It takes time, effort, and dedication for any mission-oriented business or a small business to develop brand loyalty – it is the sum of the customer’s response to every contact with the brand. It begins with the products you are selling and ends with the after-sales service you provide to your customers.
For instance, Apple, in addition to producing high-quality products, Apple pays a lot of attention to the overall customer experience. The Genius Bar in their stores offers individual attention, their website is easy to navigate, and the packaging of their products feels like a high-class unpacking experience. This has created a loyal customer base that is willing to pay the extra cash and recommend the company to their friends and neighbors.
How can I, as a small business, do this? First of all, I have to understand the path that my customers are taking. Are my loyalty programs rewarding customers to make them come back and shop with me again? Or is my website easy to use and a pleasure to be on? Or does the customer feel well taken care of by my customer service? By improving these points, you are not only selling a product or a service. You are actually creating an experience that will keep customers coming back for more.
For more information, check out Forbes on building customer loyalty or HubSpot on loyalty programs. Each resource offers advice on adjusting touchpoints.
We at Jules Management Group understand what it takes to make a message resonate with the audience at every touchpoint. It doesn’t matter whether it is through product quality or pricing or simply following up with the customer; you build brand equity by meeting and, more importantly, exceeding customer expectations.
Want to develop your customer journey? I’ll help you come up with a plan.