Customer retention is one of the hallmarks of a successful business. When you have repeat customers and genuine loyalty, you know that what you have to offer is just what your customer base is looking for. And, when this happens, you don’t need to worry so much about figuring out ways to appeal to more people or different groups. You know where you’re pitching.
Designing a customer loyalty program is one of the most effective strategies to boost your business growth. It is organic and doesn’t require the same amount of resources or time as trying to locate and identify new customers. However, this doesn’t mean that you can be complacent about your customers at all. You still need to think carefully about how you can keep their custom and continue to raise the bar.
So what does it take to ensure customer retention?
Make it Easy to be Loyal
People like doing the easy thing. We prefer supermarkets because they offer everything we need under one roof, we prefer products that free-up our time and once we’ve found something we like, we tend not to keep searching. This is ultimately what customer loyalty is about – you need to make it as easy as possible for your customers to stick with you.
One way you can make it easier is to offer a subscription service with easy and accurate billing. Billsby is a great option for this and the software can even give you a greater understanding of your customers with a value score. For your customers, a subscription means that they don’t have to think about using your company, they can make their choice once and then roll with it.
Another good way to make it easier to be loyal is to offer your customers incentives to continue shopping with your business. Supermarket loyalty cards are some of the best-known programs and many offer their customers discounts and exclusive deals, often based on the customer’s shopping habits. This is why loyalty programs like these are so important – not only can you encourage your customers to spend more by offering small discounts, but you can also learn a lot about them.
The easier you can make it to be loyal, the more likely your customers are to stick by your business. Just make sure that you understand what your customers are looking for and continue to meet their needs better than your competitors!
Stay in Touch
Staying in touch with your customers is all about communication. If you can’t talk to your customers, you won’t be able to tell them about the latest deals you have for them or find out what they could be looking for. There are so many ways to stay in touch now that if you don’t have a social media account, you are already way behind the times! Don’t even bother to continue reading this article just yet – open a new tab right now and set those things up!
Welcome back!
So, now you have a social media account, you need to know how to use it. Social media is brilliant for showing off your brand identity and engaging your customers on a more personal level. You don’t need to be constantly advertising or showing off; you can ask questions, comment on industry developments or simply post things you find interesting or amusing.
Another crucial form of communication is the humble email campaign. Again, if you don’t have one already, you must start thinking about this as soon as possible. You can even use your social media presence to build up your list of email addresses. The key thing to remember is that your emails must be relevant to your audience and provide some value. This might mean sending a newsletter including links to your blog but it could be more tailored and include particular deal codes they can use with your business to get discounts or other incentives.
Staying in touch with your customers should also allow them to influence how you grow and develop your business. In other words, you need to be able to have a conversation, not just a one-way lecture.
Use a Customer Feedback Loop
And that’s where the customer feedback loop comes in. If you want to know what your customers think of your services and business, the best way to find out is to ask them. Yes, it’s really that simple!
Surveys are one of the best ways to ask a lot of customers about a specific aspect of your business and to find out what the majority think. However, you must ask the right questions to get the information you really need. Remember that even though you might really want positive responses to all the questions you ask, the reality is that you know that there are things you need to improve and you need to be neutral to find out what those things are.
Another way to gain customer feedback is to run a focus group. This is a brilliant way to gauge interest in new products or ideas you would like to experiment with soon. Customer focus groups also provide forums for people to give their opinions in a more open way. Though you should certainly keep the conversation from deviating too far from your requirements, allowing your customers to express themselves openly could be hugely beneficial. Asking a market research company to run these groups on your behalf will also remove any possibility of unconscious bias.
Customers want to stay loyal because it is easier than constant shopping around. However, you still have to make an effort to keep their custom and ensure that you don’t take them for granted. Shopping around might be frustrating but it doesn’t mean that your customers can’t be tempted away. Keeping an eye on the competition is one way to avoid losing customers but you should also be thinking about what unique services or products you could offer.
If you really want to keep your customers, the best thing you can do is keep them at the very centre of your business plan.
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Finding the right idea for a business is still a hard thing to do for a lot of entrepreneurs out there. You have to do your research. You have to reach out and talk to people. And when you’ve done all of the necessary leg work, there’s no saying your work stops there.
And coming up with the perfect idea – viable enough to put down on a business plan for an investor to look over, and clear enough to follow through when you’ve established yourself – doesn’t just happen overnight. There’s some things you’ve got to do first, before anything else.
