What do you need to know about a customer to be able to develop a long-term relationship with them

By Pierre Barbeau

Customers now want more from an application than just information or entertainment. What they really want is to build a long-term relationship with your organization – and a mobile app is one tool to do that.

If you truly want to build long-term relationships with your customers through your mobile app, then you will want to plan out your long-term strategy. Think of loyalty, retention, engagement and repeat business.

But how can you achieve that type of comprehensive, solid relationship that keeps customers coming back again and again, year over year?

Here are three fundamental steps you need to take to build long-term relationships with your customers using your mobile app.

Step #1: Get to know your customer
If you truly want to build a long-term relationship with your customer, then it starts by getting to know them at a grassroots level. Ask the fundamental questions that drive any good customer relationship:

• Who are my customers?
• What do they want?
• What do they need?
• What excites them to buy?

By getting a sound understanding of your customers’ needs and behavior, you can start defining ways that your app can meet their needs, and not just for the next coupon or promotion, but for the long-term (think one to two years).

One way you can do this is by getting your customers to share their personal information with you.

According to our recently published study with mCordis, “Consumer Attitudes to Privacy, Permission, and Personalization,” we discovered that people are more likely to share their personal data than we previously thought, especially if they are being given royalty rewards, relevant discounts or coupons. And most especially if they trust the app provider.

But you can also use their basic purchasing behavior and simple demographic data to understand who buys what, where, and at what time of day. Take the time to understand where your market segments are, and build a unique profile of each prominent customer group that you serve.

Step #2: Measure your customers’ behavior with the right tools
Now that you have identified which customers you want to build long-term relationships with, it is time to measure their buying behavior in as much detail as possible. For example, you will want to ask yourself:

• What do they like to buy from me?
• When do they buy it?
• Why do they buy from me?
• Where are they when they make their purchase?

Ask these same questions for every customer profile you have created. This will form the basis of a solid communications and marketing strategy plan.

How do you get this information?

Use a solid, back-end data analysis and reporting tool on your mobile platform. Do a few aggregate searches to find out what each of your customer profile groups is buying, reading, or engaging with, and when and where they are doing it. The data may surprise you.

New advancements in GPS and beacon technology can even give you some real-time data about where your clients are using your app, which is especially important for bricks-and-mortar locations.

Step #3: Design a communications and marketing strategy to keep customers coming back again and again
Now that you know who is buying from you and what they are buying, the goal is to keep them coming back, over and over again. Remember, long-term customer loyalty is built slowly – one deal, one reward at a time.

Design a comprehensive, point-by-point marketing and communications plan for each of the customer profiles you created in step one. So if you are targeting five different client profiles, you should have five different communication plans.

Think about the behavior you want to reward for each type of client. What do you want them to do? Do you want them to visit your bricks-and-mortar location more frequently? Or do you want them to buy more? Try new products?

Consider also when they like to buy, and what they like to buy. Then marry the two together into a rewards and communication strategy.

Write a simple, one-page communications plan that covers the next 12 months for that customer profile. Describe at least 12 different communication points for that customer that will build a strong relationship, one per month, or more. Be sure to include:

• Push notifications
• Rewards
• Deals
• Coupons
• QR codes

By giving your customers value at regular intervals, you will build loyalty and customer appreciation, the foundation of a good long-term relationship with any customer.

Pierre Barbeau is cofounder/CEO of Moblico, Kansas City, MO. Reach him at [email protected]

Don’t make the mistake of focusing solely on acquiring new customers; nurture your existing customers who are spending their money with you. It won’t be easy though, healthy relationships require time and effort to maintain.

Few things will help your company more than building long-term, positive customer relationships. Show customers you genuinely care and see them as more than just an avenue to profits and good things will happen. This high-touch approach may seem costly upfront, but you’re likely to make that money back (and more) as a result of building genuine relationships with your customers. In fact, increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%, according to Bain & Company.

Don’t make the mistake of focusing solely on acquiring new customers; nurture your existing customers who are spending their money with you. It won’t be easy though, healthy relationships require time and effort to maintain.

In a way, customer relationships are similar to romantic relationships. Imagine that you won over a potential love interest with flowers, fancy meals, and exciting dates. But then, once you’re in a committed relationship, you stop trying to please them. You start phoning it in and acting neglectful. The odds that relationship survives are slim to none. Well, the same thing is true with your customers; the more you communicate with them and show them you appreciate them, the more likely you are to keep the love alive. Read more about the importance of long-term customer relationships here and how to build long-term customer relationships (and the tools that will help you do it).

