When running a small business, one of the most valuable keys to success is building relationships. It’s important to establish relationships with the people who help keep your business afloat, such as employees, suppliers, and banks or lenders. Some of the most crucial relationships are those with your customers.
Loyal customers help small businesses thrive. The key to acquiring them is fostering positive relationships. There are many ways to go about doing this, but here are some tips for getting started.
- Provide value online and offline. The ability to be useful to your customers doesn’t disappear when they leave your business. Use social media and your small business’s website to provide educational and engaging content related to your business or industry. This can include blog articles, social media infographics, fun facts, company culture highlights, and more.
- Offer rewards. After a customer visits your small business, give them a reason to keep coming back. Create special offers and discounts for people who frequently purchase from your small business with punch cards or a points system. Many businesses gift customers free items once they reach a certain number of punches or points. You can also send discounts to regulars who provide their email addresses.
- Adapt to customer needs. Figure out where your small business can be flexible to meet customers’ needs. This can mean adding a specific product to your lineup if customers ask for it or altering your hours if customers struggle to make it to your business before it closes. Observe and anticipate how you can better serve your customers and make adjustments when possible.
- Be accessible. Make it easy for your customers to reach you. Put your small business’s contact information and social media platforms on every page of your website. Be prepared to respond to customers through any point of contact in a timely manner.
- Be personable. Cheers said it best: “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name.” When someone comes into your small business, get to know them as a person, not just a customer. Ask about their interests, careers, and families to learn who they really are. This can help you build a strong connection with your customers and predict their needs.
- Ask for feedback. Tell customers that you value their opinions by asking for their input after they make purchases from your small business. Ask them to fill out a comment card on their way out or send them a follow-up email the next day. By adding this step to their purchasing journey and showing that you incorporate their feedback in your business, customers see that you genuinely care about offering the best customer experience possible.
- Keep in touch. Stay connected to your customers in between their visits to your small business. Send out emails about your business’s latest offerings and news or as an invitation to come back if a customer hasn’t stopped by in a while. You can also post updates on social media so people can see what’s new with your business’s products and services.
Establishing relationships with your customers is one of the simplest but most important things you can do to help your small business succeed. It takes significant effort to build relationships and even more to maintain them, but the reward of customer loyalty is worth the work necessary to earn it.