How to Build Loyalty and Turn Customers Into Fans
Author: Ben Wilson
July, 2024
Consumers are becoming savvy and really tuned in to what they want. They are more considered, critical and can be quite vocal about brands that don’t seem genuine. They are smart and can see through gimmicky advertising.
Today’s consumers are engaging with brands they feel connected to, those they can trust and those they believe are genuine. In this current advertising climate, loyalty is now the currency against which your brand is valued.
Acquiring new customers is a lot more costly than retaining your current customers so creating a successful loyalty strategy is a clever move. Loyal customers have the ability to help promote and grow your business, possibly even faster than your marketing team.
Customer Service is Key
Customer service has always been an integral part of a successful business; however, it has never been scrutinised or publicly called out like it is these days.
Building brand loyalty comes down to customer service, at every stage of their interaction with your business. How customer services looks, comes down to your products or services, and the stage your consumer is at in the process.
The pressure is on to ensure your processes include measuring customer loyalty and how your customer service is influencing it. Customer service closely accompanies customer experience. Positive customer experiences will lead to customer satisfaction, repeat customers and word of mouth advertising for your brand.
A principle that is known as the 80/20 Rule occurs very frequently in organisations, where 80% of your sales are likely to come from 20% of your customers.1 This 20% customer base is where you focus on increasing your brand loyalty.
How Customer Service Affects Brand Loyalty
Brand loyalty is a measure of how highly regarded you are to your customers and the likelihood of them becoming repeat customers and therefore promoters for your brand. Consumers have infinite choice these days which can make it incredibly difficult for brands to stand out and get to the top. By focusing on connecting with your customers you can build your brand and stand out, even if you are a small business.
Consider the experience of your customers - what do they get out of their relationship with your brand and why does that matter to success? Customers expect many reasons to stay loyal to you so what can you offer them? It begins with exceptional customer service at every step, but what does that entail? It includes:
- A website that is user friendly.
- Pleasant, efficient and helpful interactions with your sales team.
- A variety of ways to contact your customer support reps.
- Fast shipping and hassle-free returns.
While so many things are becoming automated, try to personalise your customer service as much as possible. Think about online chat functions and how frustrating it can be to be chatting with a bot. A real person, however, can offer specific assistance which leaves the customer feeling important and looked after and this experience is more likely to lead to a sale.
Other ways to connect with potential and existing customers is to offer a discount code for subscribing, for a repeat purchase or leaving a review.
Tracking Customer Loyalty for Results
It is important to maintain consistency with your offerings because customers like to know what they can expect from you, and they respect you for that. Customer retention relies on their trust of your brand, and you can check how you are performing by asking for customer feedback.
You must regularly review this feedback and adjust your marketing processes accordingly. What you set up now to build brand loyalty is likely to change over time as your customers’ needs change. Tracking data over time allows you to analyse what is working and what needs improvement.
Brand loyalty can be measured with the right tools, and it doesn’t need to be complex. Google Analytics is a free, simple to use tool that analyses customer behaviour on your website including repeat visits to your site, engagement with your communications, repeat purchases and average order value.
Web Force 5 has built and uses specialised tools to monitor and improve customer loyalty, including CRM solutions, easy content management systems, email marketing, reporting and Google Analytics integration. These allow you to easily capture a constant feedback loop of valuable data about customer interactions, their feedback, their time and navigation on your website, where they are coming from and so much more.
Web Force 5 has custom designed Continuum CMS, a powerful yet easy to use system to meet your specific needs. We also specialise in the well-known platforms Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce and Shopify.
How to Build Customer Loyalty
Keeping customers loyal to your business relies on a few strategies including:
Be Generous
Don’t offer meagre rewards and only if your customers spend a substantial amount first. That will not make them feel valued. Offer perks that are so good it makes total sense to do business with you.
Consider offering something with every purchase as an incentive to buy more. A point system may work, or once they spend a certain amount, offer them a product at a generously discounted price.
Communicate Effectively
Continuous communication builds trust, but it needs to be honest and transparent too. Keeping your customers informed makes them feel they know what is going on with changes and updates and they will appreciate that information.
Show Gratitude
A loyalty program is not enough on its own as all your competitors are offering the standard benefits too. Expressing your thanks through personal messages, handwritten notes or special packaging will convey how grateful you are to have them as a loyal customer. Small gifts at random times will pleasantly surprise them because everyone loves free stuff!
Quality Products and Service
Ensure your products are good quality and are priced fairly so they won’t disappoint. Stick to your promises such as delivery timelines and be flexible such as having multiple ways to pay.
Know Your Customers
As mentioned, using customer feedback will help you get to know your customers so you can continue to provide what they are looking for. If they are letting you know they want something you don’t currently stock, consider getting it!
Use online reviews and testimonials from your customers to improve your reputation amongst your community. This feature can assist with search engine rankings.
See Results From Your Loyal Customers
Your loyal customers stick around because they love your brand, so they will talk about it, post about it and keep buying from you.
Your business can benefit from your loyal customers in several ways:
- Great upselling opportunities with special offers and showcasing new products. If customers are happy with your current range, they are likely to be tempted by new products as they come along.
- Word of mouth means a lot to potential new customers so the more people you have sharing the advantages of your brand, the more traffic you’ll receive.
- Loyal customers trust you and therefore don’t see the need to switch to one of your competitors, even though there may be benefits for them.
Web Force 5's tools and expertise can help your business build and track customer loyalty in today’s competitive marketplace. Speak to one of our specialist consultants for a no obligation chat.
