How to Cultivate Repeat Custom for Your Business

Millions of businesses are facing significant challenges at present. Around the world, inflation levels remain high, which can impact profitability as raw material costs may be higher. These additional costs are invariably passed onto the end customer in the form of higher prices, which can harm sales revenues. In addition, energy costs remain high, which adds to the indirect costs of production, putting a further squeeze on profitability. 

Combine these factors with a cost of living crisis that is reducing consumer spending power, and you have a situation where many businesses are struggling to enjoy similar levels of success as they were a few years ago. However, one of the key ways to secure long-term profitability and safeguard the future of your business in challenging economic circumstances is to cultivate repeat sales from a large proportion of your existing customer base. 

Put simply, if you can encourage your customers to become loyal to your brand and product range you will enjoy more sustainable sales streams. Cultivating repeat custom can be challenging, especially if you operate in a crowded marketplace with intense competition. However, it is achievable by adopting some simple marketing and customer relations strategies. In this article, some of these strategies will be explored in detail. Each strategy may be suitable for a wide range of businesses, and by fully implementing a mix of them it should be possible to enjoy higher levels of repeat custom in your firm.

Reliable delivery networks

While product price and quality are key factors in determining whether a customer will make repeat purchases from your company in the future, it is important not to overlook delivery timescales as part of your overall sales strategy. As customers become more likely to shop online as part of their routine purchasing habits, they are growing to expect faster delivery timescales. I

n a recent survey, 44% of consumers stated that they were willing to wait two days for fast deliveries, while only 25% of consumers said they would wait three to four days. Put simply, a company that can consistently deliver goods to stated timescales and offers the customer fast delivery options at the checkout is more likely to enjoy repeat custom from its target market. It is of paramount importance that all companies secure reliable delivery networks as part of their overall sales and customer service strategy. 

Firms should look to established courier and loading boards such as Shiply, which can offer a range of delivery timescales for product shipments. These delivery companies commonly fill their vehicles to capacity and make multiple stops along their routes. This allows the unit shipment charges to remain competitive while enjoying quick delivery timescales. In short, choose delivery agents who have built a reputation for delivering on time and you will be taking a key step to ensuring repeat custom.

Customer loyalty schemes

Almost all customers like to think that they are getting a good deal on their purchases. Discount schemes and customer loyalty programs can encourage repeat purchases as they help the customer to save money over time. A prime example of this is the use of a point-based customer loyalty scheme. In this system, every time a customer makes a purchase, they receive points to their account. Higher-priced items typically give the consumer a greater number of points. 

Over time, when sufficient purchases have been made, the customer can cash these points in to provide partial or complete funding for other products. While the points system of customer loyalty has proven to be highly effective across many businesses, there are other options available. Cashback schemes, refer-a-friend programs, and tier-based schemes for customer loyalty can all be effective in securing repeat sales. 

Rapid response to customer issues

In an age where 90% of customers regard an immediate response to their questions or queries as “important” or “very important” ( in this context, an immediate response is typically thought of as being in 10 minutes or less), it is vital to ensure that rapid responses are given. Time to respond can be a crucial factor in determining the overall levels of customer satisfaction when they contact customer services. Thankfully, for routine questions and queries, companies can use AI-powered chatbots to direct consumers to the information they require. 

This method is becoming widespread across business and can be a quick and cost-effective way to resolve issues. However, it is also important to understand that human staff will invariably need to deal with complex issues and customer complaints. Ensure that your firm has a small but dedicated customer service team that is skilled in resolving complex issues to acceptable timescales. Efficient problem-solving and effective communication are the key to retaining your customers when they experience problems.