So, without further ado, here are those exact things. If you’re sitting there with a business concept in mind, make sure you get these out of the way before you try anything else.
Target the Market
The market you want to sell to needs to be the first thing you come up with and get your eye on. If you’ve got a product idea, it’ll mean nothing until you find out whether or not people will want to buy it – and no, there’s not a gap for every single half baked idea an entrepreneur has ever come up with!
You’ll need to look into the people who might want to buy what you’re selling; their age, their schedules, their price ranges, and even their generational shopping habits. A lot of previous research has gone into these, so you won’t have to start from scratch either.
Mingle with the Professionals
You’ll want to get a bit of one on one time with the people who know what they’re talking about. Before you fully set out in your business venture, talking to the people who have been and gone before you is a great way to get to know the scene, and just how long it might take for you to reach the same level of success.
For example, if you’re planning to start an online only business, you’re going to be relying solely on the income driven through your website. That means you’ll want to talk to an ecommerce business consultant; someone who knows what it’s like to sell online, and how fast rates, prices, and demand can change.
Are You OK on Your Own?
You might be of the mind to run your business entirely on your own; it’s a micro venture, or it might just be a small home run operation. But when you think about it, no business is set up entirely on its own – no one is really a self made person.
A lot of us have to rely on the experience and labor of other people, especially in the early stages of a small business. And if you’ve already got quite a tight schedule, some serious rearranging might need to be done.
Finding the right idea for your business takes time, so don’t try to rush this stage of the process. A lot of work lies ahead, and it’ll require full attention.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/light-52910.jpg8001200StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2019-11-21 08:00:182019-11-21 00:09:35Have You Found The Right Idea For Your Business?
If you boil marketing down to its crux, it is simply the art of finding potential customers and explaining to them why they might find your product or service valuable. There are two components to this: the location of leads and then the skill of convincing explanation. If you consider the first point for any length of time, you will realize that in the modern climate you will find more leads online than at any other location. This means that in order to market effectively in 2019, you need to have an online digital marketing strategy. There are a myriad of things to consider when you plan your strategy, like getting the right automated marketing reporting software and planning campaigns that will grab your target audience’s attention.
Is it Right for You?
The answer is probably yes. If you’re a small business that sells a service or a product, even if you don’t sell this through an online shop, you will likely benefit from digital marketing. More than 81% of all shoppers research a product or service online before they commit to a purchase, and who can blame them? If you have a trustworthy online presence you will find your leads will be more open to hearing your pitch. Digital marketing is also so versatile it can suit many technical ability levels. It ranges from SEO techniques such as PPC to creating content to simply being active on social media. What’s more, according to www.diydigitalstrategy.com it can be done without needing to rely on expensive marketing companies for their pricey help. They can show you how anybody with a computer and a business can market online.
How does it drive sales?
Digital marketing drives sales through many different means.
It allows you to reach more people. This should be obvious, as the internet can connect you to almost anybody that can access a computer, but digital marketing has evolved to enable you to reach many more people in your area than traditional marketing.
People of all ages and demographics use the internet, but some will be more biased to certain apps or sites. You can take advantage of the heavily localized offerings of Google Adsense or Facebook or even Snapchat (consider working with Snapchat marketing agencies as you can create a filter in the area you’re targeting if you want to get kids talking about your business).
Social media marketing also allows you to build relationships with customers that you may never have been able to build before. You can quite literally now send a message directly into the Facebook inbox of a customer (something that’s normally reserved for friends) to check how they enjoyed your product. This is incredibly valuable as it cements your brand as caring and also associates it with the idea of being a friend.
Even if you don’t have time to message every customer on Facebook, simply having a social media presence can increase your sales by 5% on average.
You can also collect data based on how users of your website act and check how often they make purchases as well as which areas of the website they prefer. Rich data allow you to create a highly personal digital journey for your clients, and simply improving their personal online experience can be greatly beneficial to them.
Digital marketing should be on your mind a lot if you’re the operator of any business, especially as with a little research, you can do a lot yourself. Don’t be put off if you try it and don’t see immediate results – it takes time and consistency for your digital work to pay off, but when it does, you will hopefully see a substantial return on your effort and investment.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/online-marketing-1246457_1280-3.jpg10471280StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2019-11-21 07:00:072020-05-28 08:53:20How Digital Marketing Can Help You Get Sales
As an employer, one of the smartest things you can do is offer employee benefits in the workplace. Some employee benefits are pretty self explanatory and should come as a standard – such as water, tea, and coffee. Your team shouldn’t have to bring in their own basic refreshments.
