There’s no denying, a satisfied customer can improve your bottom line. Unfortunately, poor customer service, even if the product is amazing, can lead to a reduction in sales.
Luckily there are many ways to improve your customer loyalty base and bring your business to the next level of success.
Marketing, Capture Attention.
Even if you have a wonderful product or service that you provide, if you don’t have an effective marketing campaign in place, you won’t get the number of sales you should receive. In addition to advertising, branding should play an important role in any campaign. Colors and carefully crafted logos on boxes and packaging labels from companies like Label Solutions, Inc., attract and gain attention quickly. If you’re not happy with your bottom line give your product a new look.
Respond to Feedback.
Most customers are not shy when it comes to voicing their opinion on the product, packaging, and service they receive. Successful businesses know the importance of responding to emails, letters or messages left in places like Facebook, Twitter, as well as their website. If you don’t have a division that handles this part of the business it’s time to establish one. Responding to questions or problems spreads the word quickly to family members and friends, who now are more likely to do business with you, if not now, in the future. Not responding will give you a negative view per the buyer which prevents repeat business and most likely a non-referral, seriously cutting down on your free advertising.
Develop a Rapport with Your Clients.
Personal relationships last much longer than an acquaintanceships. The same holds true for your business. Instead of making a quick sale, get to know your customers. One way to achieve this is by sending surveys either to a customer’s email or through a mass mailing. This gives you an opportunity to know what customers feel you are doing right and the things you may need to improve. Sometimes these things are hard to notice when you are busy with everything else you do each day. Assign a committee to review each response and see if there are common negative responses to some of the questions. You can then work to improve on these things and improve your customer loyalty at the same time.
Don’t Over-Promise.
If you have a good product or service that you provide, don’t overstate its value. Many businesses tend to over-promise to their customers using language that can lead to a loss of business. For example, if you have an online company don’t promise deliveries you can’t make, especially if it’s something you make yourself. A surge in business can happen at any time, especially around big holidays. If you don’t deliver the product on time you can end up losing more than a few customers.
Customer Retention.
No matter how many sales you make, if you lose as many as you bring in your business will never grow to its potential. Many business owners focus too much on bringing in the sales. That’s fine. However, if you don’t tend to your existing client base you will never get to the success level you want to achieve. Retention is key to growth and increased sales through word of mouth and reputation. If your existing clients are loyal then when their families and friends are in need of the services you provide those clients are more likely to recommend you. This allows you to enjoy free advertising by the best method possible: word of mouth.
Marketing strategies are ever changing. Now, more than ever before, people turn to the internet for anything from toilet paper to buying a home. If you want your business to stand out and enjoy a healthy growth each year, you have to gain name recognition on popular social media sites, respond to questions and concerns about services or your product and establish a connection with your customers. By doing these things, you’ll retain existing customers and improve sales through free advertising.
