When we talk about customers, one of the first questions that many businesses will ask is ‘how do we get them’? Yet we feel like not enough people ask the question of how to keep them. It’s easier to retain customers than it is to bring in new ones. At the same time, existing customers are one of the best resources for growing your base even further. Keeping them is simple, you have to know what makes them happy.
Know them
It’s simple enough. You have to know about who your customers are and what they want. Market research is often done to discover the viability of a business idea. But it should go deeper than that. It should be ongoing, changing with everything you learn about your growing and shifting customer base. It should involve following those who follow you on social media, as well as looking to competitors and seeing how they appeal using the knowledge they’ve built. This should all contribute to a profile of the ‘ideal customer’. That’s the customer you build your marketing and services toward.
Have values beyond your business
Now, more than ever, customers care about more than what a business does for them. They care about what the business does for its own people and for the world around. Corporate social responsibility is a phrase gaining more traction and relevance. People want to see that a business has values aligned to theirs. There are a few ways to do that, from getting involved in philanthropy to treating your employees better so your reputation as a conscientious and caring employer spreads.
Don’t overpromise
When you know what your customer wants and values, it’s easy to tell them that you’re going to deliver it all without any issue. But you need to make sure you have the capacity to deliver what you offer. Ashttps://www.livechatinc.com/blog/avoid-overpromising/ states, underpromising or keeping promises realistic can only be a positive step to take. If you overdeliver on a promise
you know you can keep, then you get the benefit of looking like you’re going the extra mile. However, failing to deliver on overpromising makes you look unprofessional and even dishonest. Meanwhile, delivering on an exaggerated promise lacks the surprise and the extra benefit of being seen to do more.
Take their time seriously
Customers spend more than money on you. Even if they haven’t paid for your products or services yet, they’re spending their time on you. So, you need to make sure you use it wisely. In marketing and purchasing, you want them informed, but not bogged down with unnecessary information and barriers to the purchase. Meanwhile, when providing support, you value their time by showing you’re willing to spend more of your time to help them. In customer support, rushing the customer is the exact wrong step to take.
Don’t be afraid to ask them
A customer base’s expectations and needs from a business change over time. If they become repeat customers, they’re more likely to see flaws and barriers where they didn’t before. To that end, keeping in the loop with them and asking about how to improve your services is important. Sites likehttp://customersurveyreport.com/comcast-survey-www-xfinity-com/ can show you how to get that process right. More than helping you to further provide for their happiness in future, asking their opinion has a moralizing boost of its own. People like to know that their opinion is being listened to and actually valued. If you action their recommendations, you can even make a report or a case study out of how you used customer feedback as a little bit of extra branding.
Consult the data
You don’t exactly have to go directly to the source for some helpful advice either. You should pair it with a look at the data your site will gather for you from their activities. For instance, heatmaps can show you where a customer’s attention is on the site and help you optimize it to make the site not only more efficient for them but a more effective method of generating conversions for you. Similarly, you can use your search bar results to find what customers are searching for. If there are regular searches that don’t match what you offer, it might be worth using them as some inspiration for your next improvements.
Have something to say
A brand is about more than what a business can provide. It’s about what they know and the expertise that makes them trustworthy. Give them more reasons to return by producing the content that helps them with their products. Ashttp://eucalyptmedia.com/blog/entry/why-content-marketing-is-important-for-referral-based-service-businesses shows, content marketing doesn’t only help you build a good rep with your customers. It can get you referrals even from non-customers impressed with your knowledge.
Stay in touch
Customers like to be remembered. That’s why it’s a good idea to get in touch with them every now and then. It’s even better if you use the opportunity to personalize the reconnection a little. Use their name, take the time to write a bit about why you appreciate them in particular. Keep them in the loop about news from the company if they agree to let you do so. Otherwise, it might be a good idea just to send them a thank you note in future.
Add returning value
A bit of sentimental value between customer and business is always a good thing. Even more effective, however, is adding real value to their lives. It’s worth considering incentivizing return visits. Whether it’s through a full-fledged loyalty program or by simply offering occasional discounts and deals to those who have signed up for newsletters. That way, customers have even more of a reason to stick with you than to go to one of your competitors. Giveaways and competitions for customers give them an opportunity to get more involved with the brand community too.
Through showing real effort to value to them and listen to them, you can turn a base of customers into a real community. Community is what builds a brand to its heights at the end of the day.