However, you should offer more than the bare minimum. You want your workplace to be set apart from others, and your benefits to be a little competitive at least. Benefits vary from company to company, but they can easily make your workplace a more pleasant place to work for your team. Below, we’ll go into more detail on employee benefits and what you should know as an employer:
The Types Of Benefits You Can Offer
There are all kinds of benefits you could offer as an employer. This may include:
Health insurance (required to be offered by larger companies)
Dental insurance
Vision care
Life insurance
Paid vacation leave
Personal leave
Sick leave
Fitness
There are many optional benefits, and many companies offer the above simply to stay competitive. Extra bonuses, such as stock options, can also be a nice addition.
Employee Retention
Many employers are deciding to increase the use of bonuses, perks, and incentives to recruit and retain employees. Making the workplace more comfortable with benefits can ensure employees stay loyal and stick around in the long term. While you need to stick to a budget and you can’t be frivolous with spending, having benefits, bonuses, and perks that keep your employees happy will ensure more productivity, higher quality work, a more pleasant work environment, and more.
Creating A Nice Work Environment
While the benefits can help to contribute to a nicer work environment, they’re not going to do all of the work for you. Having Payroll HR in place will ensure your employees are paid on time and that everything is kept above board, which should be another concern of yours.
Setting Up Flexible Spending Accounts
Many employers set up flexible spending accounts, and these accounts are regulated by the government. The accounts allow you to set aside pretax dollars, and these dollars pay for things like daycare and medical expenses. They will decrease your taxable income as well as give more freedom to your team, so you should take advantage of one if possible.
Caring About Your Employees
Of course, providing benefits gives you the opportunity to actually make things better for your employees. The benefits should come from a genuine place of wanting to help them and caring for their wellbeing. An employer that shows they care will always stand out from the rest, and your team will be far more likely to stay loyal to you. Even offering things like verbal praise and support can go a long way to making the work environment nicer for them and encouraging them to keep going.
Many employee benefits are not compulsory, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t offer them. Wanting the best for your employees will go a long way. And that includes oral care for your employees with reputable dentists like the Dentist In Grand Blanc.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/woman-wearing-gray-blazer-writing-on-dry-erase-board-1181534.jpg8011200StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2019-11-20 20:00:122020-05-15 12:26:12Employee Benefits: What You Should Know As An Employer
Running an online business is a fantastic way to earn a living. Online shopping remains popular and the coming weeks are likely to be your busiest of the year. The festive period can be make or break for your business, as how you cope with the extra demand can have a significant impact on customers’ perceptions.
Word of mouth travels quickly, so the service you provide at this time should make a great impression. Customers will remember the service you gave and will be more likely to make a return visit in the New Year.
So how can you keep your customers happy throughout the festive period? Take a look at some of the following suggestions that will have you laughing all the way until the end of the year.
Make sure your website is fit for purpose
With more and more people doing their Christmas shopping online each year, you won’t want to miss out on sales. Making sure your website is up to scratch will ensure it doesn’t crash during busy periods and can cope with the demand.
Not only do you need your website to be fast and reliable, but it also needs to be secure. Get professional help securing your eCommerce website so that you can make sure all of your customers’ details stay safe.
Promotions can boost your sales, but proceed with caution
Over the festive period, online stores can go crazy with discounts. Not only is there Black Friday, but various cyber deals are rife at this time of year. It’s good to stay competitive, but while offering deals and discounts could boost your sales, it could cost your company money. Only run promotions you know that you can afford. While you’ll want to keep up with your competition, a reliable and efficient service can mean much more to some shoppers.
Put measures in place to limit mistakes
Mistakes can happen easily with online orders, but when it happens at Christmas, people can end up very disappointed and angry. Receiving the wrong size, color, or even the wrong item can cause misery that you’ll want to avoid for your customers. There should already be measures in place to limit mistakes with online orders, but at this time of year, you should think about introducing tougher checks.
