What Is Customer Loyalty?

Beyond Philosophy, a consultancy and training company defines Customer Loyalty as “the result of consistently positive emotional experience, physical attribute-based satisfaction and perceived value of an experience, which includes the product or services.” In simpler terms, customer loyalty is a measure of how likely a consumer will do repeat business with a brand.

Repeat buyers or consumers are your most valuable customers. Even though they do not make big purchases in one go, it is likely that over time, their recurring investments will exceed your income from big one-time buyers. In fact, repeat customers spend up to 67 percent more than new or one-time customers.

How to Earn Customer Loyalty

Even though only 13 percent of retailers described themselves as “digital-first,” 51 percent of Americans prefer to shop online, and 96 percent of them have made an online purchase in their life. Furthermore, with hundreds and thousands of competitors online, getting people to visit your site, click on a link, and more importantly, become repeat customers, is more challenging than ever.

To overcome this, let us discuss the six things you can do to earn customer loyalty–and get them to keep coming back for more.

1. Share and practice your company values

Do you ever wonder what makes customers choose one brand over the other? Here’s a clue: Commitment, honesty, efficiency, and reliability—and no, these are not just adjectives—these are values that will help customers choose you over your competitors. Often, customers not only buy products, but they invest in what your company stands for. In fact, 64 percent of consumers cite shared values as the main reason they remained loyal to a business.

Also, having values is not enough; you must practice what you preach, too. Build a business culture focused on a set of shared values, which may or may not include the aforementioned, as well as other great company values such as integrity, consistency, and dependability (among others). These core values should reflect your products and services, your employees, and every decision your business makes.

2. Provide quality products and services

In line with practicing your values, if you say your product or service is superior compared to your competitor’s—you need to walk the talk. Many new and established businesses fail to live up to their promises. In hindsight, having a well-established reputation for quality and reliability can cultivate repeat business.

As an example, if you are an e-commerce site that promises to deliver orders within 24 hours, you need to live up to your end of the bargain. Remember that consumers prefer businesses they can rely on. Thus, give them that, and they will compensate you with support and loyalty.

3. Reward customer loyalty

An excellent way to secure loyalty is to reward it. Offering complementary goods, discounts, and exclusive purchasing opportunities to regular customers is a form of “nourishment,” showing that you value and appreciate them. As a result, these customers may reward you by making more purchases in the future. You can also reward shoppers and clients with a points system or by giving them discount codes and coupons to entice them to come back.

Depending on the nature of your business, you can customize the type of freebies and rewards you offer.

4. Talk to your customers

Making time to communicate with your customers is crucial to the long-term success of your business. With that said, you must never ignore queries and qualms in your social media pages. When a prospect or long-time customer reaches out to you on social media, retaining that customer may rely on your eagerness to listen and respond.  

Your customers will be much more willing to stick around when they know you are responsive to even the simplest concerns.

5. Encourage customer feedback

Are your customers satisfied with your service? What did they like (or dislike) about your products? Is there something you can do to improve your business? — These are questions best answered by people who have tried and tested your business.

Since over 88 percent of online shoppers incorporate reviews into their buying decisions, you need to make sure that your products and services receive excellent reviews. How? By asking for feedback! You can use a myriad of platforms to gather responses, including an online survey or questionnaire.

As an example, many e-commerce sites reward customers who leave reviews with store credits and discounts, which further encourages them to provide their feedback.

6. Make your customers feel special

Making your customers feel special, exclusive, and valued is essential to fostering loyalty. For instance, if your customer will be experiencing a delay in deliveries due to inclement weather, you can inform them through email instead of making them wait for a package that will not arrive for another 2 or 3 days.

Another way to make your consumers feel valued is through small surprises, including discount coupons on their birthday. Surprising your customers keeps your business top of mind, and reinforces your values.

Happy Customers Equals Great Business

Earning repeat, loyal customers should be a top priority for any business, including yours. As long as you focus on your customers and meet their needs with superb service, they will reward you time after time.

Need Help Securing Your Customers’ Loyalty?

If you are struggling to obtain the loyal customers your business desires, PrimeView can help plan and execute surefire ways to win customer loyalty. We know people want the best deals, but we also understand that they appreciate value. Together, we can build your brand for all to see it as the trustworthy and reliable business it is. Dial 480-970-4688 today to get a free quote.

