Attracting more customers will always be a vital pursuit for every business out there. However, customer acquisition is always more costly and riskier than good, old customer retention. That is why more companies are using their resources to achieve both, albeit with a greater emphasis on retention and improving customer loyalty. This is a much simpler way to boost revenue, ensure a high ROI, and always get referrals that will ultimately fuel acquisition, too. 

To earn that loyalty and those referrals, you need to invest heavily in improving your customer relationships. Yes, it often depends on those individual, small-scale interactions your agents have with them daily, but you need an overarching strategy containing targeted tactics for long-term customer retention. Here are a few ideas to help you strengthen those bonds and thus enhance your brand reputation over time.

Personalize your offers and discounts

Saying that your customers come first is very different from actually treating them as a top priority. One very effective way to show them just how much they matter is to implement advanced personalization methods to improve customer experience. 

From geo-targeting, segmentation, all the way to using customer shopping histories to create tailor-made discounts and birthday offers, you have a wide array of personalization tactics at your disposal. All of them serve to make each individual customer feel special, and thus more eager to come back to a store where you know their name. 

Be available across different channels

Nowadays, convenience is often the key reason why some customers return or leave. If you can’t send them a product today, there might be a competitor that can. If you can’t respond to their message in the next five minutes, someone else surely will. And if you keep them on hold, no matter how cool the music might be, they’ll hang up and call a different number. Your availability will define how eager they are to go back to your product or service.

For that very reason, more companies are turning to top VoIP services that are both cost-effective and easy to use in any customer service department. Instead of endless lines of phones and equipment stacked in your office, you can have an internet-based communication channel that connects your customers directly to speak to your agents. Throw in chatbots on your website and social media, and you’ll be able to provide support 24/7 if need be.

Provide transparent insights into your business

Content is not restricted to selling and advertising, on the contrary, you should use it to get closer to your customers and to let them experience everything that makes your brand unique. You’ll notice that some companies use the latest, trendiest social media features to post videos and live-stream from their offices to give their customers a glimpse of what it means to work with your business. If they get to see the process behind making your product, all the better for them.

Starting polls on social media, posting images from your events, and sharing stories your employees write and create are all valid tactics for improving customer engagement. Incentivize customers to post their own stories and experiences with your brand, and that alone will make them feel like part of your brand story. 

Exceed their expectations

The very first time they purchase something from you, throw in a freebie to surprise them. It will be a great conversation-starter, and a surefire way to inspire them to talk about your brand with their loved ones. Add to that, use every opportunity to exceed their expectations by going that extra mile whenever they make a request, a purchase, or simply interact with one of your customer support agents.

For example, if they come to you with an issue or a suggestion, don’t just thank them for taking the survey and sharing their feedback with you. Take steps to make it happen, and then go ahead and notify them of the changes you’ve made to accommodate their needs – they’ll not just appreciate the effort, but the communication, too.

Focus on the ongoing value

Some of your customers have come to your website because of a sponsored post on social media, so they were instantly on your product landing page. Others, however, might have discovered how your brand fits into their lifestyle by reading a blog post on improving their health. Either way, content is behind both of these valuable touchpoints, and it can make all the difference for your future customer interactions, too. 

Creating valuable content for your customers is one of the main ways to provide them with free tips, suggestions, advice, and guidance. Free e-books and informative articles are there to add even more value to the mix, assuring them of your credibility and authority in your industry. 

Selling a product once or getting someone to subscribe to your services is merely an opportunity, not a done deal. It’s a chance for you to shine and to show your customers just how much you value their business, beyond that initial sale. These strategies aim to do just that – make your customers feel appreciated and relevant so that they can return the same level of appreciation and trust your brand for years to come.