Your inbound marketing and great product or service captured a customer’s first purchase. But how do you get that customer to buy from you for the second (or third) time? Putting as much effort into customer retention as you did into generating trial can build customer loyalty – and increase your business.

These best practices can help you develop a strong customer retention program.

Capturing Attention

To build engagement with customers, use the following tactics:

• Communicate Your Values Customers are more likely to connect with you (and buy again) when they share your values. Make sure you marketing materials communicate your company’s higher purpose. How do you make life better for customers? for the community?
• Share Testimonials Recommendations from others reassures potential customers about the purchase decision. Case studies, testimonials, reviews, and endorsement from industry associations are all social ‘proof’ that you deliver on your product promise.

Using Relevant Marketing

After customers are interested, design your marketing efforts to:

• Reduce Friction Using language that indicates you understand customer pain points and goals encourages them to consider you – but making the purchase easy and ‘frictionless’ will help with customer retention.
• Generate Excitement Showcase product benefits using videos or demonstrations, emphasizing how you’ll help customers solve problems.

Staying Connected Post-Purchase

A positive user-experience includes how you treat customers after they buy. Being responsive and supportive post-purchase builds relationships and customer retention. Be sure to:

• Offer Training and Support Provide high-quality and courteous team-based support to help customers have a better user experience. And deliver service on the customers’ terms through self-service, easily accessed manuals, or online training.
• Reward Loyalty A simple thank-you or an unexpected ‘extra’ shows you care about your customers and want to continue building positive relationships. And remember, consistently meeting expectations – helping customers feel good about doing business with you — will have more value than coupons.

Building any relationship, including those with your customers, takes planning, time and effort. Contact our team at Bear River Financial for information about financing your customer retention efforts.