Post by lizaseo11 on Nov 9, 2024 1:44:48 GMT -5
For a business website, it is important not only to attract customers, but also to retain them and work with them. It is important to create a project that will make it useful, interesting and convenient for people to use the online resource. In this case, they will remember you and come back again. In addition, you need to have two strategies at once: to retain new customers and work with the existing base. These are completely different methods, so let's look at them in more detail.
Benefits of retaining old customers
The customer base is your huge resource and capital that needs to be used correctly. A loyal customer is ready to make repeat purchases, and no additional advertising funds are required to attract and “warm up” them. The strategy of forming long-term relationships is the most profitable method of work. In addition, the right approach allows you to create a group of “brand advocates” who will share their impressions of working with you and disseminate useful information.
To work with an existing base, it is necessary to develop a strategy of periodic contact, which will allow you to remind them about yourself. However, you should not be too active in sending out mailings and making calls, in order to prevent the base from being “burned out”. In terms of marketing touches, the ratio of useful content to selling content should be 10:1 or 10:2. With a high percentage of advertising messages, such communications will be annoying and will cause the opposite effect. The following will be interesting for clients:
Technologies for working with your equipment.
Carrying out technical maintenance.
Staff training.
Ways to improve equipment performance.
New ideas for using equipment that will allow you to generate new income.
Videos and photo materials that demonstrate issues of repair, maintenance and operation.
Among commercial mailings, messages that will provide benefits and advantages for their business are relevant for clients:
Updating the product line.
Promotions, discounts, sales.
Training events, master classes for staff.
Perhaps you will find unique useful topics specifically for your production; here there is already scope for activity of a group of marketers and advertisers.
Specifics of attracting new clients
Let's analyze the methods shopify website design of attracting clients to the site and determine the difficulties of this process. We evaluate the effectiveness of marketing activities using quantifiable indicators, so we will work with numbers:
Advertising cost. The cost of attracting 1 new client is 5-10 times higher than the cost of retaining an existing one. At the same time, advertising costs are growing, the cost of a click or view is constantly increasing. Let us remind you that advertising rates are determined by the auction principle, and if competitors want to rise above you, they raise rates. And such a struggle is going on in all types of advertising business, which is very disadvantageous for advertisers.
Economic instability and unpredictability. Conversion rates change during a crisis, and even if a marketer ensures a flow of visitors to the site, their conversion into clients depends on the work of the sales department. In addition, no analytics will allow you to accurately predict the number of clients. You can only tentatively estimate this indicator based on statistics. During periods of high market turbulence, customer behavior is difficult to predict, and we find ourselves in a risk zone.
Value.
A new client is not ready to make expensive purchases, since trust has not yet been formed and the value of the product has not been conveyed. For an industrial enterprise, it is important to provide not only equipment, but also service. Statistics from American researchers provide the following figures: clients who have been working with your company for more than 3 years spend 67% more on orders and purchases than new consumers.
Consumer loyalty. For new clients, it is important to get their pain solved, so here you need to attract a lot of resources to analyze and solve the customer's needs. In addition, at the first stage, you will need to create a trusting relationship and build confidence in the quality of your products. For regular clients, these points are no longer so relevant, because their requests are more understandable, and they more easily voice new needs to you, since there is trust.
Classification of customer acquisition methods
We distinguish 3 main methods of working with clients:
Active – through promotion of a commercial offer, cold calls, mailings, contacts at exhibitions and other events.
Passive – implemented with the help of outdoor advertising, search engine optimization, Internet marketing (targeted and contextual advertising).
Combined – they combine the active work of the sales department and marketing tools.
The most effective methods of attracting clients today
The conditions of tough competition require careful preparation when launching a project. The goal will be to attract the attention of the target audience and gain a foothold in the market. Only after recruiting a minimum number of clients can you begin working on a retention strategy.
Here are the recommended strategy elements:
Distribution of promotional products. Advertising through promotional products allows you to form an image of your brand in the minds of consumers and maintain interest. Most often, purchases are made from those companies whose name is imprinted in memory. It is important to develop the possibility of familiarizing yourself with the product/service. If this is large equipment, it will be useful to conduct excursions to the production facility or training in new technologies. For small products, promotional gifts work well, allowing you to get your own impressions from using them.
