Have your competitors been keeping you up late at night? Have you been devising how to snatch their customers? Or how to conquer new markets? It’s hard to keep your company going as there are more and more businesses that are just starting and aiming to steal your customers.
How can you prevent this?
As well as obtaining new clients, you need to make sure that your old ones do not switch to your competition. The answer is simple – make them want to stay with you!
Here are some tips you should consider.
Be different but consistent
It is extremely important to be different from others and the advice below will elaborate more on that topic. You want people to be able to pick your product from a multitude of others.
However, do not change your design five times a year or use one set of colors for your website and another for you marketing posters. This prevents people from establishing a connection to your brand. It is okay to redesign but not too frequently.
Quality product
I have recently switched from the cheapest mobile network provider to the most expensive. Why, you wonder. I was sick and tired of getting the message ‘No network coverage’ ten times a day. Sometimes, all it takes for customers to stay with you is to provide quality. Or a product that is really cheap. For me, the price difference was not big enough to remain loyal.
Keep your promises
On that same note, I was promised a better network coverage several times over the years. In the end, I switched to the competition. Your customers remember what you promised and they will hold you to it. If you fail them, they will simply leave.
One way to achieve this is not to make big promises. Only promote something you are very likely to achieve in the future.
Surprise your customers
Leave some improvements as potential surprises for your customers. This way, you can avoid not meeting your customers’ expectation about something you have said you will do.
This might include special offers, gifts, etc. When you buy a couple of items from a certain vendor and they offer something at half price, don’t you just feel delighted and buy it in the end? It is half price!
Plan for contingencies
You must remember that scene from Spiderman 2 where Peter Parker fails to deliver the pizza in the advertised time and the customer doesn’t need to pay? That particular situation turns out bad for him, but this strategy is an effective way to earn your customer’s trust and keep them happy.
Make up for your errors
This is going a step further. If something unforeseen happens, be ready to react first. Do not wait for your customer to come to you. If they do, they are already dissatisfied and you need to put out the fire.
But if you reach out to them first, apologize and offer a discount on their next purchase, there is a high probability they will be happy about it and recommend you to their circle of friends.
Accept feedback
Most of us think our ideas are good or that our approach is the best one out there. This is sometimes not true. When you correct something your friend said, aren’t you doing them a service as you are helping them improve?
The same goes for your customers – they might have different and fresh ideas about some aspect of your business and it would be wise go through them and give them some thought. This nevertheless does not mean accepting all the suggestions. And when you do accept some, make sure you give them credit where it is due, a discount or gifts like prepaid visa cards.
Interact with your customer
If you’re active on social media, it’s very easy to do this. All it requires is some time. Please bear in mind that you do not need to answer every post. Just show them that you are there for them and that you are listening.
They will love it as it shows that you value what they have to say.
There are many ways to ensure customer loyalty but, in the end, quality product and making their input count will really keep them at your side. And help you sleep better.