If a mistake has happened, do everything you can to put it right. When it comes to dealing with angry customers, try to find a resolution that will keep them happy. You might need to provide a discount, refund shipping or even refund the order to help keep the customer happy. This is something to consider adding into your budget that you might not have thought about before.
Think about reducing your shipping
One thing that can determine whether a customer orders with you or with your competitor is shipping. Free shipping is a good incentive to order something, especially around the festive period, and could be worth investing in for your business – even if it is just during this period.
To help give you the best shipping costs, you need to ensure your weights are accurate. You can get scales at 1800scales.com in different sizes that are suitable for your products. Being able to provide the correct weight for your products could save you money on your shipping, allowing you to pass the savings onto your customers.
Increase your customer care efforts
Christmas is the time when many people decide to increase their customer care teams. Providing good customer service is important all year round, but with increasing sales and more pressure to get things right, it’s even more important to provide a great service at Christmas.
It’s important that customer queries are dealt with as soon as possible. When people have to wait for a response, that’s when they start taking to social media and review websites to air their concerns widely. While some customers can be difficult to deal with, it’s important to remain calm, friendly and polite if you want any hope of retaining them as a customer in the future.
Use social media to your advantage
The holidays are the perfect opportunity to do some great things with social media. From a stand-out Christmas campaign to being able to have some fun with your customers, you can use the excitement around the festive period to increase your followers and increase your profile.
Get yourself in the festive spirit by taking a look at some of the best Christmas campaigns. While you might not have a huge budget for your own campaign, it’s a great way to get some ideas and think about ways you can make a big splash at this time of year.
Reward your loyal customers
While attracting new customers and increasing your profits is important to drive sales at this time, you mustn’t forget about your existing customers. Show them that you value their loyalty by offering incentives such as discounts on an order, or a free gift. You can find some excellent ways to reward existing customers that can be affordable and impactful for your business. Even sharing their content on your social media channels can make them feel valued and appreciated.
Why not add a special touch such as sending a Christmas card or a small gift with your orders? Your customers will appreciate the surprise and it’s a lovely gesture to provide at this time of year.
Think ahead to sale time
While it can feel as though you’re just trying to survive the Christmas rush, it is important to think ahead to your plans after Christmas. Most stores launch sales on either Christmas eve or in the days after Christmas, which can take a lot of work to pull off. Your employees will be working hard over this period, so you might want to give everyone a few extra days to recover before you launch your sale.
A post-Christmas sale is a fantastic opportunity to clear out your old stock and get ready for the new year. Be smart with your pricing strategy and you could do well during the post-Christmas period and give your customers another great reason to shop with you.
Do something great for others
The holidays are a time for giving, and as a business, you’re in a position to give back to others to spread a little festive cheer. From providing monetary donations to charities to helping out in your local community, there are different ways your business can do something to help others at this time of year. You can highlight your efforts through your news page, your blog and across social media. It’s important to demonstrate that you’re a socially-responsible company, and encourage your customers to give up some of their time this Christmas too.
Have fun with it
The best thing about Christmas is to have fun with it! Christmas is a happy time of year, and it’s great to get into the festive spirit and enjoy it. Get your office/warehouse decorated, put on some Christmas music and get ready to get festive! Your office can be a fun place to be at this time of year, which will reflect in the way you handle your customers.
Christmas can be the busiest time of year for your business, but it’s important to keep your customers at the heart of what you do. It’s a great time to build trust with your customers and show them that you value their business and support. Make sure your Christmas plans are in place to deliver the best Christmas to your customers, and have the best Christmas for your business too.
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Business Programs
Easy Ways to Encourage Customer Retention
/in Customer Relationship Management/by StrategyDrivenDesigning a customer loyalty program is one of the most effective strategies to boost your business growth. It is organic and doesn’t require the same amount of resources or time as trying to locate and identify new customers. However, this doesn’t mean that you can be complacent about your customers at all. You still need to think carefully about how you can keep their custom and continue to raise the bar.
So what does it take to ensure customer retention?
Make it Easy to be Loyal
People like doing the easy thing. We prefer supermarkets because they offer everything we need under one roof, we prefer products that free-up our time and once we’ve found something we like, we tend not to keep searching. This is ultimately what customer loyalty is about – you need to make it as easy as possible for your customers to stick with you.
One way you can make it easier is to offer a subscription service with easy and accurate billing. Billsby is a great option for this and the software can even give you a greater understanding of your customers with a value score. For your customers, a subscription means that they don’t have to think about using your company, they can make their choice once and then roll with it.
