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...

Did you know that more than 60 percent of customers admit that they belong to one of more loyalty programs? Many brands and retail operations now offer customers cards that they can carry with them and scan when checking out in order to earn points that can later be redeemed for merchandise and discounts. Some businesses also implement tiers or reward levels, which gives even better rewards to those customers who spend more. Below we'll take a quick look at a few reasons why you should be offering different reward or incentive tiers to your loyal clientele.

Give the Biggest Rewards to Frequent Shoppers Frequent customers are the lifeblood of the commercial and retail industries. A customer who is excited about a brand will continually shop at the same store and will be quick to share their experience with friends, family and others via social media. Using a tiered system lets you offer the biggest rewards to those who visit most frequently or purchase higher amounts of product. For example, a store might...

One of the best ways for businesses in the modern world to remain competitive is via a customer loyalty program. While customers see these programs as a path to some benefit, the obvious goal for the business or brand is to encourage repeat business by offering an incentive. The most commonly used loyalty programs let customers take advantage of special rewards available only to members, typically by collecting points that they can later trade in for discounts or free merchandise. Loyalty programs often feature multiple tiers with different benefits and rewards at each level, which makes the system more competitive and encourages greater and greater spending by those who are most loyal to the brand. Let's take a look at a few excellent reasons to offer incentives to your customers to encourage their loyalty – and their repeat business.

Build a Positive Reputation You've likely heard the old adage that states "Any type of advertising is good advertising." Whether you have one shop in a small town or a string of shops spanning multiple cities, it only takes one bad review to watch your profits drop. When a customer is upset over how a retail worker acted or if an individual decides they dislike the high prices in one of your stores, those shoppers will talk to others about their experiences which can cause significant future problems. Implementing a loyalty program will make shoppers excited about collecting points and receiving benefits, which will in turn help to provide a more positive reputation around your business and brand.

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A brand ambassador is an individual who goes above and beyond to spread the word about a specific product or business. Celebrity spokespeople often work for companies and appear in promotional materials advertising businesses and products, but many smaller companies can't afford to pay a celebrity an extravagant amount of money. Anyone with strong people skills and the ability to work with others can serve as an ambassador for your brand. Turning the clients you already work with into ambassadors is as easy as getting those clients excited about your products or services. Let's take a look at how you can turn your customers into cheerleaders for your brand, driving new business and sales.

Give Away Free Gifts Who doesn't love getting something for free? Promotional items are an easy gift to provide to clients that they can pass out to their friends and family, or keep for themselves. For example, items might include shirts, jackets, pens, bags and even small clocks and electronics branded with your company...

Offering your customers the opportunity to save money is one way of convincing them to purchase from you. However, when it comes to building long-term customer loyalty, you have to do more than that. You have to ensure that your brand is constantly at the top of the customer's mind as one that they trust and one that they want to do business with in the future. Let's have a look at why this is so, and at ways in which you can earn true customer loyalty.

Loyalty Cannot Be Bought As many stores and companies do, you can try to attract customers to buy your product by offering reduced prices. However, that isn't loyalty. If you want your customers to hang around, you have to give them something more than discounts. Just as it is with loyalty in relationships, it requires time and trust to be built. This is why if you want loyalty, you have to invest more than money. You have to somehow create memorable moments that are connected with your brand.

The Road to Loyalty Begins Long Before the First Purchase...

There are a variety of ways to driving huge traffic to your retail store. One popular promotional trend right now is 'secret' sales. Here's how you can market under the radar, and bring more business through your doors.

Customers Can Cash In by Collecting Points Costumer loyalty programs are a great way to keep your customers coming back to your store. Points systems are a popular and easy way for store owners and customers to track rewards. Everyone likes to feel special, and exclusive offers and promotions are a great way to spread that feeling. Make your loyal customers feel special with some secret savings exclusive to members.

Accelerate Business with Point Multipliers There are various point multipliers that you can use as incentives for customers to shop in your store. Give loyal customers access to rewards with point accelerators. Offer shoppers triple points between certain hours of operation, or hold double point events throughout the year. A happy hour is a great way to get people in to...