Do you spend most of your marketing budget on acquiring new customers?
Did you know it can cost you 5-25 times more than keeping the existing ones?
I know it feels great when you have many customers...
But why spend more when you can earn better from your current buyers?
For successful brands, retention matters!
Canva Design School is the perfect example of this...
The way Canva has established a bond with its users is mind-boggling. They know their customers need more than excellent products.
The brand shares many design resources for its users. They have how-to guides, video tutorials, and a lot more...
Now, what does Canva get by honing its customer's graphic design skills?
The simple answer is...
They win their trust and have them for life.
And that should be your goal too...
Source: Canva Design School
Not sure where to start?
This customer retention strategy guide has everything to help you make your customers happy. Excited? Let's begin…
Customer Loyalty VS Retention
Most people often confuse the term customer loyalty with customer retention.
But they're different... How?
Let me explain!
You can use a customer retention strategy to prevent customer loss.
But your customers will be loyal to you if you have a strong connection with them.
Both strategies are important for your business and serve different goals.
What Should Be Your Goal - Customer Loyalty Or Customer Retention?
Do you want to hit two birds with one stone?
Make your customers fall in love with your brand...
Because happy customers are easier to keep. Also, they have more potential to turn into loyal customers.
Here are 10 easy-peasy ways to turn your regular customers into happy ones...
10 Ways To Make Your Customers Happy
One thing I have noticed recently is everyone is talking about customer-focused marketing.
If you open two or three websites now, you’ll see a generous usage of terms like ‘customers’ and ‘satisfaction.’
But things get ugly when you get to know that only a few brands follow it.
Smart owners know it costs them an average of $289 each year when they lose a customer. You don’t want that.
So let’s see what I have in store for you in this section.
1. Create A Brand Identity That Resonates With Your Ideal Customers
Having a brand identity is the first step towards customer retention.
If you want your buyers to rave about your brand, you need to be likable despite all the pitfalls that may occur.
Now, what does that mean?
It means your brand message should resonate with your ideal customers.
Let’s say if your target audience is Gen Z, your brand voice will be different.
If you’re targeting people aged 70 or above, you need to use a unique voice.
You got that, right?
When it comes to brand voice, Coca-Cola is my favorite brand.
They're always showcasing friends and families, smiling and cherishing happy moments.
The brand has been in the market for over 130 years. But we have never seen them changing their voice.
They're consistent and creative with their tone of voice.
The same is the case with Starbucks. Their brand voice is expressive and targets passionate coffee lovers.
I doubled my caffeine intake after reading their ‘You’re a sip away from Gold’ slogan. ?
Another customer retention strategy you can try...
2. Get Others To Talk About Your Business Through Word-Of-Mouth Marketing
84% of customers trust recommendations from their friends and family.
Word-of-mouth marketing is powerful.
The best part?
It doesn’t cost much and is sometimes even free.
It is all about harnessing the power of people to spread positivity about your brand.
Remember Netflix’s popular tagline, ‘Netflix and Chill’?
We have seen it rocking on social media among binge-watchers.
Businesses use Word-of-Mouth Marketing to instill brand loyalty and trust.
Wondering how this strategy can help you make your current customers happy?
When you ask them to drop their feedback or tag their friends on your post, they feel valued.
And who doesn’t like to feel special? We all do…
Want to see WOMM in action?
Check out how Cluse nailed it. They have asked their followers to tag their friends in the post to get a chance to win a prize.
The current customers can win a prize. Also, the brand managed to have more followers on board.
Pretty clever, huh! ?
Up next is...
3. Let Your Customers Speak About What They Need!
Give your customers a voice, and they will love you forever.
Brands use CSAT surveys to get CSAT or Customer Satisfaction Scores, user and focus groups and social media to collect feedback from their customers.
SiteGround is the one brand that doesn't seem to let its achievements go to its head.
Despite receiving several awards, it still prioritizes its customer's voices.
You can leave your feedback using any of the three channels they have on their site.
Yelp, Hyatt, and Uber are other brands that value real-time feedback like no other.