Another good way to make it easier to be loyal is to offer your customers incentives to continue shopping with your business. Supermarket loyalty cards are some of the best-known programs and many offer their customers discounts and exclusive deals, often based on the customer’s shopping habits. This is why loyalty programs like these are so important – not only can you encourage your customers to spend more by offering small discounts, but you can also learn a lot about them.
The easier you can make it to be loyal, the more likely your customers are to stick by your business. Just make sure that you understand what your customers are looking for and continue to meet their needs better than your competitors!
Stay in Touch
Staying in touch with your customers is all about communication. If you can’t talk to your customers, you won’t be able to tell them about the latest deals you have for them or find out what they could be looking for. There are so many ways to stay in touch now that if you don’t have a social media account, you are already way behind the times! Don’t even bother to continue reading this article just yet – open a new tab right now and set those things up!
Welcome back!
So, now you have a social media account, you need to know how to use it. Social media is brilliant for showing off your brand identity and engaging your customers on a more personal level. You don’t need to be constantly advertising or showing off; you can ask questions, comment on industry developments or simply post things you find interesting or amusing.
Another crucial form of communication is the humble email campaign. Again, if you don’t have one already, you must start thinking about this as soon as possible. You can even use your social media presence to build up your list of email addresses. The key thing to remember is that your emails must be relevant to your audience and provide some value. This might mean sending a newsletter including links to your blog but it could be more tailored and include particular deal codes they can use with your business to get discounts or other incentives.
Staying in touch with your customers should also allow them to influence how you grow and develop your business. In other words, you need to be able to have a conversation, not just a one-way lecture.
Use a Customer Feedback Loop
And that’s where the customer feedback loop comes in. If you want to know what your customers think of your services and business, the best way to find out is to ask them. Yes, it’s really that simple!
Surveys are one of the best ways to ask a lot of customers about a specific aspect of your business and to find out what the majority think. However, you must ask the right questions to get the information you really need. Remember that even though you might really want positive responses to all the questions you ask, the reality is that you know that there are things you need to improve and you need to be neutral to find out what those things are.
Another way to gain customer feedback is to run a focus group. This is a brilliant way to gauge interest in new products or ideas you would like to experiment with soon. Customer focus groups also provide forums for people to give their opinions in a more open way. Though you should certainly keep the conversation from deviating too far from your requirements, allowing your customers to express themselves openly could be hugely beneficial. Asking a market research company to run these groups on your behalf will also remove any possibility of unconscious bias.
Customers want to stay loyal because it is easier than constant shopping around. However, you still have to make an effort to keep their custom and ensure that you don’t take them for granted. Shopping around might be frustrating but it doesn’t mean that your customers can’t be tempted away. Keeping an eye on the competition is one way to avoid losing customers but you should also be thinking about what unique services or products you could offer.
If you really want to keep your customers, the best thing you can do is keep them at the very centre of your business plan.
Have You Found The Right Idea For Your Business?
/in Entrepreneurship/by StrategyDrivenAnd coming up with the perfect idea – viable enough to put down on a business plan for an investor to look over, and clear enough to follow through when you’ve established yourself – doesn’t just happen overnight. There’s some things you’ve got to do first, before anything else.
So, without further ado, here are those exact things. If you’re sitting there with a business concept in mind, make sure you get these out of the way before you try anything else.
Target the Market
The market you want to sell to needs to be the first thing you come up with and get your eye on. If you’ve got a product idea, it’ll mean nothing until you find out whether or not people will want to buy it – and no, there’s not a gap for every single half baked idea an entrepreneur has ever come up with!
You’ll need to look into the people who might want to buy what you’re selling; their age, their schedules, their price ranges, and even their generational shopping habits. A lot of previous research has gone into these, so you won’t have to start from scratch either.
Mingle with the Professionals
You’ll want to get a bit of one on one time with the people who know what they’re talking about. Before you fully set out in your business venture, talking to the people who have been and gone before you is a great way to get to know the scene, and just how long it might take for you to reach the same level of success.
For example, if you’re planning to start an online only business, you’re going to be relying solely on the income driven through your website. That means you’ll want to talk to an ecommerce business consultant; someone who knows what it’s like to sell online, and how fast rates, prices, and demand can change.
