Every business owner dreams of having an army of loyal customers. Unfortunately, just dreaming about having tons of raving fans isn’t enough to make it actually happen. Unless you happen to be the exception to the rule, you’ll need to put in some serious work before you amass a serious following for your business.
Create a Definable Brand Image
Think about the businesses that have large groups of loyal customers. One of the things they all have in common is that they have a clearly defined brand image. They know what their priorities are, what they do better than everyone else, and they are consistent at virtually every element of it. A clearly defined brand makes it easy to identify your business from a crowd of competition. Figure out how you want to style your business’s name, your logo, your colors, your brand personality, even how you want your voice to come across on your website. There’s a lot to branding, but that should get you started on the right foot.
Start a Rewards Program
Once you’ve got customers coming in, you need to give them a reason to come back. Sure, some of them might return because they like what you offer, but shouldn’t you hedge your bets if you can? Starting a loyalty program can be a great way to both attract and retain customers. Nearly 80 percent of customers look for loyalty programs before making a purchase. Consumers want to know that the businesses they support care about them. Rewarding their loyalty is just one of the many ways you can do that.
Be Responsive
One of the other things you can, and definitely should do to show your customers that you care about them and their business is to be responsive to them when they reach out. Technology today offers a variety of methods that customers can use to reach out. Reviews, emails, phone calls, webchat features, and messaging via social media are just some of the methods they might use to contact you. Make sure you respond promptly, take the time to address their problems and concerns, and then use the feedback you get to make improvements to your business as you deem appropriate. The more responsive you are to what your customers have to say, the more likely they’ll be to stick around.
An army of loyal customers can play a key role in launching a business to new heights and greater success. To earn your army, start by creating a definable brand image, follow up with a rewards program, and retain them by being highly responsive. That will help you stand out and attract the type of customer who will be loyal to your business and bring others with them.
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