The next on my list is…
4. Make Their Experience 'Personal'
It's no surprise customers want to interact with people who are warm and humble.
You can never make your customers fall in love with your brand using robotic messages.
Also, if you think you can treat them all alike, this will not work either.
So, what's the solution?
Your answer is Personalized marketing.
If you're looking for inspiration, look at Amazon's product recommendation algorithm.
Those who know me are aware of my obsession with tech gadgets and tools.
And I couldn't resist spending a few hundred bucks every time I visit Amazon. ?
Thanks to their killing personalization… ?
We're on to strategy #5...
5. Under-Promise And Over Deliver
If you want to improve customer retention, never make false promises.
When you overpromise and under-deliver, the customer feels deceived and cheated.
And trust me, it takes forever to win that client back.
Also, false promises result in churn - another biggest enemy of your business.
Even worse, if those customers drop negative reviews on social media.
As they say, honesty is the best policy. If you want to keep your customers happy, give them a reason to do so.
Speaking of active listening...
6. Practice Active Listening
One of the most underrated skills is listening.
Sure, there are many ways you can collect customer feedback.
But how you respond to it and react will make all the difference.
Just as you know a lot about your field, your customers are the same.
They know what they want.
And they also want you to listen to and understand their needs.
Read this Forbes article if you want to know about the top 100 customer-centric companies.
Now, what made them reach their goal?
They know how they should listen to their customers.
Now, we have...
7. Admit Mistakes And Apologize
The toughest one, right?
Every brand goes through hard times.
Whether it’s a data leak or a wrong product delivery, always practice transparency.
Be very clear about the situation. Take the other party in confidence. Talk about what and why the problem occurred. Also, share what steps you’re taking to resolve the issue.
Sometimes saying sorry is the best solution.
Empower your team to go above and beyond to handle such situations. They should be able to accept refund requests when important.
KFC had to close its 900 outlets when they ran out of chicken. Oh! I still remember how people took this to social media and expressed anger.
What KFC did next will surprise you...
The finger-licking good chicken makers published a full-page ad in the newspaper with the logo ‘FCK.’
They explained their situation and promised it wouldn’t happen again.
Can you guess what happened next?
The strategy worked, and KFC saved its chicken.
Source: BBC
Another proven way to improve customer loyalty is to...
8. Invest In Rewards And Incentives
If you want to keep your customers happy, offer them something valuable.
Don’t break your bank for that, though.
A small discount, voucher code, or a BOGO deal would do the job just fine.
Sustain that momentum and offer regular rewards and incentives to your customers.
How about launching a customer loyalty program? You can offer that to those who always prefer you over others.
There are still two customer retention strategies left...
9. Manage Expectations
Did you know where actual friction occurs? When you cannot manage expectations.
No matter how hard you try, it happens to us all.
So, what's the solution?
Talk to your customers and find out what they expect from your brand.
Be very open about your questions.
And then, LISTEN to what they have to say.
You can interview them, conduct surveys, and email them to ask for their opinion.
If you haven't shared your policies with your customers yet, please do so right away.
Let them know what returns and refund clauses you follow.
If you think you can deliver a product in, say, 3 days, tell them they will get it within 5 days. That rule of 'under-promise and over-deliver, remember?
Then impress them by delivering within 2-days.
How awesome is that?
Last but not least...
10. Maintain Consistency
With online businesses, you’re as good as the last meal you serve.
A single bad review can ruin your years of hard work and repo.
The secret sauce behind success is to remain consistent in whatever you offer.
Work with your team to deliver consistent services throughout.
The results will surprise you...
Do You Need To Treat Your Customer Like Royalty?
As they say, ‘the customer is always right.’
I know that’s not always true. That's why it's important to set clear boundaries for your support services.
Your job is:
- To be honest about what you do;
- To listen to your customer’s concerns;
- To always try to help them out in the best possible way!
That’s what a sensible and worthy customer wants…
Debutify's user-friendly add-ons are all you need to keep your customers happy!
Trisha Ballesteros