If you’re a new business or experiencing a downswing in sales, you need to find some new ways to increase and strengthen your regular client base. Once you have a strong, loyal client base, you’ll be able to survive even when sales are slow because you’ll be able to count on regular customers. Take a look at some innovative ways you can increase your customer base and gain new ones as well.
One of the quickest ways to attract new customers is to team up with a business that complements your own. If you own a clothing store, you might reach out to a nearby shoe store or jewelry shop. If you sell electronics, you could team up with a computer repair shop.
The two of you can make an agreement to send each other referrals, since customers that already like and trust the other business will be inclined to like and trust yours based on the recommendation. As a retail seller you could also offer online Nordstrom coupons or incentives to shop at partner’s stores. You and your partner business will both benefit from this arrangement and it can help get the word out for your new line of products or sales.
Customers will be loyal to you if there’s something in it for them. It pays to give your best customers perks. You can do that with free gifts or discounts, such as offering reward cards that give special pricing, or a freebie after so many purchases.
You can also reward loyalty without it costing you a dime. Give your best customers early access to new stock, or an expedited purchase system that allows them to skip standing in line. You’ll probably sell more, not less, and your customers will still feel rewarded.
Most customers prefer the personal touch. They want to feel special, and you can meet that need by finding ways to make them feel as if they’ve been singled out for special treatment.
Mobile apps that allow customers to check in and allow merchants to send push notifications can be a big help in this area. Use an app that allows you to greet customers by name and offer them something as soon as they walk in the door of your shop. For example, if the app tracks how many times they’ve checked in at your location, the customer could receive a push notification thanking them for their 5th visit, and offering a special discount or free gift.
There is no advertising like word-of-mouth. You want customers to bring their friends, so give them plenty of opportunities to do so, and a good reason as well. Use your email list to send your preferred customers a special coupon they can forward onto their friends. Assign each customer an individual code that’s listed on the coupon, and give your customers a free item or a discount for every coupon with their code that gets used in your store.
Customers may come in for the deals, the coupons, and the tech-based advertising, but you want them to stay for the quality of your merchandise and the enjoyment of the shopping experience. While you’re looking for ways to drum up business, don’t neglect the in-store experience.
Keep an eye on how things are running on the showroom floor. Keep up with your employee trainings, and make sure customer complaints and concerns are handled immediately and thoroughly. In the end, a great shopping experience will keep them coming back again and again.
Remember, it’s not enough just to say you appreciate your customers. They have to feel it. By aligning yourself with other businesses they trust, offering special perks, coupons, and discounts, and ensuring that your customers always leave happy, you’ll build the strong, long-lasting client base you’ve been looking for.
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