Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

By Henry Brown

The longevity of your small business is dictated by your ability to weather the storm. For example, there are various challenges that small businesses face during their infancy – from building a customer base to learning how to survive as a small fish in a big ocean. However, it’s also vital that you can carve out a strong name for your brand by ensuring that your customers stick around.

After all, customer retention is key to keeping your business afloat. For example, not only are returning customers more likely to buy your latest product, but they are ‘also 31% more likely to spend more on their average order value with your business’. As such, customer retention is just as (if not more) important than customer acquisition, despite the focus we tend to place upon the latter.

To improve upon customer loyalty, you have to ensure that you stick at the forefront of their mind. Here’s how you can achieve that goal!

Give them exactly what they want. To ensure your customers view your brand favorably, you have to focus on giving them exactly what you want. To do this, you must study consumer and industry trends and ensure that your services are up to scratch. For example, ‘83% of customers now expect immediate engagement when they contact a company’, meaning that you may need to find new and creative ways to open up your communication channels. For example, you might want to hire additional administrative staff or set up a dedicated customer service line.  As customer demands and expectations are constantly shifting, you need to be able to predict these changes so that you can implement changes in a timely and efficient manner. The speed at which you respond to consumer trends will dictate how long your business survives, as you don’t want to be left behind as your competitors continue to conquer the market.

Be consistent on social media. It goes without saying that you can use social media to grow your small business, whether you’re trying to increase your visibility or boost sales. However, many businesses make the mistake of focusing only on bringing in new followers instead of engaging with those who are already subscribed to your content. As a result, if you want to remain engaged with your customers and followers, you need to be consistent with your approach on social media. For example, while you’ll want to post more frequently when introducing a new product, this should not be the only time you appear on their feed. Putting together a social media schedule will ensure you’re regularly putting out content that your followers will enjoy, helping to improve brand recognition in the process.

Follow up when they don’t go all the way through with a purchase. Studying user analytics of your website is a great way to figure out any mistakes you may be making when it comes to engagement. For example, you can use these tools to improve your customer’s website experience and perception of your brand. It can also be useful for driving sales, as you’ll be able to follow up with a customer when they don’t commit to a purchase, despite adding the item to a cart. For example, you could send an ‘abandoned cart email,’ reminding them that their product is just a few clicks away. This engagement has been proven to boost sales, and you can find some great abandoned cart email examples here.

Rely on your USP. Thousands upon thousands of new businesses are launched each year, and a successful launch does not mean that you’re guaranteed to be anything other than a flash in the pan in your customer’s minds. As a result, you need to find unique ways to get your brand out there. For example, you must develop a USP that puts your brand on the map and differentiates you from your competitors as much as possible. Whether it be down to the products you have on offer or your customer service style, there has to be something unique about your brand that will help you stay at the forefront of your customer’s minds. Otherwise, you will simply start to blend in and will lose potential custom as a result.

Work on your communication. Trying to master customer communication is another great way to ensure that you are their first port of call the next time they make a purchase. This is because good customer relations allow you to develop a stronger relationship, meaning they’re more likely to support your brand moving forward. Thankfully, there are various ways you can improve your communication skills, whether you undertake additional training or simply try to connect with your customers on a personal basis.

You should also aim to take a friendly, personable approach when communicating with your clients. This is because it will soften their perceptions of you considerably, heightening the sense of loyalty they feel to your brand. While there is a time and a place to be professional, you can uphold professional standards while still being friendly. For example, there’s often no need to use overly formal language when speaking with customers.

Host focus groups. Hosting regular focus groups with your customers (or members of your target audience) is a great way to ensure that you receive constructive customer feedback that you can use to grow your business. For example, you could host these focus groups prior to releasing a new product to gain feedback from those who are the most likely to buy it. This can help you know whether or not you are on the right track before you have invested too much money in the project. Alternatively, you could host regular focus groups throughout the year to check-in with customers and ensure that you’re continuing to adapt to their ever-changing needs, demands, and expectations.  These groups are also instrumental in improving your relationship with your customers, as it shows that you value their thoughts and opinions and not just their wallets.

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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop, he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.