Loyal customers are what makes your business running. Sixty-seven percent of existing customers spend more than new customers, which is why regular business is so important. When you are engaged with your customers, they’ll make more and more purchases. Here are six ways that you can improve those customer success rates and increase customer loyalty.
1. Make Customer Service a Top Priority
According to a 2015 Aspect Consumer Experience Survey, 66% of customers believe that customer service is a direct reflection of how that company treats their customers. If you want your customers to stick around, then you must make customer service a top priority. Customers pay attention to how you interact with your customers and team members. Whenever a customer asks a question on social media, calls about a defective product, makes a return, or waits in line, they’re judging your service.
Your customer service team should be knowledgeable and helpful. Your customer support team should answer questions in a short amount of time. The entire company should work hard to address questions and concerns around the clock. Since 32% of customers expect a response within a half-hour, you can’t keep them waiting.
2. Offer Rewards & Loyalty Programs
Another way to increase customer success is to offer rewards. A loyalty or reward program provides discounts, gifts, offers, and exclusive savings towards future purchases. According to CrowdTwist, 76% of women and 72% of men will return to a company that offers rewards. Rewards programs make customers feel special and wanted, and they choose you to keep coming back to.
3. Encourage Feedback & Listen to It
Some businesses don’t know what to do with the feedback they receive. They may listen to it but they don’t act on it. Some of them roll their eyes and act like teenagers who don’t like hearing what they did wrong. Others don’t want to hear it — especially if it’s negative. You should make the effort to encourage feedback from your customers, listen to it, and make adjustments as needed.
If you receive complaints about the layout of your store or the UX design of your website, make those corrections as soon as possible. Update your customers once the improvements are made. This proves that you value their feedback and also follow-through on it.
4. Offer Convenience
Convenience makes life easier for your customers. When you work on these improvements, they’ll keep returning to your business. Maybe you should consider streamlining the checkout process so your customers can make purchases quickly and easily. Or, maybe you respond to questions and concerns on social media in a timely fashion rather than keeping them waiting.
5. Don’t Just Think in Dollar Signs
While you need to make a profit, but you need to find new ways to keep them around and buying. One way is to host a customer appreciation event for some of your most dedicated customers. This is a great way to make them feel appreciated. Or, you can do something as simple as providing links to a local charity that you support in your e-mail newsletter.
6. Provide Social Proof
One of the best ways to establish brand authority is social proof. There are several ways to provide social proof to your customers. One way is to share infographics and statistics by reputable sources. You can also encourage your customers to write reviews and testimonials on your website or a business website such as Yelp. Maybe you’ll want to find a brand influencer who best represents your company.
To key is to engage with your customers on an ongoing basis. You can do this in a wide variety of ways without asking for money upfront.
