As a small business owner, you’ll know all too well the importance of repeat purchases. While getting new customers is exciting, creating loyal recurring customers is where you’ll really see the development of your business and brand, not to mention a more sustainable method of generating income.
Where new customers need an introduction to your brand, focus and products or services, repeat customers already know what they’re in for. The more people that return to you for their repeat business, the more you’ll see your brand grow.
Let’s take a look at how you can establish and maintain meaningful relationships with customers and clients to encourage repeat business and generate business growth.
1 – Keep It Personal
Your greatest strength as a small business is that you aren’t a faceless big corporation. You can show your customers who you really are and what matters to you. Communication with your clients should be regular and personal. Address them directly, and always sign off as yourself.
Creating clear communication lines will allow you to create a strong relationship with your recurring customers based on your common values.
2 – Customer Service Is Vital
It’s not just about exception products. The customer experience is what will encourage people to return to you time and time again. Hiring and training staff that will help your clients feels valued and respected is so important. You can even incentives this for staff with reward programs for great customer feedback. This all adds to the overall client satisfaction.
Customer service is particularly important if there’s a complaint. You can tackle this head-on and offer customers a discount or a free service so you can try and rectify the problem. How you handle a complaint can change how customers see you.
3 – Make Sure Your Webpage Works
It’s likely new and returning customers will want to visit your webpage. If it isn’t aesthetically pleasing or isn’t compatible with mobile devices, you’ve already lost them. Your webpage should be easy to use, have all of your contact information and answers to any frequently asked questions readily available.
4 – Be Active On Social Media
We all know how useful social media can be. It’s a great place to advertise and also keeps your brand fresh in your customer’s mind. You can create countdown campaigns to generate excitement surrounding a new product. Use GIFs and humor to show your clients your playful side. Or offer “behind-the-scenes” footage so your followers feel like they’re getting to know you and your brand more.
5 – Create A Competition
Everybody loves a friendly competition, particularly if there’s an exciting prize to be won, whether that’s a free treatment or a discount voucher. By engaging your clients in a competition you’re harnessing their desire to win. We’re all a bit competitive, right?
6 – Offer A Loyalty Club
Whether it’s a punch card system, a points system, or a loyalty club of your own making, by offering repeat customers a chance to make their money go further you’re encouraging spending and rewarding your clients as they do so. Who doesn’t love a free gift? Just remember your gifts shouldn’t break the bank. A loyalty club needs to work for both you and your customers.
7 – Encourage Referrals
Word of mouth is one of the best tools for a small business. Encourage your repeat customers to bring a friend. For example, a gym might offer a free pass to a class for any client that brings along someone new. If your customers are happy, they’re much more likely to tell a friend or to bring them along.
8 – Ask For Feedback And Listen To It
By engaging your customers in honest feedback you are helping them feel valued. It can also help steer the direction of your brand. It’s particularly important to listen to any constructive criticism they may have. There are things about interacting with your brand that only your customers can know, so make sure you pay attention to them.
When they see any changes you implement based on their feedback your repeat customers will feel respected and part of your business growth, helping encourage greater loyalty.
9 – Think About What Your Recurring Customers Want Next
If you create profiles for your members in a loyalty club such as Glue Loyalty you can track their purchases, see what’s popular or what they might want next. Use their feedback and shape your business around that. If your customer feels your brand’s ideas are aligned with theirs, they are more likely to join you on your journey. For example, a restaurant could bring back an old menu item that customers miss.
10 – Create A Tiered Loyalty Club
Using a tiered loyalty club creates a sense of exclusivity around your brand. You can invite the most loyal recurring customers to private events, or give them early access to sales and new products. It helps your loyalty club mean more if there are greater rewards for larger spending.
Reward Your Recurring Customers
If you’re ready to harness the power of brand loyalty, it’s easy to take the first steps. At Glue Loyalty we can help create personalized loyalty programs that offer your customers exciting deals, incentivized rewards, and more.
Contact Glue Loyalty today and understand the importance of repeat purchases today.
