Ah, repeat clients. The holy grail for most business owners out there. Finding clients that will come back is one of the most important things you can do to help your business grow.
But that’s probably easier said than done, right?
With so much information coming at consumers from every angle, they are constantly bombarded with bigger, better, cheaper deals whenever they slide open their phones. Competition is tough. And it will continue to get tougher the more access that brands and businesses have to their – potential and existing – client’s information.
So how can you make sure that you’re standing out from the crowd, always two steps ahead of your competitors, without turning to sneaky and sleazy tactics?
Keep reading for our three favorite tips on how to create repeat client cycles in your business – and why they matter so much!
The benefits of creating a repeat client cycle
Here’s the truth: repeat clients are extremely valuable to your business. Whether you’re an established brand or a brand new business that’s just getting started, cementing a “fan base” of repeat clients is a great way to become and remain profitable.
Here are a few reasons why this happens:
01. They spend more money
Studies have shown that repeat customers are likely to spend at least 67% more money while shopping from you (whether that’s purchasing a product or a new service) than newcomers.
Why? Because they trust you! Repeat customers already know that your products/services are high-quality. They’re happy to pay for them again – and spend more – than someone who’s wary of the result and just wants to get to know the brand a little better.
02. They cost less
Attracting new customers is expensive (think about all that ad spend!) and can put a big dent in any company’s marketing budget. Meanwhile, customer retention costs about 1/5th of that price because the means used to have them come back are a lot cheaper in comparison.
READ MORE: Our 6 Favorite Tips to Increase Engagement on Social Media
03. They’re likely to become “brand ambassadors”
Once you have a client that loves you and what you offer, they’ll be happy to spread the word about you with their friends, colleagues, or strangers who are looking for what you’ve got.
Satisfied customers are a great way to create a mouth-to-mouth chain of referrals that can potentially bring in tons of business. All this without having to actually spend any money on campaigns or influencer marketing. Plus, they’re more likely to be believed and genuine in their admiration!
04. They keep your business afloat
Building a business atop a revolving door of clients is risky. What happens when the next “new” client doesn’t come in? And what if someone else catches their attention before you’ve made your point?
While gaining new clients is always a plus, this shouldn’t be the number one priority that causes you to neglect existing clients because – and this one’s tough to swallow – they might end up leaving you, too.
At the end of the day, repeat clients are a wonderful support system that’s always worth nurturing and thanking.
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3 ways to create repeat client cycles in your business
Now, let’s dig into the good stuff!
You’ve read about why repeat clients matter…now let’s take a look at how to make sure that your clients keep coming back to you.
Tip #1: Keep in touch with your past clients
People have a lot going on in their lives: work, family, partners, pets, hobbies, the news, what’s for dinner, that new shirt they want to buy…
If we asked you to sit down and list everything going through your mind at the moment, you’d probably end up with a list of 10+ things that require at least a fraction of your attention.
That being said, if you speak to your customer ONCE and then never speak to them again…they’re very likely to forget you even exist.
Our favorite secret ingredient to creating repeat client cycles is: REACH OUT TO THEM!
One month later, three months later, six months later, a year later…these are all totally appropriate and effective times to touch base with a past customer to see:
- How they’re doing after buying a product or service from you
- If they need any extra help with their purchase
- If they’d like to repurchase or buy a different product/service
It’s even a great time to offer them a special “past client” discount so they’ll be even more inclined to buy something from you again!
The great thing about these forms of communication – we prefer email for this! – is that they can all be easily automated within your CRM platform so you don’t need to think twice about sending them out – they just happen!
READ MORE: How to Include Email Marketing in Your Next Launch Strategy
Other ways to keep in touch with your customers is through
- Newsletters
- Special occasion emails (birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, etc.)
- Social media posts
- Long-form content (blogs)
However, this doesn’t mean that you should constantly be pushing sales in their face.
Yes, it’s important to be sales-y in order to sell, but you can also look at this as an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between your brand and your customers while keeping things genuine and purposeful!
Tip #2: Offer excellent customer service
This one feels like a given, but it’s always important to highlight that customers are happy to come back where they feel most appreciated, comfortable, and happy.
One way to ensure that your customers are having a good experience while buying something from you is through excellent customer service skills.
Whether you have a great return policy, answer emails quickly, over-deliver on customer expectations, listen to their concerns, or simply treat people with respect when they reach out inquiring about your business, customers are more likely to keep coming back for more if they feel like they’re being appreciated.
The first experience that a potential customer has with you and your business is what will continue to mark the relationship if it moves past the initial stage, and it’s important that this first impression is always a good one.
If it isn’t, they might not even bother and simply take their time and money elsewhere.
PRO TIP: We like to focus on creating a branded customer service experience! This ties in your brand voice, tone, personality , and core values to create an experience (and great customer service) that anticipates your client’s needs before they even tell you so!
Tip #3: Ask for customer feedback (and learn from it)
Our final tip when it comes to creating repeat client cycles is this: check-in with your past customers and ask for their feedback!
How? With feedback forms, surveys, offboarding calls. These are all very important tools that business owners can leverage to understand their clients in a deeper and actionable way.
By asking customers for their feedback you can gain a better understanding of what…
- Went right (and why)
- Might have gone wrong (and why)
- Might have been expected (and if you delivered on that)
- They would have liked to happen (and did)
- They would have liked to happen (and didn’t)
The list goes on and on!
It’s especially important that you do this while you still have their attention and the experience is fresh in their minds. Let’s be honest: asking for feedback months after a first interaction might not be the most reliable way to see where you can improve within your business.
Good relationships are a two-way street in terms of communication. That’s why it’s important that your customers feel like you’re willing to listen, learn, and grow from what they have to tell you.
Good or bad, feedback is important in order to understand and plan for where you want to go next – and how you’ll continue to take your customers along on the journey.
Stay in touch, ask for feedback, onboard new clients…whatever you need, we’ve got it! Grab an all-access pass to The Quirky Pineapple Studio’s Template Vault and save time (and stress!) while running your business smoothly and efficiently.
TL;DR: 3 tips to create a repeat client cycle within your business
Repeat clients are – at the end of the day – the basis upon which any strong business is built. They help you save money, make more money, find more potential customers, and keep growing.
Although it might seem impossible, creating a repeat client cycle is all about…
01. Keeping in touch
02. Offering excellent customer service
03. Asking for feedback
It’s not that difficult when you say them out loud, huh?
Plus – and this is the best part – these are all things that can (for the most part) be automated! That means a few clicks here, a few tweaks there, and you will have created a powerful repeat client cycle strategy…in half the time and with half the stress!
What other ways do you know to keep clients coming back? Let’s share them in the comments and help other business owners thrive!
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