The age-old question for any business is, “How do we get more customers?” No matter whether a company is happy and settled in its size or is looking to expand, the need to find new customers always remains. One of the reasons for this is that a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to a 75% increase in the customer’s lifetime value. Or, in simpler terms, if a customer receives a great experience, they’ll keep coming back. Not only will they keep coming back, but they’ll also tell their friends to do the same.
Growing your customer base requires a holistic approach, looking at all aspects of a customer journey. By considering every part of the customer experience, you’ll find that your customer churn rate will be significantly reduced.
How do we get more customers?
Identify your customer base.
The first thing you need to do is identify your customer base. This is the group of people who repeatedly buy from you and provide the most financial value to your business. Identifying this group helps you plan for marketing, sales, and customer service.
At the same time, you should also identify a subset of customers who are your installed customer base. This group are the people who are actively using and engaging with your product or service.
So, as an example, a person who has bought from you in the past would be a part of your customer base, but someone who regularly uses your product would be part of your installed customer base. Identifying these two groups will enable you to personalise your marketing.
Deliver a delightful customer experience.
Imagine you are in a restaurant, and your food arrives at your table cold. You tell the server, and they are pretty dismissive of your complaint. It’s unlikely that you will return to the restaurant, and you probably won’t buy a dessert either. However, if they apologised, took your food, returned with something piping hot, and offered you a free drink, you’d probably stay for a pudding and would be more likely to return.
It isn’t surprising that 60% of consumers have stopped using a brand due to a poor customer service experience. Less than perfect customer service will create an inevitable client churn. Also, unsurprisingly, 93% of customers make repeat purchases, having received excellent customer service.
Engaging with needy and unhappy customers shouldn’t be viewed as a chore. Instead, it should be considered a way of receiving feedback and providing impeccable service. So, if you receive a complaint or request, respond to it ASAP. And, if you’re finding that it’s challenging to manage enquiries and complaints, think about introducing a system that will streamline how you respond. For example, there are some fantastic ticketing systems out there that can help you assign complaints and feedback to different team members.
Encourage and publicise referrals and testimonials.
Amazingly, 91% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. So, if you’ve delivered an excellent service, encourage your customers to advocate for your business. And, when they do write a 5-star testimonial, shout about it from the rooftops. We put our testimonials on our website for people to read.
Give something back.
There are many ways of giving things away and lots of reasons why. For example, you may want to give away freebies such as downloads to gain customer information for targeted marketing. This is an excellent way of identifying potential customers who may not have been on your radar.
You may also want to create a customer loyalty programme to keep existing customers returning. For example, think of your local coffee shop that gives away a free cup of coffee after you’ve bought six, or flyer miles schemes that offer discounted flights to loyal customers. Giving things away doesn’t have to be costly, but it can help increase your customers’ lifetime value.
Collect customer feedback
We all like to hear when we’re doing well, but it’s also essential to know when we aren’t. Encouraging customer feedback is the best way to learn what you can do better and makes your customers feel valued. The important takeaway from requesting feedback is that you act on it. There’s nothing more off-putting than answering a questionnaire only to discover that nothing has changed.
Check for roadblocks in your buying journey.
Every purchase is a journey, and if there is a block in it, the customer will turn around and go elsewhere. So, it’s essential that you regularly check to ensure that your customers’ journey is as smooth as possible. This can range from checking to see that your team is singing from the same hymn sheet to making sure that your website is accessible and glitch-free (nothing is more annoying than a website that doesn’t work on a mobile phone).
Get some outside help.
Asking someone from outside your organisation to review the customer experience you provide is an excellent way of discovering changes that you can make. Aside from providing an objective viewpoint, they can also offer suggestions and improvements that you may not have considered. And that’s where Not Another Marketing Agency can help. We have extensive experience working with businesses of all sizes, helping them maintain and grow their customer bases. So, if you’d like to start growing your customer base, get in touch.