So what are the best ways to build customer relationships? Let’s explore…

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Effective communication is the key to building customer relationships

The transaction is just the beginning

The purchase is only the start of your relationship. The service and aftercare you provide is often what makes or breaks how people feel about your company. Customer acquisition is important but so is customer retention. What happens after the sale is where you can stand apart from competitors.

Communicate well, early, and often

Speak to customers wherever you can. Respond to emails, answer support queries, reply to social media posts, and maintain an active presence online. You want a steady pulse of interactions with customers.

Tool Tip

SproutSocial: “Understand and reach your audience, engage your community and measure performance with the only all-in-one social media management platform built for connection.”

Be proactive

Keep customers notified about the products you offer, new releases, articles/links of topic-specific interest, and anything else that might entertain them. An email newsletter is a great way to do this. That way you don’t have to rely on customers following you on social media since you wind up directly in their inboxes. Also, reply to comments at your blog or online whenever possible. And you can never go wrong with an old fashioned thank you note.

Tool Tip

Mailchimp: “Bring your audience data, marketing channels, and insights together so you can reach your goals faster—all from a single platform.”

Never miss the latest business tools

Use advanced customer engagement tools

Live assistance tools like co-browsing & video chat will enable you to assist your customers in real-time and identify problem areas quickly. This sort of direct communication lets you deliver effective, personalized solutions immediately.

Tool Tip
LiveHelpNow: “LiveHelpNow a simple customer support tool which facilitates real-time customer service communications via live chat, chatbots, SMS/Text, Email, and FB Messenger.”

Build a community

Communities make your customers feel like part of a family and can have a notable impact on customer satisfaction. So provide a way for your customers to communicate not just with you, but with each other. This can turn your customer base into a tribe of like-minded fans.

Tool Tip
Vanilla: “Engage with Community. Cloud-based customer community software. Drive loyalty, grow sales, and reduce service costs.”

Update customers with a newsletter

Send newsletters regularly. Showing up in a customer’s inbox means you don’t have to worry about social media algorithms or platforms that may collapse. Talk about your products but also offer content that’s genuinely interesting and/or helpful. If your newsletter adds value to their lives, customers will look forward to opening it.

Tool Tip

Constant Contact: “Create branded emails, sell products, build a website, and make it easy for people to find you—all from a single platform.”

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Poor customer experiences are an opportunity to save customer relationships

Negative experiences are opportunities

Poor customer experiences may seem disastrous, but they also provide you with the chance to win over a customer for life. What matters isn’t the specific issue your customer is facing but how you respond. Dig deep into the issue, take steps to recover (perhaps a rebate, discount, replacement, or gift card can help?), and ask what you can do to repair the relationship. Handle these crisis points effectively and you’ll turn a disappointed customer into a lifelong evangelist.

“96 percent of dissatisfied customers don’t complain. They just walk away, and you’ll never know why. That’s because they often don’t know how to complain, or can’t be bothered, or are too frightened, or don’t believe it’ll make any difference. Whilst they may not tell you what’s wrong, they will certainly tell plenty of others. A system for unearthing complaints can therefore be the lifeblood of your business, because customers who complain are giving you a gift, they’re still talking to you, they’re giving you another opportunity to return them to a state of satisfaction and delight them and the manner in which you respond gives you another chance to show what you’re made of and create even greater customer loyalty.”
–Robert Clay

Use customer support software

Online tools help support teams understand their customers’ needs and monitor customer satisfaction based on factors like number of open tickets and average resolution time. This keeps everyone on your team informed so clients aren’t frustrated by mixed signals and poor internal communication. You should also monitor social media, Amazon, Yelp, and industry forums to find and interact with dissatisfied customers. Wherever you encounter distressed customers, be calm and courteous and work overtime to repair any damage.

Tool Tip

HappyFox: “Meet HappyFox, a practical help desk and customer support software solution. Reduce chaos and bring order to your support process with a robust support ticket system, self-service knowledge base and community forums.”

Let customers help themselves

Self-checkout is a big hit at supermarkets and a similar approach to support can help customers solve their own problems. 24 hour personal support may be ideal but it is a tough trick to pull off; so offer a knowledge base/FAQs at your web site and consider investing in a chat bot that can guide visitors to the right areas of your website. You’ll most likely still want to offer personalized support options, but this can help customers who are self-sufficient or need immediate assistance during non-business hours.

