Business owners are always seeking ways to distinguish themselves from their competitors. Staying ahead of the competition is a formidable challenge. Still, building customer loyalty is additionally crucial for brick-and-mortar businesses that rely heavily on long-term, repeat customers.
When a business owner wants to build customer loyalty, they should consider a few factors. It is critical to provide excellent customer service, create a pleasant atmosphere, and ensure an enjoyable shopping experience for customers.
Elie Y. Katz, President and CEO of National Retail Solutions (NRS), said customer satisfaction is more strongly attainable when all these components are in place. These same factors can also be valuable for enhancing customers’ online retail experience. Paying attention to customer satisfaction details, both at your physical location and online, will help attract and sustain repeat business.
Organize your store so that customers easily find what they want and need. “Store owners should ensure that their physical and online stores are well organized. Ideally, any objects that are connected to one another should be placed next to one another,” Katz said. “For example, if your store carries shavers, they should be positioned close to the shaving cream. This also applies to your online store.”
If you run a clothing e-commerce business and a consumer wants a scarf, it should be located in the “accessories” category in the menu bar. In this case, you’d want to situate other accessories near that section, such as gloves and hats, and present those as secondary purchase considerations.
Create an aesthetic theme for your business. “Visuals and ambiance can make a big difference in how customers feel when they visit your store, both physically on foot and online. It’s important to plan your branding, and have a consistent theme for your store,” Katz said. “For example, if you operate a cosmetic business, the theme at your physical location should also be carried over to your online store. This might include your store’s logo, colors, tone, and mood. Your goal is for customers to remember you, whether they’ve visited in person, or your store online. Visuals with a warm and relatable ambiance can make your business memorable. This can naturally lead to repeat visits.”
Spread the word about using email, social media and advertisements. As a small, independent business, it’s ideal for creating familiarity with your customers. Maintain a friendly retail atmosphere and get to know your customers personally. “Train your staff to greet customers and offer assistance when your customers walk in the door through checkout. Get to know what your customers seek and provide that for them,” Katz said. “Offer deals and incentives to shoppers to entice them to visit your location. Create a buzz that leads to them sharing about your store to their family and friends, and posting online.”
Customers are increasingly turning to social media to learn about new businesses. Make sure to market your business on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, etc. You may also use email marketing programs such as MailChimp to blast emails. Obtain email lists of relevant potential customers, and ask your current customers for their email address so that you can share exciting news and deals with them. Place ads and advertorials or run editorials in local publications, and consider whether promoting your business online via PPC campaigns can be lucrative for your business model.
Have excellent customer service, you may gain customer loyalty. Additional to the importance of getting your name out there, is the importance of maintaining customer loyalty.
“In order to retain loyalty and attracting customers, a business must prioritize excellent customer service. Your employees are the face of your company, and they can leave a lasting positive impression on customers,” Katz said. “It’s well worth taking time and extra effort to train each new staff member. Teach them how to use the point of sale system efficiently. Make sure they are well acquainted with your store to properly assist customers. Consider assigning every new recruit a mentor who knows the ropes around the business. Incentivize your employees with awards and bonuses for exemplary customer interactions, productivity, and sales. Guide your employees to treat customers like family. Studies show that customers don’t just remember what you have on your shelves – They remember how they felt when in your store.”
Honesty is the best policy: Transparency can keep customers happy. “As a busy retailer seeking a golden reputation that lasts, it is important to be open and transparent with your customers,” Katz said. “Establish a clear return policy to avoid misunderstandings, with as much flexibility as possible. Leverage your point of sale system to track sales and assist customers who forget their receipts, to be able to easily return items anyway.. A POS system, such as the NRS POS tracks all sales, so an employee can access sales reports. Making the return process easy, can help build customer loyalty.”
Offer rewards programs to keep customers coming back for more. Lastly, offering a rewards program is a great way to keep customers loyal. “You can get creative with a rewards program. Leverage your point of sale system to create and offer ‘Buy X Get X Free’ incentives. Or offer a points redemption rewards program that encourages repeat buying to build up a points balance that can be redeemed in your store for products or cash discounts. Offer free samples with purchases,” Katz said. “Not only will your customers come back, but they will tell their friends and soon you’ll have more new customers coming in regularly, and giving you positive reviews online.”
Building and retaining customer loyalty doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. Some of the tips outlined here cost nothing at all and are easy to implement with just a bit of planning and attention to details.
“These simple strategies can help ensure that your customers are happy and your business continues to grow and thrive,” Katz said.
How to Secure Customer Loyalty for Your Small Business
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