Content marketing. Selling through useful information is a convenient and relatively inexpensive way of promotion. Blogging, social networks, YouTube channel will significantly increase traffic to the site and "warm up" the audience. Regularly post quality content, answer questions, give useful advice - and people will appreciate your company as a reliable partner.
Accuracy and professionalism in advertising. Of course, advertising is done by marketers. But your technologists and designers should take part in the preparation of advertising. Or there may be another option, when the professional adaptation of the marketing and sales department begins with studying the production and technological processes of the enterprise. But in any case, advertising should be truthful and not mislead potential clients.
Profitable offers and promotions. Gifts, discounts, promotions – this system of motivation for consumers should always be in reserve for promoting your products/services. People are motivated to interact if they are involved in interesting events with bonuses. For example, invite those who can be useful in terms of improving the product to a discussion, a dialogue. The broad masses of consumers willingly take part in lotteries – this is where excitement comes into play. Conduct surveys, take reviews with video and photos.
Conducting live presentations. There are fans of video presentations who are ready to watch them recorded. But live emotions and drive work better in live presentations and shows. These can be exhibitions or short demonstrations that attract attention. The speech should be short and memorable. As an attractive bonus, you can offer participants a discount coupon or an instant lottery.
BTL technologies. Most often, paper advertising is used in the area of the promotion. But if you attach value to the advertising medium, then customers will carefully store it for a certain time. For example, you hand out flyers with the amount of the discount on the product/service to someone who presents it at the point of sale. Such a flyer is the equivalent of money for the target audience, so they will not throw it away. What else can be used as such an advertising medium: a business card that gives a discount, a price list with a "code word".
Viral effect of advertising. Bright and funny advertising makes people want to share information. The emotions that a person receives play a role here. The second option is a provocative theme of the advertising video or post. However, in this case, you need to avoid topics of politics and religion, so as not to cause a wave of indignation. Touch on other issues that will touch a nerve.
Networking. Communication and building business communications helps to expand the audience of clients and works on the basis of trusting relationships. Study the problems of consumers, offer solutions to their problems, promptly respond to new requests - be on the wave of interests of your target audience and give accurate answers.
Expertise level. Speaking at industry conferences and seminars, publishing in specialized publications (online and offline), blogging (video and text format) will show you as an expert. You can conduct live broadcasts on social networks in the format of an interview or dialogue - this is a very lively option for communication.
Mass events. Social activity may not be profitable from a superficial point of view, but it will give you bonuses in the form of reaching a new audience. Attend and participate in concerts, bike races, fairs - such events attract thousands of people and will become a good platform for PR.
The Best Customer Retention Tools
First of all, it is necessary to study and analyze the reasons for customer departure. This will allow you to cover needs and prevent the loss of active consumers. To do this, use real reviews, get feedback, consider competitors' offers and the market situation:
Personalization in communications. Use personal messages in mailings, send relevant offers based on real interests, congratulate on birthdays and other significant events.
Loyalty programs. Develop a program like this with a cumulative effect to motivate repeat purchases. It is useful to have a referral program in which the recommender will receive a material reward for advertising your products.
Customer Club. Organizing such a community provides additional value for customers if you provide club members with certain benefits. This format brings people together and unites them.
Content Marketing. Useful and interesting information increases your brand awareness, talks about the benefits and advantages for customers. It is important to focus on the needs of the client, not on yourself.
Security of transactions. A reliable and clear interaction service simplifies orders and purchases. It is important to properly organize the first interaction so that the client feels comfortable and understands.
Elements of exclusivity. Individual design, branded packaging – this gives the client a sense of exclusivity as a consumer.
Don't irritate customers. Spam mailings are a sign of intrusiveness. Don't be too annoying and active, everything is good in moderation.
Contests and promotional offers. Make special offers for regular customers so that they appreciate the benefits of their loyalty to your brand.
Branding of souvenirs and gifts. Make gifts with elements of your brand, mark memorable dates of clients and bright events of your cooperation.
Gamification. This method of customer engagement involves performing certain actions (subscription, review, purchase, order) with a real reward for the action. In this case, elements of gaming technologies can be used.
