Many business pundits believe that acquiring new customers are harder than keeping existing customers. Most of the cases it is true. Particularly in small business attracting new customers might seem difficult because of the absence of wider marketing strategy. Rather satisfying old customers might seem easier and much doable.
Sometimes we fail to give proper respect to old customers. We have a wrong idea that existing customers would keep coming. So we try to grab or create new customers segment. But you know attracting new customers is time consuming and sometimes expensive.
Small business owners often face budget shortage. As the business is small so they have limited allocation for marketing campaign. Word of mouth strategy is the most suitable weapon for small business. Existing customers can play a crucial role to the “strategy word of mouth”
Selling products or services with reasonable price might be enough to guide your venture into ultimate success. You need to provide more to satisfy clients or customers. For example you are a retail drug seller. You might sell medicines according to customers want. But in addition if you give your valuable customers some advice like whether the drugs would take before or after meal or remind them to drink plenty of water in case of higher antibiotics. Or suppose you sell sublimation items. So while dealing with customers give them some tips like how much heat a sublimation mug can observe or how durable the sublimation print because of using quality heat press. You might get examples but the key point is to provide proper advice to existing or new customers regarding products or services.
You would learn something more here how to keep coming existing customers:
Offer returns shopping discounts
Remember people like to get incentive. So you can offer incentive to get the customers keep coming and shop in your store. Sending discount coupons also help you to get old customers coming repeatedly. But your discount coupon must be different from your rivals otherwise it would be worthless.
Start a mailing list
It is the cheapest but effective way of holding old customers segment. You would maintain customers email list and inform them regularly about your new products or services. You would also let them know your future plan of business expansion. It would help you to create a good relation with customers and might encourage them to keep coming to you.
Offer special discounts
Let your customers know that you value their cooperation. Offering special discounts might make customers satisfied and they might appreciate your initiative. Once your customers realize that you think about them then it would be easier to convince them for future purchase.
Observe special days
You would convince customers by giving cards or flowers on special day. For example in New Year day you would give them some special gifts or discount. If you think it is expensive then just give them a special note. Just remind them you are well aware of any special occasion you are not a mere tasteless businessman.