Customer loyalty is an essential ingredient in growing a business. When you’ve got loyal customers, you’ve got people that keep coming back. You don’t have to go out and find new customers all of the time. You’ve got regulars that always do business or shop with you, and more than that, you’ve got people that will bring their friends, recommend you to others, give you good feedback and reviews and share your content on social media. Once you’ve got this loyal community, to an extent, you can sit back and watch your business grow. These will be the people that stick with you when times are tough and help you out when you need it.

But, despite the apparent need for customer loyalty, so many companies, even big ones, neglect it. They assume that their customers will be loyal, without putting any effort into making sure that they are. Instead, they focus on raising prices, mass production, and making more money. This is a mistake. If you appreciate the importance of customer loyalty, but you’re not quite sure how to boost it, here are some tips to help.

Keep it Simple

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Whatever services or products you are offering, things shouldn’t be difficult. Your customers shouldn’t be searching your website for what they need, or desperately trying to navigate your store. They shouldn’t have to wait for what they want or ask because they can’t find things. They shouldn’t find that they can’t pay, because you don’t accept the payment method that they use. Their experience should be quick and easy. It should even be enjoyable.

Research shows that Pharmacy Automation Increases Revenue by 24% in a small pharmacy business. A big part of the reason why is that it makes customers lives easier. This is what you need to do in your business. Walk through each step that your customers take to ensure that their experience is efficient and enjoyable, and make changes if you need to.

Ask for Feedback

Of course, the best way to improve your customer’s experience is asking them. You can walk around and test things out all you want, but it’s your business, you are used to its layouts and quirks, it will always seem efficient to you. Ask customers for feedback and suggestions with a suggestion box, feedback form, online form, social media polls, and surveys. You could even talk to them face to face. They’ll respect the fact that you’ve asked, it will make them feel valued.

Get to Know Them

Customers appreciate a little extra effort. Speak to them, get to know them, ask about their day, and find little ways to make it better. Sometimes, just a brief chat with someone standing behind a till is enough to brighten someone’s day.

Reward Loyalty

Loyalty schemes can be tremendously effective, and they don’t have to be expensive to run. Offer loyal customers discounts or freebies. Offer people that spend money a future discount, or a gift voucher on their birthdays. Even a free cup of coffee can be enough to get you remembered and boost loyalty.