As you can see, it is important to use both methods that allow you to attract new clients and work with the existing base. But do not forget that a business needs a well-thought-out strategy and a strong sales department that will close deals. You need to spend time and effort to train and prepare your team, but the costs will pay off with high conversion and profit.
Benefits of retaining old customers
The customer base is your huge resource and capital that needs to be used correctly. A loyal customer is ready to make repeat purchases, and no additional advertising funds are required to attract and “warm up” them. The strategy of forming long-term relationships is the most profitable method of work. In addition, the right approach allows you to create a group of “brand advocates” who will share their impressions of working with you and disseminate useful information.
To work with an existing base, it is necessary to develop a strategy of periodic contact, which will allow you to remind them about yourself. However, you should not be too active in sending out mailings and making calls, in order to prevent the base from being “burned out”. In terms of marketing touches, the ratio of useful content to selling content should be 10:1 or 10:2. With a high percentage of advertising messages, such communications will be annoying and will cause the opposite effect. The following will be interesting for clients:
Technologies for working with your equipment.
Carrying out technical maintenance.
Staff training.
Ways to improve equipment performance.
New ideas for using equipment that will allow you to generate new income.
Videos and photo materials that demonstrate issues of repair, maintenance and operation.
Among commercial mailings, messages that will provide benefits and advantages for their business are relevant for clients:
Updating the product line.
Promotions, discounts, sales.
Training events, master classes for staff.
Perhaps you will find unique useful topics specifically for your production; here there is already scope for activity of a group of marketers and advertisers.
Specifics of attracting new clients
Let's analyze the methods shopify website design of attracting clients to the site and determine the difficulties of this process. We evaluate the effectiveness of marketing activities using quantifiable indicators, so we will work with numbers:
Advertising cost. The cost of attracting 1 new client is 5-10 times higher than the cost of retaining an existing one. At the same time, advertising costs are growing, the cost of a click or view is constantly increasing. Let us remind you that advertising rates are determined by the auction principle, and if competitors want to rise above you, they raise rates. And such a struggle is going on in all types of advertising business, which is very disadvantageous for advertisers.
Economic instability and unpredictability. Conversion rates change during a crisis, and even if a marketer ensures a flow of visitors to the site, their conversion into clients depends on the work of the sales department. In addition, no analytics will allow you to accurately predict the number of clients. You can only tentatively estimate this indicator based on statistics. During periods of high market turbulence, customer behavior is difficult to predict, and we find ourselves in a risk zone.
Value.
A new client is not ready to make expensive purchases, since trust has not yet been formed and the value of the product has not been conveyed. For an industrial enterprise, it is important to provide not only equipment, but also service. Statistics from American researchers provide the following figures: clients who have been working with your company for more than 3 years spend 67% more on orders and purchases than new consumers.
Consumer loyalty. For new clients, it is important to get their pain solved, so here you need to attract a lot of resources to analyze and solve the customer's needs. In addition, at the first stage, you will need to create a trusting relationship and build confidence in the quality of your products. For regular clients, these points are no longer so relevant, because their requests are more understandable, and they more easily voice new needs to you, since there is trust.
Classification of customer acquisition methods
We distinguish 3 main methods of working with clients:
Active – through promotion of a commercial offer, cold calls, mailings, contacts at exhibitions and other events.
Passive – implemented with the help of outdoor advertising, search engine optimization, Internet marketing (targeted and contextual advertising).
Combined – they combine the active work of the sales department and marketing tools.
The most effective methods of attracting clients today
The conditions of tough competition require careful preparation when launching a project. The goal will be to attract the attention of the target audience and gain a foothold in the market. Only after recruiting a minimum number of clients can you begin working on a retention strategy.
Here are the recommended strategy elements:
Distribution of promotional products. Advertising through promotional products allows you to form an image of your brand in the minds of consumers and maintain interest. Most often, purchases are made from those companies whose name is imprinted in memory. It is important to develop the possibility of familiarizing yourself with the product/service. If this is large equipment, it will be useful to conduct excursions to the production facility or training in new technologies. For small products, promotional gifts work well, allowing you to get your own impressions from using them.
Content marketing. Selling through useful information is a convenient and relatively inexpensive way of promotion. Blogging, social networks, YouTube channel will significantly increase traffic to the site and "warm up" the audience. Regularly post quality content, answer questions, give useful advice - and people will appreciate your company as a reliable partner.
