How To Personalize Your Customer Experience

In a world where customers have more choice than ever, it is important to make sure that you cultivate an atmosphere of customer loyalty. A loyal customer base helps to retain a solid base for your product or service and provides you with a positive reputation in the local community and wider industry—but just how do you create these loyal fans? We have put together some tips to help you create a more personalized customer experience with the aim of retaining loyal, repeat customers.

 

Understand What They Like

The easiest way to get customers on your side is to treat them like individual human beings, rather than a means to a profit. This includes tracking their spending habits and rewarding accordingly with vouchers, special events, and discounts. If shoppers feel as though they have been noticed and appreciated, they are far more likely to return for a similar product next time—particularly if they have the incentive of a freebie or 20 percent off!

 

Reward Loyalty

Loyalty schemes and cards are another excellent way to personalize the customer experience. You have the opportunity to create custom events for cardholders, helping to elevate their status and making them feel that little more noticed and special. This may include an after-hours sale, where the store is only open to a few, pre-invited shoppers. These simple acts work to reward their loyalty and make the shopping experience more intimate and personal.

 

Make The Most Of Digital Signage

Digital signage software has long been a popular tool in marketing, allowing brands to change their displays according to sales and changes in fashions. It can also be used to help personalize the experience your customers have in store, by helping to detect those who have downloaded a smartphone loyalty app. Adverts for these viewers can then be targeted depending on their preferences, creating a more tailored, individual experience.

 

Have An Active Social Media

Social media is one of the top marketing tools or any business, and keeping a thriving, active social media presence is an important method for helping your customers to remain engaged and interested. This includes offering regular competitions and discounts, responding to questions, queries, and complaints quickly and accurately, and making sure that all your information is up to date, such as opening hours, extended opening periods, or key sales or limited offers. If a customer takes the time to post or comment on your page, getting a direct response is a great way to help them feel genuinely included and valued, and they are far more likely to return.

 

Offer Excellent Service

In a similar vein, it is crucial to offer continuously high levels of service whenever your customers interact with any staff member. This may be sales staff on the shop floor, a customer service team member, or the person dealing with a complaint. Make sure the customer knows that their custom is valued and appreciated and that any concerns they have are taken seriously and responded to appropriately and in good time.