How To Keep Customers Coming Back

Getting people to believe in you, to believe in your product, and to believe in the benefits your product promises to bring to their lives is not an easy task, and it can be very expensive. So once you find these people, don’t let them go.

You should know what exactly your customers want from your product, your customer service, your shipping policies, etc. Once you have a very clear picture of what it is they want, you need to figure out a way to over-deliver. Give them more than what they want.

How do you figure out what your customers want?

• Ask, ask, ask. Don’t be afraid to ask your already existing customers. But make sure you value their time. If they help you by filling out a quick survey, offer them a discount on their next purchase, or give them a free item, or send them valuable content, etc. Do something to show them your appreciation.
• Do your research. Make sure you know your customers really well. Find out which other brands they like and what exactly it is they like about them.

How do you over-deliver?

• Your product: The quality should be superb. Your product should deliver all of the benefits that are advertised by your company, expected by your customers, and more …
• Your customer service: If your research shows that your customers like to feel important (most people do), make sure your company always treats them with respect and makes them feel special.
• Your shipping policies: Work only with reliable shipping companies to avoid shipments getting lost and/or unnecessary delays. If you find out your customers value time more than anything else, offer them express shipping options. On the contrary, if your customers prefer to save some money wherever possible, offer them slower but cheaper shipping options.
• Your communication: Teach your customers how to use your products for best results. Write a blog with relevant information about your products and your industry, and share it with your customers so that they can read and educate themselves if that is something they are interested in.
• Your social responsibility: If your company prides itself on giving back to the community, share your projects and achievements with your customers. Most likely they are interested in seeing how their purchases make a difference.
• Your commitment to make your customers happy: Some products break or fail, shipments get delayed or sent to the wrong address, websites crash, etc. Mistakes do happen. But when they happen you need to quickly take the necessary actions to recover your customers’ trust. Apologize, offer them a refund, offer them a discount on their next purchase, etc. It could be costly in the short run, but you will not regret it. It will still be cheaper than acquiring a new customer. Because if you manage to recover your customers’ trust, they will most likely be your customers for life. They will become loyal to your brand.

These are just some examples but you can be as creative as you like. The important thing is that every aspect of your business offers an enormous amount of value to your customers. This way, it won’t matter what your competitors do. They can lower their prices, offer new products, offer promotions, but your customers will continue to believe that your company offers them the best option.

Adriana Fonseca is currently working in Corporate Finance for a multinational organization in Dubai, UAE. She’s also an entrepreneur, business coach, big dreamer, traveller, optimist, and lover of self- development, health and wellness. She’s 100% Colombian and she believes that the secrets to a happy life are to pursue your passion, do work you love, dream big, take massive action to achieve your dreams, travel, help people and make strong friendships along the way.