4 Tips to Keep Customers Coming Back for More
Getting customers is hard, but keeping customers can be harder. Sometimes all it takes is a single bad experience, an off-day with customer service, or just a product defect to make a customer take his or her business elsewhere. For small businesses who want to keep customers coming back time and time again, it's important to consider best practices to keep your customers coming back.
#1: Know Your Customers
While having a personal rapport with your customers is great, we mean something entirely different. To know your customers, you need to understand what they like, how they think, and how they shop. Modern-day technology can compile your historical sales data into a customer's history, giving you a picture of who they are and how they act. Learning from this information allows your company to deliver the products your customers want, while also giving them the customer service experience they desire.
#2: Make Sure Everyone Is on The Same Page
Customers like predictability and routine. One way businesses can keep those customers is to make sure everyone who's on the team is “reading from the same script” so-to-speak. While employees shouldn't be carbon copies of each other, everyone needs to be working together towards agreed-upon goals and processes. This includes being consistent with messaging and processes which reduces opportunities for customer confusion or unmet expectations.
#3: Make Sure the Customer Knows What Their Getting
Regardless of your services or product, you want to make sure your customers know what they're getting and that they understand the value of that service or product. Additionally, find ways to differentiate your company and let your customers know about that differentiation. If customers know that your product is made using green production methods, for instance, and a competitor’s product isn't, then those who want to be eco-friendly are more likely to come back to you.
Keep in mind it is far better to under-promise and over-deliver, instead of over-promise and under-deliver. Look for ways to add a quality final touch to solidify your customer’s experience.
#4: Reward Loyalty
We often think of providing coupons to first time customers. However, repeat or loyal customers are more likely to purchase more if your small business can offer regular rewards. This reward could be a discount on service, membership points, or some other metric. Customers are less likely to leave a business where they feel they're valued and a reward system can show that value to your customers.
These are just a few of the methods small businesses can use to keep customers coming back for more. While having a great product or service is key to success, it's also important to make sure you know who your customers are, what they want, and that you show them your appreciation for their continued patronage. For more information on how you can make your business the best it can be, contact us today!