Several business owners make the crucial mistake of focusing their energy on products and services, not recognizing that the key to success is not just from what the business offers. Reaching success is also present in your ability to reach customers and how you can persuade them to invest. In a nutshell, marketing is the essential element to any business’ success.

Before the Internet took the world by storm, marketing, especially to the masses, was challenging and expensive. Although the Internet and its accessibility have changed drastically in the last decade, it does not mean there is no place for traditional marketing strategies alongside Internet marketing.

Allow us to weigh the advantages of these two marketing methods:

Understanding Traditional Marketing

Traditional marketing (now referred to as offline marketing) is a broad category involving the promotional strategies used before the Internet. Today, it is still the most recognizable marketing method, which encompasses advertisements we see and hear every day. The majority of traditional marketing strategies fall under one of four categories, including print, broadcast (radio and television), direct mail, and telephone.

Benefits of Traditional Marketing

Even in the digital age, there are great reasons to incorporate old-school marketing strategies, including:

• Reach hard-to-get customers. Believe it or not, 11% of U.S. adults do not use the internet, according to a survey conducted by Pew Research Center. Seniors are the primary age group unlikely to go online, and traditional methods may be the only means to reach this particular group of consumers.

• Woo your clients in person. Internet marketing is convenient in a sense that you rarely have to travel to communicate with a client in person. However, you should not underestimate the effectiveness of traditional face-to-face marketing. Meeting in person allows you to do impressive demonstrations and later read their body language to see if they are genuinely interested in working with you. Furthermore, many customers prefer doing business with people they have met personally.

• Billboards are not a thing of the past. Each week, the average American drivers spend 20 hours traveling over 200 miles. Furthermore, 71% of Americans consciously look at billboard messages while driving, and those who learn about an event or restaurant via traditional ads later pay to visit.

• Hard copy material provides tangible information. Search engine optimization and paid media do great jobs of attracting leads and prospects, but there is still something unique and compelling about a meeting sealed with a business card exchange (which they can refer to at their leisure). This type of traditional marketing makes it incredibly easy to provide information on the go.

Understanding Digital Marketing

Digital marketing, also known as internet marketing, e-marketing, or web marketing, is an all-inclusive term for promoting products and services online.

While the more obvious purpose of internet marketing is to sell goods, services, or advertise your brand over the Internet, your business can build itself by conduct competitor analyses and by learning from your online customers’ feedback and preferences. Online marketing is a very effective way to identify your target market or discover a marketing segment’s wants and needs.

Today, every brick and mortar business can (and should) use the widely available Internet to their advantage and leverage it for marketing purposes.

At PrimeView, we offer a broad selection of digital marketing services, including web design and development, search engine optimization (SEO), social media management, content marketing, pay-per-click advertising, video optimization, email marketing, and reputation management.

Benefits of Digital Marketing

Marketing via the Internet allows your business to reach target audiences more efficiently. Other pros include:

• Measure your marketing success (and failures). Tools like Google Analytics can help you see which methods are bringing prospects, leads, and conversions to your business, including which ones are not. This way, you can alter your marketing practices and focus your efforts on what works.

• Engage and network anytime, anywhere. Social media is a powerful tool that not only allows you to communicate directly with your market, but also share relevant news and information for absolutely free. It is by far the fastest and easiest way to build direct relationships with your clients and prospects. Further, it is an excellent platform for receiving quick feedback on what your target market likes and dislikes.

• Spend less money. Traditional marketing billboards can cost anywhere between $300 to $30,000 per four-week period, which equates to $3,600 to $360,000 per year. Although digital marketing strategy prices may vary depending on which services you integrate into your business, many online marketing tools and methods are free.

Which Type of Marketing Is Best for Your Small Business?

A company can leverage both traditional and digital marketing methods to achieve their goals. It does not have to be one or the other because while one approach might be more effective at drawing leads and analyzing results, it does not mean the other is any less effective. For instance, a television ad might pull in many prospects, but so can the same ad on YouTube for far less money.

The real question should not be what type of marketing is best, but instead, which method offers the best way to reach your audience and convert them into customers. Fact is, there are strategies in both traditional and Internet marketing that will work to your advantage.

Speak with a Professional Marketing Strategist Today

Are you having a hard time figuring out which method – traditional or online – works best for your business? PrimeView, a pioneering digital marketing agency in Phoenix, AZ can help determine which option is the best for your audience. Dial 480-970-4688 to speak with our strategist about improving or rebuilding your company’s marketing strategy. You may also complete our online form to receive a free quote. We look forward to hearing from you.

