Gaining customer loyalty has always been imperative to business success. Having loyal customers means you have a baseline of clientele who can suggest your brand to others. What else? Feedier Blog found that it costs seven times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. So why not work with what you’ve got?

Building customer loyalty does not happen by just having quality products and services. Instead, it is a process.

There are several stages of building customer loyalty. I like to envision these stages as the process of dining in a restaurant. First, restaurants have to get people in the door. Second, the staff has to ensure that visitors enjoy their time out. Lastly, restaurants have to incentivize people to come back. Here are some tips for building customer loyalty throughout all three of these stages.

GETTING PEOPLE THROUGH THE DOOR

It is essential to establish the basics when trying to attract customers. First, you must thoroughly research the type of people you want to attract. You don’t want just anyone coming to your store, and similarly, not everyone will want to come to your store. With fine-tuned research on your target audience, you are ready to identify the customers you want to retain.

Your target audience will want to know that you are a good fit for them, so it is critical to be upfront and transparent about who you are, your values, and the work that you do. No smoke and mirrors--people appreciate honesty. Better yet, don’t just be honest, be the expert. Whether you specialize in digital marketing, culinary equipment, or cat accessories, show your audience you are knowledgeable about what you are selling.

Lastly, to draw people in, you want to leverage social proof. Social proof is external feedback of a company's products and services. Whether you use customer testimonials and reviews, influencer endorsements, or social likes and shares, it benefits your company to showcase your customer’s satisfaction. Trustpilot reported that 80% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR STAY WITH US

Now that you’ve got people through the door, it is time to do everything in your power so that they enjoy their stay. First and foremost is excellent customer service. Be reliable and readily accessible. Not only do customers personally enjoy an excellent user experience, but SEO also rewards websites that are easy to operate.

To attain flawless customer service there needs to be fluid communication between you and the customer. It is necessary to listen to your customers when they have complaints or feedback. Likewise, it is important to make it easy for your customer to get a hold of you.  

Customers who feel like they have been listened to will have more respect for your business. Ask for customer reviews, both for your internal team to make improvements, as well as to use for social proof. Strong communication also requires transparency on your end. If you make a mistake, own it, and ask for forgiveness.

While we want to address and resolve customer complaints as efficiently as possible, ultimately we want to make the customer’s life as easy as possible. This means anticipating problems. Steve Jobs said, “Get closer than ever to your customer. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves.” Eliminate as many hurdles for the customer as possible.

COME AGAIN SOON

So you’ve attracted your target audience and provided an exceptional user experience, now what? It’s time to stay connected. Ask users for their email addresses and refer them to your social media pages and newsletter. Follow up communication with customers will keep your company in their minds.

Don’t be afraid to put a label on your loyalty. All these other measures are building more subconscious customer loyalty and establishing your brand as reliable and trustworthy. Make the final move with a loyalty program. It is critical to offer the right form of incentives for your customers. Make sure your incentives are exclusive and add value to your brand.

THE RESULTS OF HAVING LOYAL CUSTOMERS

Putting in the work to get loyal customers is worth it. While loyal customers will likely make up 20% of your clientele, they will provide up to 80% of your revenue, as reported by Emarsys. All of these tactics will benefit new and non-regular customers in addition to creating and maintaining loyal customers. Better yet, these tactics will establish your brand as an industry leader that is reliable and noteworthy.

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