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<\/img> <\/p>\nWhat is the value of each of your existing customers? It\u2019s likely you know exactly<\/i> what that value is, based on historical data and both short- and long-term projections of average revenue realized from your customers.<\/p>\n
But whatever that projected value \u2014 for conversational purposes, let\u2019s just say $500 per year \u2014 that number doesn\u2019t tell the whole story. Because, as the old saying goes, it\u2019s much less expensive to keep an existing customer than to acquire a new customer. Therefore, the value of your existing customer is worth much more than $500 per year, in comparison to acquiring a new customer.<\/p>\n
How much more?<\/p>\n
That number can vary considerably between companies and between industries. But an oft-cited 2014 Harvard Business Review<\/i> article by Amy Gallo reports that \u201cacquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one.\u201d<\/p>\n
But though it\u2019s commonly accepted wisdom that customer retention is cheaper than customer acquisition, that still doesn\u2019t quite tell the whole story of the value of your existing customers.<\/p>\n
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Just how much value can you realize from keeping each of your existing customers? The numbers are rather astounding \u2014 and, depending upon your point of view, also rather frightening.<\/p>\n
Frederich F. Reichheld, business strategist and author of books such as The Loyalty Effect<\/i> and Loyalty Rules!<\/i>, has performed extensive research about the benefits of keeping customers and the costs of losing them. His research, spanning many years and many industries, has yielded some startling discoveries.<\/p>\n
Nearly two decades ago, Reichheld reported in the Harvard Business Review<\/i> that his research found that \u201cincreasing customer retention rates by five per cent increases profits by 25 per cent to 95 per cent.\u201d How can simply retaining a customer be so profitable? Reichheld found that the early years of the customer-company relationship are less profitable \u2014 and sometimes even un<\/i>profitable \u2014 because of the costs of acquiring the customer and nurturing the relationship. But in later years, the costs of serving that customer often plummet and, correspondingly, the profits realized from that customer soar.<\/p>\n
The obvious takeaway is that keeping your customers loyal for the long-term is of crucial importance. Doing so can offer your company a substantial competitive edge. Conversely, the failure to keep customers loyal can significantly dull your competitive edge.<\/p>\n
But cultivating loyalty isn\u2019t as simple as just keeping your customers satisfied.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, customer happiness and customer loyalty are not synonymous. Though the former is certainly a necessary component of the latter, customer happiness does not assure loyalty. And it\u2019s easy to confuse the two.<\/p>\n
As Dana Severson notes in an article for Inc., <\/i>a loyal customer is far more committed to your brand. \u201cCustomer loyalty measures something more than satisfaction \u2014 it measures whether someone is willing to put their name on the line and recommend your product or service to others, or if they are willing to stick with your product\/service in spite of an occasional poor experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Severson explains, customer satisfaction is little more than a feel-good metric that offers marginal real-world benefits. Customers that are simply satisfied, for example, are not<\/i> more likely to:<\/p>\n Loyal customers, conversely, provide all of those benefits, plus more.<\/p>\n How do you convert \u201csimply satisfied\u201d customers into loyal customers? Customer engagement is the key, and customer loyalty programs can be astoundingly effective in driving customer engagement.<\/p>\n Customer loyalty programs incentivize the actions of customer engagement that lead to enhanced loyalty. That\u2019s why customer loyalty programs are booming in popularity.<\/p>\n A recent loyalty census report found that Canadian consumers held 175 million loyalty program memberships in 2017 \u2014 a 35 per cent increase from 2015. Melissa Fruend, the author of the report, says, \u201cThe membership increase signals that Canadians still find loyalty programs fun and rewarding. Successful programs today are bridging the gap between loyalty and great customer experience.\u201d<\/p>\n But the report also reveals a potential problem with customer loyalty programs: Nearly half of Canadians polled felt that loyalty programs amounted to little more than marketing schemes.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re considering implementing a customer loyalty program for your company, the following tips will help to ensure that your program is successful \u2014 and not<\/i> simply regarded as a marketing scheme.<\/p>\n You can also explore partnership opportunities with other companies as a way to add even more spice to your loyalty program. TOMS Shoes, for example, partners with charitable programs such as Baby2Baby and Save the Children.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t fall into the trap of thinking your program design is a once-and-done task. You\u2019ll be wise to constantly test different program campaigns and rewards. After all, there\u2019s no better way to discover what will most entice your customers to participate.<\/p>\n Once your program is rolling, it will provide you with a great opportunity to learn more about your customers. Use social listening (also known as social media monitoring) to keep tabs on customers\u2019 reactions to your loyalty program. This can provide a wealth of data that extends far beyond the bounds of your program. You\u2019re likely to be rewarded with insights about your customers that may never have been revealed without your loyalty program.<\/p>\n And, of course, you can use what you learn to constantly tweak your loyalty program to more fully sync with customers\u2019 wants and needs.<\/p>\n Ultimately, your loyalty program can help your brand compete more effectively and achieve greater success by leveraging your most valuable asset: your existing customers. Without loyal customers, no business can survive. And loyalty, after all, really should<\/i> be rewarded.<\/p>\n\n
The Basics of Loyalty Programs<\/h3>\n
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<\/img> <\/p>\nWhy It\u2019s Wise to Incentivize<\/b><\/h2>\n
Starting an Effective Customer Loyalty Program<\/b><\/h2>\n
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How to Start a Loyalty Program that Works<\/h3>\n
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<\/img> <\/p>\nListen and Learn<\/b><\/h2>\n
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