Tool Tip

Helpjuice: “Helpjuice’s easy-to-use and most powerful knowledge base software is designed from the ground up to help you scale your customer support, and, collaborate better with your team.”

When possible, let customers speak to a human being

To provide an excellent customer experience, your support team needs to be accessible. In surveys, many customers report their biggest complaint with a company is not being able to get help from an agent when needed. A real conversation with a human being can be crucial to creating a meaningful relationship between a company and its customers. The success of the Genius Bar at Apple Stores is a great example of how the human touch can make a huge difference.

Tool Tip

LiveAgent: “LiveAgent combines excellent live chat, ticketing and automation that allow us to provide exceptional support to our customers.”

SECTION 3

Treat your customers like royalty and they’ll stay with you for life

Make customers feel appreciated

Making the other person feel special and appreciated is the key to any relationship. Set up a customer service system, even if you’re a small business. If it’s your company, you may need to man the front lines of support queries. What may seem like a pain is actually a great way to gather feedback about what’s right and wrong with your product. Also, get personal with your customers. Call them by their names, track their interests, and be proactive about making sure they’re happy.

Tool Tip

Helpscout Helpdesk software: “Helpscout makes support, sales, and customer engagement software for everyone. It’s quick to implement, easy to use, and scales to fit your needs. ”

Invest in your most valuable customers

Casinos will offer “whales” (i.e. high rollers) special perks in order to get them to stay/bet at their hotels. What can you do that shows your best customers you care about their needs? These big spenders are the foundation of your business’ future so show them you appreciate them. A holiday gift, a handwritten note, personalized service, or a special preview of a new product are just a few ways you can show you care.

Organize events

Hosting live events can be a highly personal way of engaging with customers. Put together an event to say thanks or organize a retreat for some of your best customers so they can give you feedback and get to know you better.

Offer loyalty incentives

Offer loyalty rewards, an affiliate program, thank you notes, and surprise gifts as ways to keep your customers excited about you. Use a loyalty program that lets customers earn points for buying your products. After earning a certain number of points, the customer gets a reward (discount or free product usually). It’s a win-win scenario that leaves customers ecstatic.

Tool Tip

Stamp Me: “Stamp Me is a digital loyalty platform that makes it easy to connect with your customers, reward loyalty and drive repeat purchases.”

Give away merch

Give away products with your company’s logo. Pens, notepads, mugs, shirts, hats, etc. Customers will be delighted with your gift and you’ll get free promotion out of the deal when they wear your company logo in public.

Tool Tip

Merchology: “Merchology is the number one provider of unique, high-quality corporate branded apparel & accessories in the world.”

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Treat your employees right and they’ll treat customers right

Take care of your best employees

Happy employees result in happy customers. Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines said, “If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” Plus, studies have shown happy workers are also significantly more productive. That means support reps will solve problems faster which in turn increases customer satisfaction. So promote and take care of your best employees, the ones who go above and beyond the call of duty to please customers. At the same time, watch out for poor performers who turn off customers or leave other employees to pick up the slack. You want to incentivize your team to keep customers happy and be stellar representatives of your company culture.

“There’s a direct link between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Happy employees equal happy customers. Unhappy employees lead to unhappy customers.”
–Ashira Prossack

Empower your employees to do the right thing

Make sure your employees know that keeping customers satisfied is a top priority. Tell them to follow up regularly to make sure customer needs are met. They should reply to voicemails, emails, and support queries ASAP. Make customer care part of your onboarding process for new employees. Work to improve your team’s active listening and communication style via ongoing training. The result will be a more consistent customer experience.

Tool Tip

Lessonly: “We help customer service leaders take their teams from good to great with powerfully simple training. Empower, elevate, and expand your support team with Lessonly.”

Think of support as a product

Companies are rightfully obsessed with their products – the design of them, the experience of using them, etc. However, customers often view products as commodities that are interchangeable. But something that’s always specific to your brand is the way you build customer relationships; the way you communicate with customers and offer support can be a key differentiator that helps you stand out from the pack, even if you’re selling a generic product.

