Innovative Ways to Build Customer Loyalty

Customer loyalty is something all businesses should strive for. It’s been shown time and again that while attracting new customers is important, keeping your current customers happy is even more beneficial for your business.

There is no one “perfect” method to keep your customers coming back for more. But, utilizing creativity and letting the more humanistic side of your business shine through can make consumers feel more comfortable with your brand.

As a result, they will be more likely to keep returning. Let’s look at a couple of different themes you should keep in mind to build customer loyalty from the inside out.

Build Engagement

Now, more than ever, consumers want to form relationships and feel connected to the businesses they frequent. Encouraging that kind of engagement will keep people returning to your business frequently. While a one-on-one approach is important, it may be easier for you to look at customer communities in order to build successful loyalty programs. That requires understanding your audience and what they really want.

Nowadays, people want to feel as though they can “connect” with businesses. The average person can see anywhere from 5,000-10,000 advertisements a day. So, most people have learned to tune them out.

You can break through the noise of traditional advertising by offering your target audience a more personalized experience through engagement. Segment your audience into smaller ones and send personalized deals or coupons. You can even utilize SMS marketing so your loyal customers receive deals and incentives in the palm of their hand. There are also plenty of AI-powered tools that can help automate some of these processes, leaving your team more time to focus on other forms of effective outreach.

Or, keep track of their purchases to know which things they’re interested in. When you better understand a customer’s buying habits, you can entice them to come back for similar items in a way that goes deeper than just standard advertising.

Manage Your Workflow

Positive customer experiences are what builds loyalty. You want to make sure that your internal processes are so streamlined and efficient that your customers experience only the best.  In fact, 94% of surveyed customers say that a positive experience is what keeps them coming back to a business.  That requires keeping your top employees happy, especially if you have a brick and mortar store.

Happy employees are more likely to interact positively with customers. They will boast about your business, and stay with you for a long time, so you don’t have to worry about high turnover rates. Not sure how to keep your employees ‘all in’ with your business? Keep them happy by:

• Recognizing their achievements
• Making them feel like they are a part of the team
• Encouraging a healthy work-life balance
• Creating a healthy, encouraging environment

The workflow of your team should also be customer-based. Thankfully, technology has made that easier to do. Whether you’re working to personalize every customer experience or merging your online presence with your in-person one, your customer should always come first. Things like digital newsletters, social media conversations, and even live-streamed question and answer sessions can show your existing customers (and even new ones!) that you care about them and want to develop a relationship.

WRAPPING UP

Customer loyalty is crucial for businesses. The best thing you can do is to build relationships with those already interested in what you’re offering. Creating a brand that keeps your employees happy and your customers coming back will boost your success and increase your longevity for years.