Anyone who has run a business for some time will know that attracting new customers can be significantly more challenging than retaining current ones. As a matter of fact, it can also cost your company at least 6 to 7 times more to do so. That’s exactly why it’s so important to treat your customers right even after they buy your products. This treatment should be no different from how you treat them before they buy a product from you.
Of course, building a customer base has to be a healthy mix of retaining existing customers and attracting new ones. However, when you retain existing customers, it gives you a solid base to build on and it will help you be more at ease with focusing on attracting prospects.
4 Pointers to How you can Retain Customers
No matter which way you look at it, your repeat customers are vital to the growth of your business. Here are 4 tips on how you can retain them:
#1 Make it a point to thank your customers
This may seem obvious, but it works every single time. Everyone likes to feel appreciated, and it’s no different with your customers. This is especially true if they have just purchased something from you. There are a number of ways in which you can thank your customers.
If the person has just made a purchase at your brick and mortar store, it doesn’t take more than saying something like “Thanks a lot for your business, do visit us again soon”. In case you run an ecommerce business, you can easily include a simple thank you note with the order.
#2 Solicit customer feedback
Be proactive with asking customers for feedback about the quality of the product or about their customer experience with your company. If a customer has put up a review on any online review site, it’s important you respond to those reviews.
The other thing you might want to consider doing is to directly send your customer a satisfaction survey. You will get some feedback that can be valuable and it will help you make some changes to your business and improve the experience for your customers. This approach will also ensure your business is at the top of your customer’s minds.
#3 Be consistent with communication
Reach out to your customers, with regularity. It could be something as simple as an event invitation, information about an offer, a coupon or even a newsletter. All these things become connect points and your customers will appreciate the fact that you are making an effort to keep in touch with them; it shows them they are important to your business.
#4 Shine the spotlight on customer experiences
You can showcase different customers, in your email letters, at your store (in case you are a brick & mortar business), or even re-tweet; this is an excellent way to boost customer engagement. After all, everyone likes getting some attention. You can show your customers you care, by sending them birthday or anniversary wishes too.
Retaining customers is about making an extra effort to stay in touch with them, show your appreciation, tell them that you value their business, and ensure that you also reward them in some way, for patronising your business. If you follow these tips in a consistent manner, you will find that you are able to retain customers in a much better way.
About the Author
Ben Fewtrell is a sought-after Business Coach, Keynote Speaker and trainer who has featured in Virgin’s Inflight Magazine and Entertainment Portal, SKY Business and “Secrets of Top Business Builders Exposed”. He is also the host of the popular Business Brain Food Podcast where he interviews leading experts on anything and everything business.
