There
is always a tendency, especially with less experienced
business owners or entrepreneurs to spend all or most of
their time seeking out new business or new customers.
Although it is very important to seek
new customers on a daily basis it is also critical that we
develop and maintain a good relationship with our present
customer base. It is hard enough to get a customer in the
first place, so we should try our utmost best to keep that
customer for the long haul.
You might have seen businesses
starting up in areas that are not conducive to business, yet
they have survived the test of time and have gone on to
become highly successful enterprises.
On the other hand you've also seen
businesses that have opened up in highly trafficked,
conducive neighborhoods with all the right conditions in
place, yet after 6 months they wither and die. You pass one
day and see the building up for lease or sale.
Now you must have heard this in the
past many times about the importance of location when
starting a business, but is it the deciding factor in the
success or failure of that business?
Although location plays a vital role
in the decision making process - most times customer loyalty
is the critical element that decides the fate of that
business. Below I've taken the time to list four reasons
which I think is very important in creating and maintaining
healthy customer loyalty.
=>1. A loyal customer is a repeat
customer. This is a customer that know you and know what to
expect from you and your business.
A mutual relationship that is built
up over time between you and your loyal customer will create
a bond - where they will stick by you and support your
business even sometimes at their own inconveniences. Yes
they will. Repeat business is vital to your business
survival.
=>2. Another powerful feature of
creating and maintaining customer loyalty is the word of
mouth advertising that occurs.
Say you have a grocery store and
you've developed a good relationship with mom. As time goes
by mom recommends it to dad, kids, brothers and sisters,
neighbors, co-workers and soon you have a viral effect
happening. You soon become a shining light to a lot of
people in that community. Wow! That's powerful!
=>3. To take this a step further -
you've developed a relationship with the households in the
area, but then you realize that the community is made up
with other businesses. Furniture store, barber shop, bakery,
insurance office etc.
Now establishing a good relationship
with these other businesses is priceless! When you have
other business owners and operators recommending your
business to their customers, you have now created a solid
foundation for your business.
=>4. Perhaps the most important
reason for developing and maintaining a loyal customer base
is the fact that most times the initial order is just a
setup for greater things.
Repeat business is when customers
will buy in greater quantities, or purchase more pricier
items after they have developed trust in you and know that
you have their best interest at heart. Repeat sales can
become the bedrock of your business over time and as I said
before - can be the deciding factor in the success or
failure of your business.
Establishing and maintaining good
relationships with your customers is critical in developing
customer loyalty. If handled well this could lead to a long
and lasting business which will continue to grow
exponentially over time.
Godfrey Thaxter is a Marketing Consultant
who provides articles, tips and resources to help new online
marketers get started right with their internet home
business. To learn more about what he does visit:
http://www.PassiveIncomeOnAuto.com
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