On Customer Loyalty

In today's modern world, individuals can shop for anything they need online, from the comfort of their homes. In most major cities, one can have everything from movies and clothing to health products and food delivered right to their doors – sometimes within the same day. As the owner of a brick and mortar store, you need to find a way to compete with those online businesses and get customers through the doors.

Despite the popularity of online shopping, the majority of people still turn to local neighborhood shops for their everyday necessities making customer loyalty critical to your success. Below we'll share a few tactics to help build loyalty and repeat business.

Use a Low Annual Fee While it might seem a little crazy, some businesses have found success in charging their clientele a membership or annual fee in order to receive discounts. GameStop is a retail business that found success through a paid loyalty program. For less than $20 a year, customers received discounts on products and other...

When it comes to retail, one of the biggest challenges a store owner or manager faces is bringing in business on a consistent basis. You want your regulars to stay loyal, coming back for more again and again. You also want your customer base to expand to introduce new business, and one of the best ways to do this is via the power of referrals.

When satisfied customers spread the word about their positive experience with a particular business, they tend to draw more people in the doors, whether close friends or just those who read a Tweet or Facebook post. Target the power of word of mouth and recommendations through a referral program and you'll really see a difference. More business will be coming to you and your profits will be moving in the upward direction. Let's take a look at referral programs and why they are seen as an investment in your business that will provide excellent returns.

Why Leave It to Chance? Use a Program That Works One of the best ways to build your customer base is by offering...

The idea of using tablets in retail spaces seemed almost silly just a few years ago, but more and more companies now use tablets as a way to help and support customers. Windows tablets like the Surface are relatively inexpensive but provide a number of benefits for shoppers. Some of the biggest chains in the world now use these devices on the sales floor to help customers faster than a sales clerk could. Though tablets won't be soon replacing cashiers and other workers, these electronic devices do have some amazing benefits which we'll explore below.

Provide Customers with Quick Information Tablets are an excellent way to provide quick information to customers without them having to track down a free employee. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and several other hotel chains created small kiosks with tablets and other devices in the lobbies of different hotels. Guests can easily check into a room and stop by the front desk just to grab their keys, and they can also use the tablets to find out more about popular...

In some of the more competitive, high-volume industries, having a loyalty card that customers scan at the register is no longer enough to stay ahead of the competition. With more and more stores developing loyalty programs, even those clients who shop just once or a couple of times a year can use a reward card – thus defeating the purpose of having a loyalty program in the first place. As smartphone use is exploding around the world, many businesses have made the jump to developing iPhone or Android loyalty apps that customers can download directly to their handsets. Let's take a quick look at how having a retail app specific to your store might result in the sales boost that you need to remain competitive.

Customers No Longer Need a Card It takes just a quick look in a wallet to see that many individuals have a massive assortment of cards obtained from restaurants, video stores, grocery stores, clothing stores and other shops. As "out of sight, out of mind" holds true for loyalty cards, it does a business...

Modern retailers face an increasingly competitive marketplace, thanks to shifting consumer habits and the online retail boom. In order to remain relevant in a changing landscape, retailers must develop an effective marketing strategy and work to build brand loyalty among existing customers. Running a digital coupon campaign is merely one of the many effective resources available to retailers. These campaigns are an effective way to capitalize on the buying power of loyal customers, while simultaneously reaching a larger audience of would-be shoppers without resorting to costly alternatives, such as advertising campaigns.

Creating Digital Coupons Retailers have a myriad of unique options available for their digital coupons. Many companies create coupons that offer limited-time discounts on popular items. Others offer freebies in exchange for an in-store purchase. Coupons should be visually appealing and contain plenty of information about the retailer in question. This will maximize a retailer's opportunities...