. You can also set up an enquiries form on your official website. This means customers have lots of ways to give feedback if they want to.
