Customer Retention Strategies

According to studies made by the U.S. Small Business Administration and U.S. Chamber of Commerce, new customers can cost as five to seven times more than simply retaining customers. The fact that profit tends to increase over the life of a retained customer is added incentive for a business to allocate more resources to sharpen their customer retention strategies.

First, let’s highlight the ugly truth. There are many reasons why a customer would leave, but here are the most common reasons;

• Because they are unhappy with the service they receive.
• They are unhappy with the product.
• They decided to use a competitor.
• Misunderstandings and miscommunications on either party.
• A website that is Not user-friendly/hard to navigate through

Now, let’s take a look at the following strategies to help retain your clients and keep them happy;

1. Set customer expectations. Do this early on in the relationship, the earlier the better. Don’t wait. Under promise and over deliver, this will make the client happy and keep them appreciative most of the time.
2. Be the expert. Remember, they came to you for something they were unable to do themselves. They hired experts, so be one. Be on top of your game as much as possible by staying up to date with the latest trends, ideas, solutions, and knowledge about whatever it is you are offering. Doing this will give your customers confidence in you and your business this has been proven time and again by my friend who is a Trusted Sydney Cleaner.
3. Build trust through relationships, by keeping the lines of communications open with your customers. Keep them updated with progress, status reports, etc. Follow up with them with a brief message or phone call to simply ask how they are doing. This will make them feel important and valued as a customer. Give timely responses to emails and phone calls; never take more than 48 hours to respond. Making them feel as if they are your only customer, gives them a sense of security and importance.
4. Anticipate problems and keep them from happening. You know your business, your industry, so you know what problems are likely to arise. Keep notes on what your customers usually have a problem with and what information they might have a problem with now or in the future. Remember those areas of concern and do something proactive that will eliminate any chance of that happening again to customers going forward. Put fires out before they have a chance to set ablaze.
5. Sometimes, it’s ok to go above and beyond. Doing a little extra here and there will give you loyal customers. Keep them excited about the project and/or product. Pay attention to what your customers want and be proactive when addressing them. They will stick with you when your competitors are knocking on their door.
6. Your Website is the Face of your business. Whether you are designing your own site or you are hiring a highly qualified web development company; like The WebSquad, it is imperative that you have a website that reflects your business purpose, is user-friendly, and is responsive in both Web and Mobile. Want more information on this? Click here to see why you should have a friendly mobile website.

When retention strategies are implemented on a daily basis, they will empower you to not only strengthen your client relationships, but also boost your clientele. Contact The WebSquad to help you get started by giving you an awesome website design package that will blow all other competitors out of the water!

Author: Cecilia L. Padilla- WebSquad Project Manager