The current era of technology has done wonders for businesses everywhere. However, with everything good in life, there are always some drawbacks as well. When talking about customer relations, one disadvantage of technological advancements is that customers have more options to choose from, hence diminishing their loyalty to a particular brand. Ranging from makeup products to dog food, customers switch between brands depending on what fulfills their needs. Of course, there are exceptions, but this is not to say that the lack of loyalty makes customers bad and evil people. It just means that businesses have to invest more in building long-lasting relations with their customers.
You might wonder why it is hard for companies and brands to have everlasting relations with their customers. It is because people do not only care about the quality of products anymore. But they seek a stronger human connection in a high-tech and gadget-based world. They seek a personal touch in the channels businesses use to reach out to them. They seek empathy!
We are now part of a world where customers ask companies about things they do for them. Customer skepticism takes precedence over customer connections. Engagement and personalization are crucial to converting prospects into long-lasting customers. When you invest your time and money in providing your customers with something new and different, they will give you their loyalty without any hesitation. Here a few strategies that will allow your business to build and nurture long-lasting customer relations.
• Develop A Strategy Based On Customer Retention
Businesses everywhere often focus on customer retention too early in the buying cycle. It is challenging to retain a customer who has recently started buying products or services from you. It is unlikely you will be able to create a long-lasting relationship with a few new customers. Your goal should be retaining existing ones.
Customer acquisition is a lot more costly than customer retention. This is a widely known marketing fact that holds to date. Up to 80 percent of your revenue comes from less than 20 percent of your loyal customer base. Give priority to repeat customers and focus your marketing strategy around them. With such a marketing strategy, you can expect a better ROI on your marketing efforts.
• Make Use Of A Vanity Number
This may sound like an oddball but is nonetheless crucial to building long-term relations based on trust. You might think that phones are a thing of the past in this day and age, and social media reigns supreme when it comes to engaging with your customer base. You might be right to an extent, but there is nothing better than a good ol’ phone call to add that human touch that customers long for. Telephonic conversations give a voice to your business. People know that someone is listening on the other end of the line. And here’s where vanity phone numbers take precedence over others.
Vanity phone numbers are unique and can be named after a brand name, product, or service. For example, Best Buy has a phone number that goes like 1-888-BEST-BUY. However, what makes vanity numbers so special is that they are generally toll-free and perceived with a considerable degree of trust and authenticity. They are easy to remember and add to your business’s recall value. And with voice over internet protocol, customers worldwide will be able to talk to from anywhere, anytime without having to pay.
With the help of a dedicated business number, your business will build brand loyalty and everlasting relations with your customers. They know that you are unique and ever-ready to provide them with customer support. You can find out how to get a business phone number easily and enable VoIP to reap long-term benefits out of something as simple as a personal phone call.
• Provide A More Personalized Customer Experience
A phone call is also a personal experience!
How can you make a customer feel appreciated and valuable to you? You do it by treating him or her like a VIP. Providing high-quality products is not the only thing you need to do to retain their loyalty. A high-quality user experience is equally important. In marketing contexts, personalization is what enables you to charm your customers out of their boots.
You should not treat your customers like emotionless robots coming to your store or website to fuel up a need. Instead, see them as human beings and provide them with more personalized services. Get to know your customers and clients on a first name basis to foster closer relationships and make them feel like a part of your extended business family. Don’t forget to offer them personalized buying experiences by making relevant suggestions. However, tread carefully. There’s a fine line between getting to know your customers personally and in being intrusive. Respect that line.
• Exceed The Expectations Of Your Customers In A Positive Manner
How will it make you feel if a customer care provider promised to call you back in the next twenty minutes with a solution to your problem, and they don’t? Awful and frustrated, right? This is why you do not promise someone something that you cannot deliver. Instead, your business should enforce practices that allow you to set realistic and clear expectations that you can solve while conversing with your customers. Communicating clearly and honestly with your customers are two practices that will allow you to save face and avoid humiliation, which could end in the loss of a valued customer.
• Offer Your Customers Loyalty Programs
Targeting returning customers with loyalty programs will give them an incentive to revisit your business and make a purchase again. According to research, customers that return to your store spend sixty-seven percent more than new customers. These programs can include gift cards, leader boards, and special discounts on occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries.
• Always Keep In Touch With Your Customers No Matter What Happens
Last but not least, stay in touch! Do not wait for your clients to contact you if you always want to keep in touch with them. It is your responsibility and yours alone to be the first one to pick up the phone and dial. Or send an email. This is not just a sales tip, but good old fashioned advice to ensure that they never forget you.
Some ideas to reach out to customers include newsletters, marketing emails, company blogs, social media platforms, chatbots, and much more. Automated communication will only do so much. Communication should be on a personal level so that your customers know that they are not dealing with a robot behind a computer!
Conclusion
Building long-lasting customer relations on principles of loyalty and trust does not happen overnight. It can take months, years, and possibly even decades. In the end, it is these loyal customers that will be your business’s most significant sales funnel and investment. You should know that a buyer-seller relationship does not end when someone purchases an item from your store. That is merely the beginning of a long and everlasting relationship. Cherish it. Nurture it. Preserve it.