Have you been operating a thriving business for years without a website? Have you been wondering whether you do indeed need a website? You might think that with all these years of business success, who needs it? Whether you are operating a small or a large scale business without a website, there are a few good reasons why you need one. You might think that just because you are not exactly techy or are hardly online, that the rest of the world is the same way. Nothing can be farther from the truth. There are tons of reasons why your business needs a website. Here are thirteen:

1. Sell your products/services online

It goes without saying that the best reason for having a website is to be able to sell your products and services online. If you only had a brick and mortar store in the past, having an online store/website helps you sell more, without having to face the customer and convincing them to buy. It makes buying your goods easier for both your customers and simplifies selling for your staff.

2. It Helps Identify Your Customers

There are tools you can use online that will help identify what your customers like, how they found you and their behavior on your site. This helps you be able to adapt your business to them and maximize site purchases. You can also tweak your site to be much more appealing to your customers. 

3. It Is Expected

These days, everyone has a website. All your current and future customers are going to assume you have one. As a matter of fact, if you don’t have a website you might turn off more than a few potential customers since that would be highly unusual in their eyes for any business not to have a site. In fact, it may seem a bit suspicious to them.

4. On Par With The Big Leagues

When you have a website, you immediately become on par with bigger businesses that have websites as well. For example, if you are just starting your own store online, the moment your website is up and running, you will immediately be able to compete with all the sites that have been online for years. Having a website levels the playing field.

5. You Are Always Available

Basically, when you have a website you are always available. Your business will then be running all year round, twenty-four hours, seven days a week. There won’t be a need to lock the physical door or supervise every inquiry. In essence, being online all the time gives you and your customers the convenience of being available and noticed at all times of the day or night. When all you have is a physical store with no website, your shop closes at the end of the day, which puts limits on your exposure. A website will get you more and it will look like your store is always open.

6. Grow Influence and Keep Your Customers Informed

When you have a site that shows your products in front of thousands of people searching for what you have to offer at a drop of a hat, this is an effective method of maximum exposure for minimum effort. You can also announce upcoming events, special promotions and new products or services that you offer immediately on your website.

7. Potential Clients Increase

You will be missing out on all the potential clients you might otherwise have when you don’t have a site. There are billions of people online every day and ninety percent of those people are buying something online. When you join the online crowd, you can make more sales.  Add to that the possibility of getting customers from all over the world – remember, your website can be viewed not just in your local area, but international too. They don’t call it the world wide web for nothing.

8. It’s Your Online Brochure

When you own a website, you can create an online business brochure to reach unlimited audiences around the world. This will be lower in cost than actually printing out millions of paper brochures. 

9. Save Money and Time

It will take less time and money to provide your customers and potential clients with the information they need through your website. Rather than having to print out brochures, answer every email, talk on the phone or entertain customers face-to-face, a website will be able to do it all.  You might feel that spending to maintain a website for a small business will cost more, but the opposite is true as this saves you time and money in the long run.

10. Credibility Matters

Believe it or not, your business becomes more credible when you have a website. You might argue that you have been successful for years without a site. Well, you will soon find out firsthand how much more successful you will be when you actually have a website. After all, the point of your business is to sell a product or a service, right? Adding a website will build your credibility in leaps and bounds, translating to ever-valuable sales.

11. It Promotes Your Brick and Mortar Shop

When you have an actual shop in town, your website can contain the contact information and directions on how to get to your shop. This will enable customers to come to visit your actual shop without having to search too hard for where to find your telephone number or store location.

12. Staffing

When you need to hire new staff, you can advertise online and potential employees can apply online as well. This makes it so much more convenient than actually having to do the application process in person.

13. Your Location Is Constant

When you need to move your brick and mortar shop to a different location, your website remains constant. This means that if you have to sacrifice your brick and mortar business and delay opening day, your website store stays open no matter what.

Need help setting up a website for your business?

Putting off building a website hurts your business in so many ways.  If you need help in setting up your website or you don’t know where to get started, PrimeView can help you plan it from scratch and create a strategy to maximize your online visibility. Call us today 480-970-4688 or fill out our online form

Photo by Jens Kreuter &  rawpixel.com on Unsplash