Companies such as Apple are the epitome of brand loyalty, with the tech company having a core of followers who will solely buy their products and stick with them throughout their lifetime. But just how can companies follow in their footsteps?
Well, securing loyal customers might require some tweaks to your current approach. The probability of selling a product or service to an existing customer is 60-70%, with 65% of a company’s business said to come from existing customers. Here, we will look at exactly what it is that makes customers stay loyal to a brand.
Offering Discounts
Brands can get caught up in offering enticing perks to new customers, but to build customer loyalty you should keep your existing clientele in mind. Therefore, discounts and special offers are important to make sure that existing customers feel valued. It may seem hard work to keep them happy, but this is a simple way to show them their worth. In many studies, it has come back that discounts and special offers are in fact the top reason for brand loyalty. This is because rewarding loyalty helps to provide a good experience and is beneficial for both parties, meaning they don’t feel the need to shop around.
Customer service
Customer service is inherent to building brand loyalty. If a brand or company provide you with consistent quality service, you’ll be more likely to stick with them. According to a Yotpo study, 23% of us blame poor customer service for choosing a different brand. This shows that people’s perception is crucial.
Often, companies will provide a personal approach in a bid to entice the customer. A prime example is Motability car dealers, Lookers, whose slogan is ‘For You, For Life’. This indicates that the brand has your best interests at heart by saying ‘for you’ and they want to stick with you throughout your driving life experience — ‘for life’.
If your customer service excels your client’s expectations, then you’ve made the right kind of impression. Businesses are there to provide a simple service, and if they can’t meet a user’s expectations, no matter how high, then they will ultimately look for answers and services elsewhere. Customer service is crucial to gaining a customer’s trust and this helps build loyalty.
Nostalgia
A bit of nostalgia can go a long way for brands looking to build customer loyalty. This is because it’s not particularly in the hands of a business and is simply a matter of ease for the customer. This links into the trust factor too, as it’s the fear of the unknown. Many customers stick to what they know, and this can be tracked back to family members, such as parents. Past data in the UK found that the public are, on average, more loyal to our banks than we are our marriage vows! The average Brit stays with their bank for 17 years, while marriage in the UK lasts only 11 years on average. Often, this relationship with a bank begins in childhood as a customer follows the bank account that their parents use.
Building Trust
If you’re looking to build trust within your business, then keep your customer a top priority. Firstly, they must prepare with the customer in mind. This will help to develop a clear client-focused objective and show the customer that a business understands their needs. It’s also imperative to be honest, and businesses should not offer a service or product that is not entirely what the customer is expecting. This is a sure-fire way to breaking any level of trust.
In a survey conducted by InMoment, participants revealed that they have specific brand connections which stretch back as long as a decade, and that they do so as a result of the service itself. A customer will often stick with a brand or product because they know what to expect. That trust factor has been built up and enables them to know exactly what they need to. The fear of the unknown is a major reason people would not choose a new brand or service in case they aren’t happy with their choice.
Brand loyalty can be achieved in this way but take heed from the saying: “Trust is the easiest thing in the world to lose, and the hardest thing in the world to get back.” A trustworthy asset of any company is their uniform as it is able to portray a level of high importance. One example of this is Virgin, in which their cabin crew uniforms strongly represent the brand image they wish to portray and are easily identified across their industry.
If you want to build brand loyalty, your customers need to be the main priority. Therefore, it’s important to regularly conduct customer feedback to ensure that a business can fully understand what it is their customer base is looking for. Doing so will allow them to have the best chance to retain customers in the future.