In this article, we’ll be discussing 8 surprising methods to encourage repeat business and boost your profits as a result.
When building a business of any kind, it’s important to think about gaining new customers to purchase from you. But, this shouldn’t be your only consideration. It is equally as important, if not more so, to ensure that you are getting repeat customers. That is, customers that remain loyal to your business and purchase from you time and time again. Depending on what you do through your business, your repeat custom may look a little different, but there’s barely a setup out there that doesn’t have the potential for customers to come back.
There are so many benefits to encouraging repeat custom. These people already know about your business and what you do so they need less convincing to purchase with you if they enjoyed their experience the first time around. And, they also cost less to acquire. Finally, they are also more likely to spend a larger amount of money with you. These are just a few of the many advantages. We will cover more in this article. So, whether your business is just starting out, or you’re more established and looking to increase your proportion of repeated business, these tips should help you to retain as many customers as possible, so that they keep coming back to make a purchase with you.
So, what are the top 10 surprising methods to encourage repeat business (and boost your profits?
There are so many ways to help your business hang on to those customers that really matter to you. Discover just a few of them here…
1. Build a database of customers- and use it
Firstly, if you want to encourage repeat custom, it’s a good idea to start building up a database. This is where you can store all of your customer information (such as name, email address, and company they work for) in one place. Doing so may seem like a mammoth task, but there are lots of customer management systems out there to choose from that can help you do it in a straightforward way. These include Hubspot and Salesforce. However, building a database of customers is one thing. Once you have the database, you need to make sure that you’re actually utilising it to its full potential. Essentially, this means that you need to set up an email marketing campaign so you are regularly getting in touch with your customers. Whether it’s simply a newsletter to share your latest news, sending them a discount code or coupon, or anything else that you want to share, regularly sending out mail to your bank of previous customers is a great way to remind them that you exist. And you never know, this could be all it takes to prompt them to purchase from you again.
2. Repeat customer promotions are very effective
One of the things that your customers will enjoy being sent the most is news of repeat customer promotions. That is, a special promotion that is only for repeat customers, and not new ones, whom promotions are usually geared towards. What you offer is up to you. It could be a percentage or set amount of their next purchase, or a free gift with purchase, for example. Many business owners worry that holding promotions such as this will lead to a dent in their profits. But often, the opposite is true. If you plan and execute these promotions carefully, it should encourage customers who otherwise may not have purchased again to do so, therefore increasing your profits in the long run.
3. Innovate your offering so customers have a reason to choose you above the rest
When it comes to surprising methods to encourage repeat business, this one is fairly straightforward. What’s one of the best ways to encourage people to buy from you again? Well, the answer has got to be offering them something new and amazing that they want to purchase. Businesses whose offerings are stale and never change are more likely to struggle with getting repeat customers, compared to those who are constantly reviewing and innovating their offering in order to bring something new to the table. It could be a brand new product or service, or just a refresh of something that you already offer. Just make sure that your customers know about it through your marketing efforts, too, otherwise all of your efforts may go to waste.
4. Provide amazing customer service
It’s no secret that customers want to buy from businesses that offer them a great experience from start to finish. As a result, providing excellent customer service and making it a priority is a consistent way to encourage customers to return. What good customer service looks like to you will depend on what you do and who your target customers are. But essentially, it’s all about making yourself available to your customers and being willing to help them out with anything they may need from you. Don’t forget that the face of customer service is changing somewhat as digital becomes the norm more and more. So, don’t neglect your website and what you can do on there customer service wise, such as an FAQ section, customer service chat bot, or even videos that walk people through common issues or questions that they may be encountering. The aim of the game when trying to encourage repeat customers is to stand out from your competitors, so take a look at what they’re doing to offer amazing customer service, and try and do even better for yourself.
5. Start a loyalty programme for your customers
Loyalty programmes are an increasingly popular option when it comes to surprising methods to encourage repeat business and boost your profits at the same time. Just take a look at your favourite coffee shop. They probably have a loyalty programme whereby you get a free drink once you have purchased a set number of drinks from them. This is a model that can be applied to all sorts of different businesses. For example, if you offer a yearly service, could you offer customers a discount after 3, 5, or 10 years of choosing you? Or, if you sell physical products, could you send a coupon to customers who have purchased from you a set number of times? Loyalty programmes are popular with businesses for a reason- they really work to encourage repeat business and therefore bring more sales and profits to the company.
6. Set up a referral programme
Similarly, referral programmes are a good way to encourage more business. While it may not necessarily be repeat business from the same customers, it is a similar principle, as you’re essentially getting your existing customers to do the work for you when it comes to getting new ones. A referral programme essentially means setting up some sort of reward (such as a discount code) for customers who successfully refer a friend to your business. By doing this, you only have the cost of providing the discount code to pay, but you should get some new customers without a big investment. They then may refer their friends in turn, so there’s even a chance that you could get a whole chain of new customers with very little investment and time spent on your part. And, by providing a discount code or voucher to the existing customers to use, you are also encouraging their repeat custom as they now have a good incentive to purchase from you again.
7. Personalised email campaigns are a hit
If you’re looking for surprising methods to encourage repeat business and boost your profits, we’ve already discussed the idea of sending out regular email marketing campaigns to your database of existing customers. But how can you make these emails stand out even further and give you a greater chance of success in enticing repeat business? One way is by sending out campaigns that are personalised to each customer, their requirements, and previous purchase history. A good example of how to do this is by sending them emails that remind them of any extras that could complement their previous purchases. Or, perhaps it means simply checking in with them to see how they’re getting on with their purchase a few months down the line. Sending out personalised email campaigns is a good way to make your customers feel valued by you and your business. And, a customer who feels valued is more likely to return and purchase with you again.
8. Engage with your customers ahead of time
On the whole, it’s true that most products and services have a certain lifespan. When that time is almost up, chances are, your customers will be looking for a replacement. If you want them to choose you ahead of your competitors, it’s a good idea to get in touch with them and remind them that you exist before they have a chance to make a firm decision on which business to shop with. This can be as simple as sending them an email or note a few weeks before you expect them to need our product or service again. This will boost your presence in their mind and, if you couple it with a discount code or coupon too, it can have a very good success rate when it comes to encouraging repeat business.
Conclusion to these surprising methods to encourage repeat business for your organisation
No matter how you do it, encouraging repeat business is an amazing way to boost your profits without having to invest time and resources into attracting new customers. There are so many effective ways to do it, you just need to choose what is right for you and your business as, after all, every one is different. Of course, it’s important to still work on attracting new customers to help your business grow, but it’s important not to neglect the ones that you already have as this can benefit your business, and your profits, greatly.
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