Maintaining customer loyalty in the COVID-19 age

If you have a business, you would definitely agree with us that customers are the most important people for any commercial enterprise. But common knowledge about COVID-19 makes it clear that people are still hesitant on physically visiting business establishments. In addition, due to diminished work hours, forced leaves, layoffs, and general uncertainty, people are spending less than what they’re used to. With fewer customers having less spending power, it’s a tough time for virtually all businesses the world over.

If your business survived during this pandemic, you have been through the worst and came out with flying colors. Now it’s an opportunity to retain existing customers, increase customer loyalty, and even attract new clients to help your business get back on its feet. With this in mind, check out these top tips on how to win your customers and keep them loyal to you even during this crisis.

Look for business opportunities that spouted during the COVID-19 pandemic

Search the Internet to enrich your knowledge about COVID-19. Look for information about how to modify your existing space and company practices to make your business safer for your customers, employees, and contractors. Learn how electronic transactions flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic and see if you can adapt successful strategies to your own business model. Look for new B2B opportunities as new, revolutionary business ideas have sprouted. You’ll be surprised at how many entrepreneurs suddenly had a creative streak during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Be transparent about your situation

Most customers understand that times are tough for your business. But they don’t want any business to under-deliver and shatter their expectations. As thus, be honest about your business situation.

For instance, if you have fewer staff, let your customers know about the situation and assure them that their concerns will be met albeit in a slight delay. If orders are expected to be delayed, let customers know beforehand. Don’t act as if it’s still business as usual when in fact, it’s not.

Genuinely help your customers

Find out what your customers need and where they are stuck in a quagmire. From there, assess your products and services and see how these can help your customers in this time of crisis. Build a message or strategy that centers on addressing their present need or concerns.

Let’s say that pre-COVID-19, you’re running a bistro where locals love to hang out. You can continue serving loyal customers with their favorite meals by introducing an online ordering and delivery service. They don’t have to go to your bistro, and they don’t have to go to the grocery store to buy ingredients for their meals. With your online service, you lessen their exposure against the coronavirus.

Nurture your customer experience

Both loyal and new customers love a pleasant time while transacting business with you. Capitalize on this by improving the way you deal with them. Adding personalized notes for each purchase, including some freebies with their purchase, letting them participate in marketing polls and surveys, introducing a loyalty program, and asking for feedback are just some of the ways that you could do so customers will feel valued.

Don’t hard-sell

You have to understand that during a crisis, people hold on to their money. Up-selling, hard-selling, or bombarding them with pointless marketing emails or text messages won’t work; in fact, you’ll just annoy your customers. Remember that you want to help your customers go through these hard times, not forcing them to buy from you.

Set out a clear message

Customers are more likely to keep your business in their minds if you project a clear message. There are several ways to do this. For example, you can:

• update your website content to make it clearer, more concise, and more insightful
• include content that will provide them with value such as e-books, e-flyers, downloadable apps, and more
• irritate how your business is addressing the COVID-19 crisis
• let the customers know how much they mean to your business
• give your customers of what to expect of your business after COVID-19

Keep your customers engaged

Loyal customers are always on the lookout of what’s new in your business. That’s why you should reach out to them constantly. This can easily be done via webinars, podcasts, or online tutorials. You can also live stream videos or host online events to keep them engaged. Respond to their emails, chats, private messages, or phone calls.

Increase your social media presence

Advertising rates in social media have become more affordable since the onset of COVID-19 during mid-March. In addition, with so many people locked down during the COVID-19 season, people have turned to social media to reach out to the world and gather information.

As such, refurbish your social media ads so you can reach out to new and existing customers who are interested in your product or service. By boosting your social media presence, you can connect your brand better to your customers.

Here’s a tip: Empathize with your customers’ plight in social media. Rather than using an advertising tone, let customers know that you understand their concerns. Then explain how your product or service can help them.

Use advanced technology

The biggest problem with COVID-19 is that the fear of contracting the disease keeps customers from going out. Thus, you may have to adapt quickly to using advanced technology so you can bring products to them. For example, real estate agents can provide virtual tours and 3D floor plans that can give buyers a glimpse of properties that they’re interested in purchasing. E-commerce platforms allow your business to have an online channel. Special apps can be developed for online consultations.

Businesses alike have been hit pretty hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although COVID-19 does not mean it’s the end of your business, it does mean that you need to rethink your strategies so it could be adapted to your customer’s mindset during this crisis.

Having up-to-date knowledge about COVID-19, being aware of the present business situation, restraining the temptation to hard sell, and empathizing with your clients can help put your business into their minds. Combine that with creative and engaging strategies designed to enhance customer experience, you can definitely keep customers loving your brand.

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