For every single sector of the market, no matter how niche or broad, there are dozens of competitors. So, especially for newer businesses, it can be difficult to build a base of loyal customers. The trick to increasing customer loyalty is to understand your target market and find out what would make them choose you over your similar competitors. But having a strong product offering just isn't enough. Businesses actively need to be finding ways to build relationships with customers so that they remain loyal, become positive spokespeople for the brand, and are ready to hear about the future of the company.


Targeting New Customers

Before you have any customers to become loyal, you need to go out and get them. Rewards for new customers are a quick win for businesses to attract new customers for an initial point in time to generate some quick sales. These customers might not be convinced to remain once their new customer offer expires, but by then they'll reach out to another crop of new customers, keeping the cycle alive.

Phone contracts and TV/internet packages are famous for reaching out to new customers with deals that their current customers baulk at. UK TV providers Sky and Virgin both have strong competing offers for new customers who are looking to sign up to the TV packages. Gyms are also famous for appealing to those who aren't members. All three are difficult to get out of once the cooling off period is over, so keep customers due to the hassle it would take for them to transfer.

Rewarding Long-term Customers

Long-term customer rewards are also important. While new customer offers work to entice people to use the brand initially, keeping their engagement throughout is also critical in creating a long-lasting relationship. By rewarding customers who have stayed with the brand loyally over a period of time, the relationship can further be forged.

Long-term customer rewards are also important. While new customer offers work to entice people to use the brand initially, keeping their engagement throughout is also critical in creating a long-lasting relationship. By rewarding customers who have stayed with the brand loyally over a period of time, the relationship can further be forged.

Slotsjudge rewards, for example, include a points system that benefits gamers not for playing the games, but for being active in the gaming community. Points can be won for publishing blog posts, answering queries, registering accounts and referring friends. The loyalty comes not in the way of the points, but in the building up of a real community atmosphere, which will create a more conducive environment.

Rewarding Big Spenders

Supermarkets use loyalty cards that give points for purchases, which can be redeemed later for treats, or money-off shopping. The more you spend there, the more points you get and potential for rewards. But, occasionally, they also give vouchers for a specified amount off the next shop. They understand that the target market wants bargains, and offering just 15% off the next shopping bill would be enough to increase repeated custom. The supermarket, in the mind of the customer, will have the reputation for being customer-friendly and good value, as well as trying to help out their customer base. People would be more likely to go to a supermarket they have a loyalty card for than one they don't.

Developing Brand Ambassadors

Another trick to increasing customer loyalty is by creating ambassadors for the brand of your customers. One way to do this is through discounts for referring friends.

Not only will the current customer become a beacon for your brand and signal the benefits of your brand and products through word of mouth marketing, which has a high conversion rate.

But they will also encourage their friends, who may then do the same. By feeling like part of the club by gaining benefits for themselves, they will be more likely to speak and act favourably to the business.

Rewarding Impulse Purchasers

The technology used to shop online is beneficial for companies to find which of their customers are more inclined to buy what they have had in their baskets or what they have been looking at. So sending emails with those products could result in sales. Basket abandonment is also something brands take into account in order to ensure customers are loyal, by occasionally offering incentives to make immediate purchases to those people who have placed something in their e-shop basket but not bought it. This creates a connection between the brand and the customer as the customer perceives the brand to be giving them something extra. But, it is all factored into sales targets and profit margins.

Consistent Communication

Building customer loyalty is difficult, and even though there are a number of tricks available in your arsenal to do it, many are reluctant to appear to be shaving so much money off their products all the time. There's a fine line between happily appeasing customers and ensuring your business doesn't look like there's always a sale on and that you are making a decent enough profit.

Finding the customer loyalty programmes that work to ensure you succeed in business and keep customers happy is the key to any successful business.

WRITTEN BY

Brand Voices