Are You OK on Your Own?
You might be of the mind to run your business entirely on your own; it’s a micro venture, or it might just be a small home run operation. But when you think about it, no business is set up entirely on its own – no one is really a self made person.
A lot of us have to rely on the experience and labor of other people, especially in the early stages of a small business. And if you’ve already got quite a tight schedule, some serious rearranging might need to be done.
Finding the right idea for your business takes time, so don’t try to rush this stage of the process. A lot of work lies ahead, and it’ll require full attention.
How Digital Marketing Can Help You Get Sales
/in Online Marketing and Website Development/by StrategyDrivenIs it Right for You?
The answer is probably yes. If you’re a small business that sells a service or a product, even if you don’t sell this through an online shop, you will likely benefit from digital marketing. More than 81% of all shoppers research a product or service online before they commit to a purchase, and who can blame them? If you have a trustworthy online presence you will find your leads will be more open to hearing your pitch. Digital marketing is also so versatile it can suit many technical ability levels. It ranges from SEO techniques such as PPC to creating content to simply being active on social media. What’s more, according to www.diydigitalstrategy.com it can be done without needing to rely on expensive marketing companies for their pricey help. They can show you how anybody with a computer and a business can market online.
How does it drive sales?
Digital marketing drives sales through many different means.
Digital marketing should be on your mind a lot if you’re the operator of any business, especially as with a little research, you can do a lot yourself. Don’t be put off if you try it and don’t see immediate results – it takes time and consistency for your digital work to pay off, but when it does, you will hopefully see a substantial return on your effort and investment.
Employee Benefits: What You Should Know As An Employer
/in Talent Management/by StrategyDrivenHowever, you should offer more than the bare minimum. You want your workplace to be set apart from others, and your benefits to be a little competitive at least. Benefits vary from company to company, but they can easily make your workplace a more pleasant place to work for your team. Below, we’ll go into more detail on employee benefits and what you should know as an employer:
The Types Of Benefits You Can Offer
There are all kinds of benefits you could offer as an employer. This may include:
There are many optional benefits, and many companies offer the above simply to stay competitive. Extra bonuses, such as stock options, can also be a nice addition.
Employee Retention
Many employers are deciding to increase the use of bonuses, perks, and incentives to recruit and retain employees. Making the workplace more comfortable with benefits can ensure employees stay loyal and stick around in the long term. While you need to stick to a budget and you can’t be frivolous with spending, having benefits, bonuses, and perks that keep your employees happy will ensure more productivity, higher quality work, a more pleasant work environment, and more.
Creating A Nice Work Environment
While the benefits can help to contribute to a nicer work environment, they’re not going to do all of the work for you. Having Payroll HR in place will ensure your employees are paid on time and that everything is kept above board, which should be another concern of yours.
Setting Up Flexible Spending Accounts
Many employers set up flexible spending accounts, and these accounts are regulated by the government. The accounts allow you to set aside pretax dollars, and these dollars pay for things like daycare and medical expenses. They will decrease your taxable income as well as give more freedom to your team, so you should take advantage of one if possible.
Caring About Your Employees
Of course, providing benefits gives you the opportunity to actually make things better for your employees. The benefits should come from a genuine place of wanting to help them and caring for their wellbeing. An employer that shows they care will always stand out from the rest, and your team will be far more likely to stay loyal to you. Even offering things like verbal praise and support can go a long way to making the work environment nicer for them and encouraging them to keep going.
Many employee benefits are not compulsory, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t offer them. Wanting the best for your employees will go a long way. And that includes oral care for your employees with reputable dentists like the Dentist In Grand Blanc.
Keeping Your Customers Happy Throughout The Festive Period
/in Customer Relationship Management/by StrategyDrivenWord of mouth travels quickly, so the service you provide at this time should make a great impression. Customers will remember the service you gave and will be more likely to make a return visit in the New Year.
So how can you keep your customers happy throughout the festive period? Take a look at some of the following suggestions that will have you laughing all the way until the end of the year.
Make sure your website is fit for purpose
With more and more people doing their Christmas shopping online each year, you won’t want to miss out on sales. Making sure your website is up to scratch will ensure it doesn’t crash during busy periods and can cope with the demand.
Not only do you need your website to be fast and reliable, but it also needs to be secure. Get professional help securing your eCommerce website so that you can make sure all of your customers’ details stay safe.