Accuracy and professionalism in advertising. Of course, advertising is done by marketers. But your technologists and designers should take part in the preparation of advertising. Or there may be another option, when the professional adaptation of the marketing and sales department begins with studying the production and technological processes of the enterprise. But in any case, advertising should be truthful and not mislead potential clients.
Profitable offers and promotions. Gifts, discounts, promotions – this system of motivation for consumers should always be in reserve for promoting your products/services. People are motivated to interact if they are involved in interesting events with bonuses. For example, invite those who can be useful in terms of improving the product to a discussion, a dialogue. The broad masses of consumers willingly take part in lotteries – this is where excitement comes into play. Conduct surveys, take reviews with video and photos.
Conducting live presentations. There are fans of video presentations who are ready to watch them recorded. But live emotions and drive work better in live presentations and shows. These can be exhibitions or short demonstrations that attract attention. The speech should be short and memorable. As an attractive bonus, you can offer participants a discount coupon or an instant lottery.
BTL technologies. Most often, paper advertising is used in the area of the promotion. But if you attach value to the advertising medium, then customers will carefully store it for a certain time. For example, you hand out flyers with the amount of the discount on the product/service to someone who presents it at the point of sale. Such a flyer is the equivalent of money for the target audience, so they will not throw it away. What else can be used as such an advertising medium: a business card that gives a discount, a price list with a "code word".
Viral effect of advertising. Bright and funny advertising makes people want to share information. The emotions that a person receives play a role here. The second option is a provocative theme of the advertising video or post. However, in this case, you need to avoid topics of politics and religion, so as not to cause a wave of indignation. Touch on other issues that will touch a nerve.
Networking. Communication and building business communications helps to expand the audience of clients and works on the basis of trusting relationships. Study the problems of consumers, offer solutions to their problems, promptly respond to new requests - be on the wave of interests of your target audience and give accurate answers.
Expertise level. Speaking at industry conferences and seminars, publishing in specialized publications (online and offline), blogging (video and text format) will show you as an expert. You can conduct live broadcasts on social networks in the format of an interview or dialogue - this is a very lively option for communication.
Mass events. Social activity may not be profitable from a superficial point of view, but it will give you bonuses in the form of reaching a new audience. Attend and participate in concerts, bike races, fairs - such events attract thousands of people and will become a good platform for PR.
The Best Customer Retention Tools
First of all, it is necessary to study and analyze the reasons for customer departure. This will allow you to cover needs and prevent the loss of active consumers. To do this, use real reviews, get feedback, consider competitors' offers and the market situation:
Personalization in communications. Use personal messages in mailings, send relevant offers based on real interests, congratulate on birthdays and other significant events.
Loyalty programs. Develop a program like this with a cumulative effect to motivate repeat purchases. It is useful to have a referral program in which the recommender will receive a material reward for advertising your products.
Customer Club. Organizing such a community provides additional value for customers if you provide club members with certain benefits. This format brings people together and unites them.
Content Marketing. Useful and interesting information increases your brand awareness, talks about the benefits and advantages for customers. It is important to focus on the needs of the client, not on yourself.
Security of transactions. A reliable and clear interaction service simplifies orders and purchases. It is important to properly organize the first interaction so that the client feels comfortable and understands.
Elements of exclusivity. Individual design, branded packaging – this gives the client a sense of exclusivity as a consumer.
Don't irritate customers. Spam mailings are a sign of intrusiveness. Don't be too annoying and active, everything is good in moderation.
Contests and promotional offers. Make special offers for regular customers so that they appreciate the benefits of their loyalty to your brand.
Branding of souvenirs and gifts. Make gifts with elements of your brand, mark memorable dates of clients and bright events of your cooperation.
Gamification. This method of customer engagement involves performing certain actions (subscription, review, purchase, order) with a real reward for the action. In this case, elements of gaming technologies can be used.
As you can see, it is important to use both methods that allow you to attract new clients and work with the existing base. But do not forget that a business needs a well-thought-out strategy and a strong sales department that will close deals. You need to spend time and effort to train and prepare your team, but the costs will pay off with high conversion and profit.