When you consider that it can be up to ten times more expensive to attract new customers than to keep existing ones – and that repeat customers spend on average up to 67% more than new ones – it makes sound economic sense to do everything you can to retain your existing consumer base, by keeping those customers loyal to your brand.
With so many others out there offering similar products or services to yours, this may seem like a daunting prospect. But implementing these six strategies will put you well on the way toward keeping your loyal consumers, and attracting new ones.
1. Set Up Channels Of Communication
Inspiring and keeping brand loyalty requires you to establish and maintain a true relationship with your consumers – and being in regular contact with them is an essential part of this.
Establishing a database of your customers’ names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers will enable you to easily send out notifications, reminders, personal greetings (for birthdays, etc.), and other information on a regular basis.
The messaging and notification tools of a hosted PBX phone system and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) platform can help facilitate this process. You should also make good use of social media in letting your customers know what you’re doing, and engaging them in the social conversation.
2. Make It Easier For Them
Today’s consumers are more inclined to research products and hunt for bargains themselves – so ease of use and self-service should figure largely in the way you present your brand to them online, and on the ground.
Quick and easy sign-up procedures, product searches, transaction processing, and delivery should be baked into all of your contact points. And you’ll need to adopt an “omni-channel” approach, whereby customers can complete their activities by seamlessly shifting from one platform or medium (online catalog to physical store, etc.) to another.
3. Reward Them For Their Loyalty
A loyalty program may be used to shepherd your customers through the duration of their (hopefully very long) relationship with your brand.
From incentives to make that first purchase, through structured payment plans, to perks and bonuses (no waiting, special offers, etc.) for long-time customers, the limits should be only your imagination and the capabilities of your organization and its supply chain partners.
4. Provide Great Service And Support
You can generate good will and instill a degree of loyalty simply by providing great products or services, delivering them promptly, courteously (perhaps with something extra), and being available for guidance and support whenever it’s required.
Responsibility for the products and services is down to you, but partnering with a hosted telecoms provider like net2phone can guarantee that your call center and customer service provision remain top-notch and available at all times.
5. Let Them Know More About You
Social media and other communications channels may be used to broadcast your ongoing story – which can take the form of video snippets, blog posts, infographics, or any other form of digital content.
You can also reach out to your consumers by phone, through personalized emails, and by organizing occasional “meet ups” on the ground, where customers can socialize with each other and representatives of your firm.
6. Provide Customer Feedback Channels
Knowing what your customers feel about the products they buy and the service they receive can give you insights into what needs to be improved, and about what you’re doing well.
There’s a whole class of user-friendly analytical tools for studying data from social media comments, visitor statistics, website questionnaires, polls, email responses, and call transcripts.
A hosted PBX platform can provide some of these tools (including call recording and voice transcription). If you’d like to know more about this – or any other aspect of promoting customer loyalty – get in touch with the experts at net2phone.