Our Top 3 Tips for Customer Retention

Erina S. Tips & Inspirations

Print marketing is crucial for businesses of all sizes, as it’s cost-effective (well, if you order from GotPrint, that is!) and simply a great method for getting the word out effectively. By investing in promotional materials such as postcards and brochures, and reaching your target audience, you will eventually build your brand identity and increase brand awareness.

But there’s no denying that in the end, no matter how extensively you promote yourself or your business, the foundation for your success lies in your customer service. By providing stellar service, you’re already building your brand with word of mouth advertising (let’s face it, friends love to refer vendors and businesses to other friends!) But more importantly, you’re generating valuable interest in your brand. We say valuable, because referrals produce strong leads, and can really help boost your sales and reputation.

It’s particularly important for new businesses to focus on their customer service and customer retention, as the business is new and probably does not have enough regular or loyal customers. Here are three of our top tips for customer retention and service.

1. Provide irresistible offers.

One of the easiest ways to attract attention and to gain leads is by offering a deal they can’t afford to miss out on. Even if you don’t make as much profit from it as you would like, it’s a proven, effective way to draw new customers in. This way, you’ll be able to market to them later on with other products and services, at prices that make sense for your business. Don’t forget to do your homework and search the deals your competitors are offering. By being as competitive, or more competitive, you can ensure you have a fair chance of capturing new leads.

2. Invest in email marketing.

Capture your customers email addresses through a sign-up form on your website, or simply at your brick and mortar’s checkout, and regularly send them deals. Incentivize them with offers and rewards points to ensure they keep coming back to you.

3. Reach out to your unhappy customers.

As a new business, even one or two unhappy customers can be a big deal. For example, if a customer walks out of your store unhappy, reach out via email or a phone call, and ask them to visit again, with perhaps a discounted rate, or simply, for free, as a way to turn their negative experience around. Be sure to get your entire team involved and educate them on specific strategies for reaching out to these customers. Provide clear guidelines on what they can or cannot do, to ensure there isn’t confusion.

Tell us, what are your customer retention strategies?