“ involves three steps: reflection, validation and empathy. ‘We mirror what the client is saying, so they feel they’ve been heard. We then validate feelings, so they feel understood. Lastly, we use empathy so they feel we’re on their side. Most people just want to be heard and feel understood, even if you disagree.”
–Rachel Beider, CEO of Massage Outpost

SECTION 5

Keep track of your customers to show you care

Use a CRM system

A customer relationship management (CRM) system will help you track all your customer conversations in one place and streamline your communications. At the very least, you should be keeping a record of your clients and when you last checked in with them. If you really want to go for it, record your customers’ product likes and dislikes, spending patterns, location, age, gender, tastes, needs, and buying habits. Don’t be shy; ask if there are problems you can solve for them or anything else you can do to keep them happy. Even if it doesn’t result in a sale immediately, you’ll be first in mind when customers need to purchase again.

Tool Tip

HubSpot CRM: “Everything you need to organize, track, and build better relationships with leads and customers.”

Know customer preferences

Some customers may want short conversations while others prefer lengthy ones. Some may want to hear from you once a week, while others prefer once a month (or even less frequently). Personalize your relationships by paying attention to their preferences and keeping track of what you learn. Which way do they prefer to be contacted? How do they like to be addressed? Customers will appreciate your diligence.

Tool Tip

Nextiva: “Take your phone system to the cloud with Nextiva’s multi channel contact center. One powerful solution for VoIP, Video, Messaging and Fax.”

Request feedback and product reviews

No one will give you a better window into where you’re succeeding or failing than the people who actually use your products. Create a consistent feedback loop that asks customers to give you their opinions, especially after critical interactions like support replies, product demos, etc. After a purchase, follow up and request a review. After a customer support query, reach out and make sure the problem was solved. Emotion may drive initial purchases, but logic is what builds loyalty and keeps customers around for the long haul.

Tool Tip

Nicereply: “Get more customer feedback than ever before with Customer Satisfaction, Customer Effort Score and Net Promoter Score surveys from Nicereply.”

Act on feedback

Don’t just listen, do something about it. Discuss feedback received and implement suggestions so customers feel valued and heard.

Tool Tip

SurveyMonkey: “Turn feedback into action. Our survey platform makes it easy to measure and understand feedback so you can drive growth and innovation.”

Every point of contact is precious

Every touch point with a customer (or potential one) is an opportunity to build a relationship. Your marketing should focus on the needs of your target demographic and prove you understand its needs. Empower your team to start meaningful conversations and ask sharp questions. And get all members of your team to occasionally spend time on the front lines dealing with customers; it’s a great way to learn about the heartbeat of your company.

“I personally connect with many of our members to get to know them better and get their insights on our service. It’s usually over email, but I have also met with members in person and over the phone. Additionally, I like to reach out when there is a customer service issue. In an age of artificial intelligence and overseas customer service, it’s my experience that people really enjoy a personal touch, and to know that I am truly invested in their experience. We have a very low attrition rate, and are working hard every day to keep it that way,”

–Nicole Robertson, Co-Founder & CEO of Swap Society

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Compare and contrast more customer relationship tools

Want to do more research on your own to find the perfect solutions for building customer relationships? Here are links to some of the top comparison platforms that will help guide you toward the best fit for your company.

• The Best CRM Software: “Customer relationship management (CRM) tools continue to transcend their customer support and contact management roots to become multi-faceted marketing and sales solutions focused on collaboration and closing deals. Here we look at some of the best CRM tools.”
• The 9 Best Customer Service Software Tools: “To keep up with new customer demands, we often adopt new tools to help. But it can be really difficult to sort through all the reviews and vet whether or not a specific tool may be useful to your organization. With that in mind, we put together a list of the eight best customer service tools this year.”
• Customer Loyalty Program Software advice: “Finding software can be overwhelming. We’ve helped hundreds of companies find customer loyalty software to improve customer loyalty programs and track and manage rewards.”
• The 9 Best Live Chat Apps for Customer Support: “The person behind that little bubble in the corner of the website you’re visiting can assist you with a purchase, schedule a service, and even resolve complex technical issues—all while you, the customer, are simultaneously engaged in other activities. That’s why customers love live chat.”
• 7 Best Knowledge Base Software Compared (Pros & Cons): “Are you trying to figure out which software is best to setup your knowledge base website? With so many options to choose from it can be a bit difficult to find the right KB software for your website. To help you save time and money we rounded up a list of 5 best knowledge base system software.”
• EmailToolTester: “We’re here to help you find the right newsletter service. We compare the best email small business marketing tools for small and medium-sized businesses. Without the jargon.”

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