When it comes to building customer relationships, there are two main types of businesses. There’s those who do it well, and those who don’t. We don’t know about you, but without clients, most businesses wouldn’t exist. Can you imagine sitting in a retail store all day with no customers? Your product displays would look great, but it’s all a bit futile if nobody is shopping.
That image sounds extreme, but it’s exactly the scenario you could be headed for if you don’t make customer relationships a priority. Remember, happy customers are loyal customers. Loyal customers keep coming back, and they’ll even tell their friends. Here’s 5 tips to really connect with your customers and build meaningful relationships
Start the conversationPersonalise the customer experience
Firstly, remember that your customers are people just like you. Nobody wants to be treated like a number, and people actually want to make connections with brands. It’s not as hard as you think to personalise the customer experience, and an effective customer relationship management (CRM) software program can help with this.
You can do this easily by making sure any future website interactions include the customer’s name. A simple ‘Welcome back, Sally’ message goes a long way to making that customer feel welcome. As long as their name is Sally.
You can even personalise the experience by recommending products similar to ones they’ve purchased before. Also, auto-generated milestone emails are effective in building the customer relationship. It might be birthdays, a year since their first purchase, or a thank you message for shopping with you a certain number of times.
User-generated content builds your community
Did we mention before that customers actually love connecting with businesses? We’ll say it again because it’s so true. If a customer sends you a photo of them enjoying their purchase, ask them if it’s ok to share it. Not only does it make that customer feel like part of your business, but it helps build your brand because customers are more likely to trust content generated by other shoppers.
Responsiveness improves every customer relationship
Have you ever emailed a company and waited days for a response? We know the feeling, and it’s not a good one. Whether you get messages from potential customers, existing customers, or even complaining customers, they’re all important. Always reply to customer queries quickly, because it makes them feel valued by your brand. Also, if they’re messaging you, they’re probably ready to make a purchase, so don’t let that opportunity slip through the cracks. For this, consider CRM development as a priority, or look into existing programs like Zoho One, Salesforce or HubSpot.
Offer customer loyalty benefits
Loyalty benefits don’t need to cost a fortune to be effective. While none of us would say no, we really don’t expect to receive a new car with every purchase. Just being offered some special deals, member-only discounts or even a free gift on our birthday is enough.
The customer experience is a tough landscape to navigate, but when you do it right the benefits are clear. Creating meaningful connections with customers helps to build your brand, foster loyalty, and boost sales. All by treating your customers as humans – and that’s something every business can do!
Start the conversation