3 Ways to Strengthen Relationships
There’s nothing quite as valuable to any business as a loyal customer. Loyal customers are easier to market to, more likely to tell their friends and family about you, and they’re more likely to take a chance on any new products offerings you have.
But building a loyal customer base can be a challenge. What can you do to start curating a loyal customer base, or start building customer loyalty among regulars?
Let’s find out!
1. Start a Loyalty Program
Even if your business doesn’t currently have a loyalty program, chances are you’re plenty familiar with them—you’re probably a member of a few yourself!
Many rewards programs are point based, giving customers tiers of rewards based on how many points they’ve earned. They could spend these points on discounts, special prizes, or even free products! Make sure that there are plenty of ways for them to earn points, too; not simply through purchases.
Forbes offers this advice: “In addition to getting points when they buy something, think of other ways to award them points. Some ideas include referring new customers, special holiday and birthday points and creating games or contests in which players can earn extra points.”
2. (Politely) Ask for Feedback
The more you know about your regular, loyal customers, the better you can serve them and meet their needs. The better your service, the more likely they are to offer positive feedback.
A few good online reviews can go a long way. And remember that while the power of social media is undeniable, the strength of word of mouth praise is still unrivaled.
WordStream puts it this way: “Customer reviews go hand-in-hand with customer loyalty. Good reviews will drive prospects to your business, good service will convert prospects into customers, and satisfied customers will leave good reviews!”
3. Remember Special Occasions
Remembering a customer’s birthday and sending them an email or offering them special discounts is a sure-fire way to build your relationship with them and their loyalty to you.
According to Convince and Convert, “75 percent of customers who received a birthday message from a company with which they did business thought more highly of that company, and… 88 percent of those with positive responses showed increased brand loyalty.”
Wow! Those numbers don’t lie; your customers would love to hear from you on their special day and will appreciate your remembering.
Continue Offering Great Customer Service
Remember that nothing can build customer loyalty quite like incredible customer service. Follow these steps while making sure your customers are cared for, and you’ll start building customer loyalty in no time!
For more tips on customer relationships, make sure to visit the Petra blog.