5 Ways to Keep Your Customers Coming Back

Bringing in new customers should be part of your everyday strategy as a small business owner, but are you doing everything you can to make sure those one-time customers turn into repeat customers? Here are five things you can do, according to MasterCard, to retain your customers and turn them into brand advocates.

1. Focus on existing customers. According to MasterCard, the marketing funnel has been flipped – meaning bringing in new customers is no longer the focus. Instead, focusing on your existing customers can be more effective and provide the most value. Existing customers are more likely to talk up your business and become brand advocates – resulting in more customers and higher profits.

2. Be sure to do email marketing the right way. Email marketing can be fantastic for small businesses, but only if done properly. Email campaigns can be low-cost and a great way for you to maintain connections with existing customers. But if you don’t use it the right way, you can do real harm to your customer base. Don’t be spammy and be sure your customers have an interest in what your emails say.

3. Utilize social media. Social media is here to stay, so take advantage of the free marketing space and provide your customers with active and engaging content. You don’t need to be on every social media channel – pick and choose the ones that make sense for you.

4. Being mobile is critical. According to MasterCard, in 2015 the number of mobile devices used surpassed the number of people on the earth. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you will have a hard time retaining your customers.

5. Impress with your customer service. Providing amazing customer service is one of the best ways to ensure your customers will keep coming back. Make your customers feel important and, if something goes wrong, make sure they feel heard and have their issue fixed. Great customer service helps build a solid relationship between your business and your customers and, as a result, will create loyalty.