Promotions can boost your sales, but proceed with caution
Over the festive period, online stores can go crazy with discounts. Not only is there Black Friday, but various cyber deals are rife at this time of year. It’s good to stay competitive, but while offering deals and discounts could boost your sales, it could cost your company money. Only run promotions you know that you can afford. While you’ll want to keep up with your competition, a reliable and efficient service can mean much more to some shoppers.
Put measures in place to limit mistakes
Mistakes can happen easily with online orders, but when it happens at Christmas, people can end up very disappointed and angry. Receiving the wrong size, color, or even the wrong item can cause misery that you’ll want to avoid for your customers. There should already be measures in place to limit mistakes with online orders, but at this time of year, you should think about introducing tougher checks.
If a mistake has happened, do everything you can to put it right. When it comes to dealing with angry customers, try to find a resolution that will keep them happy. You might need to provide a discount, refund shipping or even refund the order to help keep the customer happy. This is something to consider adding into your budget that you might not have thought about before.
Think about reducing your shipping
One thing that can determine whether a customer orders with you or with your competitor is shipping. Free shipping is a good incentive to order something, especially around the festive period, and could be worth investing in for your business – even if it is just during this period.
To help give you the best shipping costs, you need to ensure your weights are accurate. You can get scales at 1800scales.com in different sizes that are suitable for your products. Being able to provide the correct weight for your products could save you money on your shipping, allowing you to pass the savings onto your customers.
Increase your customer care efforts
Christmas is the time when many people decide to increase their customer care teams. Providing good customer service is important all year round, but with increasing sales and more pressure to get things right, it’s even more important to provide a great service at Christmas.
It’s important that customer queries are dealt with as soon as possible. When people have to wait for a response, that’s when they start taking to social media and review websites to air their concerns widely. While some customers can be difficult to deal with, it’s important to remain calm, friendly and polite if you want any hope of retaining them as a customer in the future.
Use social media to your advantage
The holidays are the perfect opportunity to do some great things with social media. From a stand-out Christmas campaign to being able to have some fun with your customers, you can use the excitement around the festive period to increase your followers and increase your profile.
Get yourself in the festive spirit by taking a look at some of the best Christmas campaigns. While you might not have a huge budget for your own campaign, it’s a great way to get some ideas and think about ways you can make a big splash at this time of year.
Reward your loyal customers
While attracting new customers and increasing your profits is important to drive sales at this time, you mustn’t forget about your existing customers. Show them that you value their loyalty by offering incentives such as discounts on an order, or a free gift. You can find some excellent ways to reward existing customers that can be affordable and impactful for your business. Even sharing their content on your social media channels can make them feel valued and appreciated.
Why not add a special touch such as sending a Christmas card or a small gift with your orders? Your customers will appreciate the surprise and it’s a lovely gesture to provide at this time of year.
Think ahead to sale time
While it can feel as though you’re just trying to survive the Christmas rush, it is important to think ahead to your plans after Christmas. Most stores launch sales on either Christmas eve or in the days after Christmas, which can take a lot of work to pull off. Your employees will be working hard over this period, so you might want to give everyone a few extra days to recover before you launch your sale.
A post-Christmas sale is a fantastic opportunity to clear out your old stock and get ready for the new year. Be smart with your pricing strategy and you could do well during the post-Christmas period and give your customers another great reason to shop with you.
Do something great for others
The holidays are a time for giving, and as a business, you’re in a position to give back to others to spread a little festive cheer. From providing monetary donations to charities to helping out in your local community, there are different ways your business can do something to help others at this time of year. You can highlight your efforts through your news page, your blog and across social media. It’s important to demonstrate that you’re a socially-responsible company, and encourage your customers to give up some of their time this Christmas too.
Have fun with it
The best thing about Christmas is to have fun with it! Christmas is a happy time of year, and it’s great to get into the festive spirit and enjoy it. Get your office/warehouse decorated, put on some Christmas music and get ready to get festive! Your office can be a fun place to be at this time of year, which will reflect in the way you handle your customers.
Christmas can be the busiest time of year for your business, but it’s important to keep your customers at the heart of what you do. It’s a great time to build trust with your customers and show them that you value their business and support. Make sure your Christmas plans are in place to deliver the best Christmas to your customers, and have the best Christmas for your business too.