3 Tips for Building a Loyal Customer Base
Posted by aonenetworks On March 5, 2014
You probably know by now that one of the best ways to make money is to make your customers happy. Not only do happy customers purchase things from your business, they suggest others do the same. Loyal customers are not only advertisers, but they’re testimonials, buyers, and brand ambassadors. A single recommendation can double your business overnight, depending on how good that recommendation is.
That being said, the key to a loyal customer base isn’t the same for every business. However, there are a number of things that can contribute to client loyalty in just about any niche.
Ask for Some Honest Feedback
If you’re a particularly small business, it can be hard to just ask for feedback and take it in stride. Changing policies and your strategy when you’re incredibly small can be difficult, so you may not want to know what you’re “doing wrong”. Don’t be afraid of some constructive criticism, especially when you’re asking those who already use your services. There are a number of cheap or even free survey tools that you can take advantage of.
While the data these survey tools can collect may be limited, asking the right questions will guarantee the answers you receive will be useful. For example, ask questions that are close-ended and “rate” a particular aspect of something, such as your website’s front page. Ask questions that pertain to quality, pricing, brand experience, and even customer service quality.
Be Very Aware of Your Target Market
If your target market are middle-aged business owners, then a playful sort of campaign may not be the greatest one to run. However, how are you supposed to know that unless you’ve put the effort into getting that data? When you’re conducting your survey, asking the basics somewhere (age, occupation, sex) is never a bad thing. You can then split the results into certain demographics to see which audience you need to go after or, alternatively, if you need to create multiple campaigns for multiple groups.
Don’t Be Shy About Your Improvements
If your website improves overnight and no one notices, then what was the point of all of your hard work? Don’t be afraid to send out an announcement telling people to come enjoy the new experience you’ve designed based on their feedback. Some will come because they’re curious, and some will come to see if you implemented any changes that they suggested. Your newsletter, social media pages, and even press releases should all have some form of announcement about the improvements you’ve made. If people come and enjoy the changes, they might decide they like you enough to spread the word to your friends and family.
Don’t be afraid of a little honest feedback – it can go a long way in building your brand, bringing in loyal customers, and snagging those word-of-mouth referrals that can and will fuel your business.
