Word of mouth is one of the most powerful means to build businesses. That’s why companies place so much emphasis on delighting customers. After all, customers who are impressed with your business can’t help but tell others about it.
Sounds like what you want for your business? Read on to find out how you can impress your customers so much, that they can’t help but keep coming back!
Why do businesses work so hard to delight customers?
Customer experience is crucial. That’s why 83% of companies that work hard to improve customer experience see growing revenue. In fact, brands that delight customers bring in 5.7 times more revenue than brands that don’t put in the effort to improve customer experience.
So what exactly contributes to an improved customer experience? There’s a whole range of factors involved. Branded packaging, satisfaction guarantees, and personalization are some common strategies to name a few.
That said, delighting customers goes beyond just superficial improvements. Anything that improves customer experience—be it customer service, feedback, or R&D for your products—contributes to delighting customers and building brand loyalty.
How can small businesses delight customers?
Small businesses might brush the notion of delighting customers aside because it doesn’t sound financially feasible. But that’s a myth!
You don’t need a high budget to improve customer experience. Here are some great ways your small businesses can delight customers even if you have a tight budget.
1. Be responsive on social media
Social media is an integral part of every business. It’s how brands get discovered online and connect with customers.
Many consumers turn to social media to ask questions and give feedback instead of traditional channels like contact forms and emails. Being responsive on social media helps you build trust with your customers because you meet them where they’re at.
As a business owner with a busy schedule, it’s difficult to stay on social media 24/7. That’s why it’s helpful to set specific windows in the day to get on social media and reply to queries. Make it a point to get back to messages within the day so customers know you’re attentive to their needs.
See also: 4 Quick Ways to Retain Customers for Your Ecommerce Business
2. Have a clear FAQ page
FAQ pages are great at building trust with your customers. While some customers enjoy personalized interactions, other customers may prefer to minimize contact and find answers on your website.
That’s why having an effective FAQ page is so important. It provides customers with answers to common questions and reassures their doubts about your products. On top of that, it can help to lighten your burden in answering queries throughout the day!
Cococart’s FAQ feature is designed with small business owners in mind. It’s simple, easy to set up, and designed to answer customer queries on the get-go.
Want to learn how to craft effective FAQs that build trust with customers? Read this guide.
3. Brand your product packaging
Putting your brand on your product packaging isn’t just about the aesthetics. It signals to customers that you take your business seriously.
Your small businesses might not have a large budget to customize every aspect of product packaging, but there are a few budget-friendly hacks you can incorporate to help level up your brand image.
1. Use custom poly mailers
When your customers first receive their order, the first thing they see is the poly mailers that their order came in. Since most businesses use generic poly mailers, having yours customized easily sets your business apart.
On top of that, custom poly mailers are pretty affordable. Each customized poly mailer only costs about 10 cents more, depending on the quantity you order. That hardly causes a dent in your profit margins!
2. Include a personalized thank you note
Delighting customers is all about making them feel appreciated. And handwritten thank you notes do just the trick!
With more companies going digital, interactions are increasingly impersonal. A handwritten thank you note might not seem like much, but it gives your brand a human touch. You’d be surprised at how impactful these handwritten notes of appreciation are!
4. Always ask for feedback
This is perhaps the best way to impress your customers—asking them for feedback. How would you know the best way to delight your customers if you don’t ask them about it?
There are many ways you can ask for feedback. You can include a QR code to a feedback form in your thank you note to easily collate data. Alternatively, you can drop your customers a text message and give them a link to your form.
Feedback from customers is valuable. With the right insights, you can make informed decisions on how to improve customer experience and create brand loyalty.
5. Build relationships with repeat customers
Repeat customers are already loyal to your brand. To strengthen your relationship with them, it’s important to make your appreciation known.
Give repeat customers special discounts by creating a loyalty program. You can give a freebie after their fifth purchase or send them expected surprises like samples of your new products.
Strengthening relationships with loyal customers can turn them into super fans and bolsters word of mouth marketing for your brand!
Bonus: have enough profit margins to provide quality customer service
Not all orders go smoothly. Even the best businesses make mistakes in their orders or meet difficult customers.
it’s difficult to provide impressive customer service if your business isn’t earning enough. For instance, a customer may complain that an order isn’t up to their expectations and want it replaced. If your business is barely getting by, it’ll be impossible to replace their order free of charge.
However, if you have enough profit margins, you can afford to replace damaged orders and go above and beyond when you encounter mishaps. In fact, seemingly unpleasant situations create opportunities to delight your customers.
See also: What is Average Order Value, and Why Should Your Small Business Care?
Impress customers with a professional website
Your website is one of the first points of contact you have with all your customers. Having a website that has a smooth checkout process is the first step in delighting customers.
Create your very own online store with Cococart and start building your brand in minutes!
FAQ
How do I reach new customers for my business?
You'll need to market your business online! Social media is a great way to reach customers beyond your immediate social circle.
When potential customers love what you post on Instagram, they'd get interested about your offerings. Share your store in your bio link to spread the word about your business!
Read this guide to learn social media marketing strategies.
Does building a brand help to increase brand loyalty?
Of course! Building a brand keeps your business memorable and helps you stand out from the rest.
To make your business the subject matter expert of a particular industry, you'll first need to pick a niche.
Read this guide to learn what profitable niches you should go into.
How can I build a brand for my business?
Branding isn't just for big organizations. Small businesses can use best practices in branding to help them stand out from their competitors.
To create a brand for your business, you'll need to nail down a specific target audience and align your business to your customers' wants, needs, and world view.
Having a strong brand voice will help you create consistency across all channels and build credibility for your business.
Read this guide on how you can nail down your business' brand voice, or learn about some free tools you can use right now!
Your Success is Our Success
Cococart is proud to be a company that puts local businesses first. After all, you’re the reason we’re here. We're on a mission to transform independent businesses to accept online orders. If you are ready to sign up for a free trial simply register your store here, it only takes a couple of minutes.