How to convert first time customers

As a local business owner, you are already paying a lot to acquire new customers: whether it’s offering huge discount on Groupon or LivingSocial or spending on expensive local and online ads.

While it’s important to bring new customers to your doorsteps, it’s even more important to turn them into repeat customers.

Repeat customers not only have a higher lifetime value, which helps justify the cost of bringing them in, they also are more likely to become your brand advocates and refer you more customers.

As a result, convert first-time customers into repeat customers should be at the top of your priorities.

The best way to convert your first-time customers is to offer the best customer service you can.

A recent study shows that almost 60% of consumers said they were unlikely or very unlikely to return to a business they had experienced poor customer service from, even if a trusted friend said the service had improved. And only 12.5% of consumers said they would be likely or very likely to try a company again.

Here are a couple of tips to provide amazing customer service:

Clearly describe your products and services

While first-time customers may have researched online to find about the products and services that your business is offering, they most likely will have more questions than you imagine.

They need your expertise!

Patiently and clearly describe the products and services you are offering and help them choose one that best fits them. In addition, train your employees so that they are as knowledgeable as you are on the products and services. Your customers shouldn’t get confused about two different descriptions of the same product; product inconsistency is a red flag for them.

Under promise, over deliver

Don’t over promise! As a sales person, we are often tempted to promise a world of great things just so we can make that sale. This heightens the expectations and causes disappointments when the result does not meet their expectations. Make sure what the customer is receiving is exactly what she expects.

Collect feedbacks

Collecting customer feedbacks is the best way to help you determine whether your product or service meets or surpasses customer expectations.

Positive feedbacks tell you that you are doing fine at converting new customers. On the other hand, negative feedbacks signal that you are not converting these new customers to repeat customers. They are not happy because of poor customer experiences. You should then come up with solutions to improve accordingly. Listening to your customers is the only way to guarantee you are offering an amazing customer service.

Furthermore, promptly respond to a negative feedback also help win back a lost customer. Because responding to negative feedbacks is a gesture of good customer service. It shows that you care!

Conclusion

Start maximizing the value of every penny you are spending on ads by offering them the best customer experience and converting them to repeat customers, or even advocates. Remember that for every company that fails to provide excellent customer service, there’s another company that will.