Whether you are a CEO or a small business owner, your number one priority as a leader of any business is winning new customers as well as retaining existing customers. It doesn’t matter if you are running a business to business or business to consumer operation, the buck stops with your customers. After all, without clients and consumers, you wouldn’t have much of a business.
The reality is, customers pay the bills and ultimately pay your salary. When you consider these sobering facts, you are apt to more clearly understand how crucial customer loyalty is. That’s why we’ve devised this list of effective ways to engage customers to improve and retain customer loyalty.
Be Consistent
According to iconic singer-songwriter, Bruce Springsteen, building a loyal following “demands consistency of thought and purpose over a long period of time.” That is as true for building a fan base as it is for growing customer loyalty.
As a leader for your business, it’s critical to ensure your products or services are consistently well-produced and well-executed. This builds trust in your customer base. It also inspires repeat business because you’ve proven to customers, time and again, that they can rely upon a consistently satisfactory experience when purchasing from your company.
Be Available
Your online website is far more likely to attract and retain customers and their loyalty when you give them multiple ways to contact customer service representatives. That is why you should have a phone number and email address available for your customers to contact you with questions.
Successful business leaders are also relying on powerful customer communication tools such as a free WordPress chat widget. This chat feature is a powerful tool that allows customers to chat with a live representative, and it is a profound way to establish trust and loyalty in customers.
Analyze Data
When you have multiple ways for potential and existing customers to contact your customer service department, this puts valuable information in the palm of your hands. To explain, live chat widgets, phone logs and emails contain golden data that you can analyze.
For instance, if your customer service team receives consistent complaints about a certain product defect, then you can use that information to improve that product line. Paying close attention to consumer data analytics will not only lead to increased online sales, it can also result in stronger customer loyalty.
Listen and Act on Feedback
In addition to using customer feedback to improve products or services, you should also listen and act on feedback to improve your business. For example, if visitors on your site are consistently pointing out navigation problems on your website – heed that advice and act on it. Making changes to improve your business according to regular suggestions and comments from your customers is a brilliant way to show them you care and win their loyalty.
Allow Customers to Leave Reviews
A corporate study on customer experiences revealed that 77% of online shoppers are more likely to purchase on a website if they can read previous customer reviews as well as have the option to leave their own reviews.
Visible customer reviews auger more trust and provide compelling evidence that encourages customers to purchase from your business. The ability to leave reviews also connects customers with a brand, product or service which in turn, builds customer loyalty.
Create a Loyalty Program
A powerful way to ensure customer loyalty is to incentivize customers to return and purchase your service or product time and again. You can build a loyalty program in various different ways. The most common practice is to provide a discount or a free gift to customers who return to make a repeat purchase.
You can also encourage new customers to sign up for a loyalty program after which, you can offer them promotional deals during special occasions such as holidays or birthdays. Loyalty programs are an effective way to motivate your customers to keep shopping from your business.
Go Above and Beyond
This might seem like a no-brainer, but the best strategy for gaining customer loyalty is simply exceeding your customer’s expectations. As a business leader or business owner, you must commit to make customer satisfaction your number one priority. You can do this by over-delivering in service, products and satisfaction.
Regrettably, companies that go the extra mile are an exception to the rule. However, this can work in your business’s favor. Why? Because when you go beyond, your customers will absolutely remember you. When this happens, you’ve essentially made them a loyal customer.
It’s important to remember that customers need to feel valued rather than just a cog in the corporate wheel. Therefore, taking extraordinary measures to listen and satisfy customers is a smart strategy for rendering a smoother customer journey and winning their loyalty.
