While some businesses focus more on acquiring new customers, many are retaining existing ones. Apart from the fact that it costs less to maintain strong relationships with current clients, businesses can also leverage the brand-building potential of customer retention.
Today’s businesses need to know that word-of-mouth and trust are critical to their growth and success, so they must invest time and effort in building a loyal customer base and creating brand advocates. Here are five ways you can improve customer retention and bring your business closer to its long-term goals:
1. Stay in constant contact
Constant communication is crucial in building stronger relationships with people. The same goes for brands and their target audiences. If you want to turn customers into advocates, you need to make your presence felt across different channels, including mass mailing and social media.
You can also use an AI chatbot for your website so that you can provide personalized and immediate support to your visitors.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you should keep upselling products or services to them. Keeping in constant communication is all about initiating conversations that matter to them. Whether it’s choosing a gift for the holiday season or planning a summer getaway, let your customers know that you want to make their lives easier and more fun.
2. Improve resolution rates
If your customer service team gets even the smallest detail wrong, there’s always a good chance of an escalation. You should strive to resolve customer problems as soon as they come. In addition, provide your reps with scripts and tools that can help them answer questions quickly and provide effective guides. It also helps to use CSAT in customer service which measures the effectiveness of your customer resolution processes and determines areas of improvement. You can make the necessary corrections from there and improve the experience for the entire customer base.
3. Offer exclusive benefits
People are more likely to stay with your brand if you offer them discounts and freebies. Call it a traditional way of improving customer retention, but offering exclusive benefits remains an effective way to enhance brand engagement and generate repeat sales. Not only that but you can also benefit from customer referrals that will further fuel your business’s growth.
4. Reward their loyalty
Celebrating customer milestones allows you to generate brand advocates. If they have subscribed to your service for more than two years or have made their 100th purchase from your store, offer them exclusive access to special features and promos and invite them to brand events. You can also go beyond “thank you” emails and vouchers by sending them care packages to recognize their continued support.
5. Get them involved
Customers can also stay with your brand for a long time if they know that their feedback is valuable to your success. Apart from sending out survey forms, you can also get them to take part in focus groups or try out new features. With this level of participation, existing customers are empowered to participate in the evolution of your brand.
If your goal is to retain more customers, keep these tips in mind and turn future store visitors into allies that support your brand’s success.
