In this post:
- Why two-way customer engagement is vital for your business
- How you can facilitate two-way communication with customers
- How a pre-populated customer list improves the business/customer dialogue
The importance of two-way customer engagement can be difficult to explain, but consider this example most of us have experienced: You’re at a social gathering and someone you’ve met several times before comes up and introduces herself as if you’re meeting for the first time. It’s awkward, right?
This is how some of your customers feel when they visit your store.
These days, customers get excited when they find a new local business to try. Like 97% of shoppers, they spend a decent amount of time online, researching options when choosing where to eat, where to shop, and even which dentist and doctor to see. It takes a bit of work, so when customers find a place that they like, they want to keep going back.
Get a pre-loaded list of all of your customers — including spend history, name, and contact information — that automatically updates with every transaction, with Womply’s CRM software. Learn more, plus get free reputation monitoring and customer insights when you sign up for Womply Free!
That’s why it’s disappointing when repeat customers are greeted like a first-time visitor. So, what can you do about it?
Knowing what and who to know for better two-way customer engagement
Getting to know your customers is key to growing relationships with the community, but it is also great for business. Not only do you need to know who your big spenders and frequent visitors are, you deserve to know. These are your customers, after all. And when you know who they are, you’ll build stronger relationships with more customers, faster.
Of course, you should treat all your customers equally and with the highest level of support, but there is a difference between a casual visitor and a repeat shopper. That difference doesn’t mean you should ignore the new visitor. It means you should be sure to know who your most frequent shoppers are.
A simple, “good to see you again!” as they walk through your doors may be all it takes to make them feel valued and earn their trust. (Not to mention, it will impress that new visitor. They’ll see you care about your customers, and they’ll want to be one of those repeat shoppers.)
When customers feel the love, so to speak, they are far more likely to do repeat business with you. And as studies have shown, a loyal, repeat customer is worth up to 10 times their initial purchase, maybe even more. And, repeat business can have far-reaching financial benefits for your business. It can increase your revenue by 47% alone.
But all of this starts by knowing your customers and paying close attention to their buying trends.
Go deeper: find out how Womply’s customer relationship management software helped one business owner simply and easily learn about her customers, segment them according to new and repeat visitors, and find new ways to attract business.
Remember: Better customer relationships are a two-way street
The relationship you have with your customers is a two-way street. As they repeatedly support your business, you should take the extra minute to get to know them. You should also benefit from the extra effort you put in to know who these more valuable customers are.
Don’t be afraid to ask your best customers for some feedback, especially those that are coming in frequently and spending a decent amount with you. Ask them to rate your business online, leave a recommendation, and to share links to your store on their social media profiles. They’ll likely be happy to help and will be flattered you value their opinion.
You might also like: How to get more reviews
Take action toward building effective two-way customer dialogue
Keeping track of all your customers can be tough, or even impossible for some small businesses. Why not let Womply do the work for you?
Womply turns every transaction into a customer profile that gets better with time. Womply CRM is the first and only small business software that creates and populates a complete customer directory for you—right down to finding email addresses and contact info for your best customers. Learn more, plus get free reputation monitoring and customer insights when you sign up for Womply Free!