Blog

About

Careers

Contact

Solo's blog provides the resources that microbusinesses, solopreneurs, freelancers, and other super-small businesses need to start, operate, and grow.

Blog for starting, running, and growing your business | Solo.co

Blog - All Posts

How to respond to bad reviews [with examples]

In this article:\nWhy your small business should be listed on Manta\nHow to add your business to Manta\nWhat you should do next\nManta is one of the largest online resources for small businesses. You should definitely keep this free listing site on your digital marketing checklist. \nManta’s directory gets millions of visitors each month, all searching for local services. Because of this, Manta is constantly working to improve its platform to better serve you and your customers. \nWhy get your business listed on Manta?\nIf we’ve said it once, we’ll say it again–you should list your business across several different online directories. That is a major benefit of using Manta, because it’s a free directory that is so easy to add your business to. \nAdding your business to several online directories helps send trust signals to the search engines as they verify your info across multiple authoritative sites, which helps you to rank higher in the local search results. \nBeyond that, Manta has some pretty cool capabilities for you to take advantage of:\nFree listings scan that allows you to check your NAP consistency across several directories (more on this later)\nDrive more customer traffic to your website\nPromote your small business\nConnect with other small businesses and share insights\nHow to add and claim your business listing on Manta\nLet’s get your business added to Manta. \nStep 1: Check to see if your business is on Manta and if it isn’t, add it\nOn every directory you add your business to, it’s important to check if there is already a listing for your business. Sometimes a previous owner or another employee may have created one, or the directory may have pulled data from another source. \nEither way, always check. \nGo to \nmanta.com\n and type in your business name and city. \n(Image)\n\nOn the next screen, if you see your business, click “Do you own this business?” That will automatically begin the claiming process. \n(Image)\n\nIf you don’t see your business in this list, click “Add Business” at the top of your screen. \nFill out the form on the next page, including the following information:\nCompany name\nCompany address\nWebsite\nPhone number\nClick “Add My Company.” \n(Image)\n\nStep 2: Update your business information on Manta. \nWhether you added your company just now or it already had a listing, you will then be brought to your business page and shown a screen that asks you to check your business information. Click “Yes” if your information is correct or “Edit Info” to edit your business information. \n(Image)\n\nNext, select a photo for your banner photo, or choose to upload your own later. These are usually pulled from your website if Manta has access to it. \n(Image)\n\nThen, add or check your website to make sure it is correct. Click “Yes, list this as my website” or “No, I don’t have a website.”\n(Image)\n\nThen, update your business hours and click “Yes, use these.”\n(Image)\n\nStep 3: Sign up for Manta\nAfter you’ve completed filling out your business information on Manta, you’ll be prompted to sign up so you can save your updates and publish your company. \nYou can connect with Facebook, Google, or register with your email. \n(Image)\n\nOptional Step: Check your online directory listings\nManta has a cool tool (very similar to Yext) that allows you to check several of your business’s directory listings across multiple sites. It will tell you if your business name, address, and phone number (or NAP info) are all consistent across these sites. \nNAP consistency is super important, as it helps Google and other search engines verify your information across multiple authoritative sources in order to rank you higher on their platforms. \nCheck your listings and make notes of those that have errors so you can fix them later. Or you can pay Manta to fix them for you by clicking “Fix All Errors.” They charge $99/month to update and maintain your listings on more than 70 online directories. \nIf you’re not interested in that right now, simply click “Not right now” and you will be redirected to the dashboard for your company profile. That’s all! \n(Image)\n\nOkay, you’ve claimed your business on Manta. What’s next?\nNow that you’ve completed your Manta business profile, there’s a lot more you can do to enhance your online visibility. \nCheck out these two guides for some great next steps:\nLocal SEO: 15 free tips for better search rankings\n\n25 free business listing websites every small or local business should be on\n
\n

How to create and claim your free business listing on Manta

In this article:\nWhen is the ideal time to reply to customer reviews?\nShould you wait to respond, even if you have time now?\nPotential problems with replying immediately\nHow to reply to negative reviews\n5 time-saving tips for replying to online reviews\nOver the past few years, online review sites like Yelp, Google My Business, and TripAdvisor have become the de facto customer service platforms for many small businesses.\nToday’s customers, particularly millennials, are often reluctant to call you or speak to you about a problem in person, and choose instead to leave both positive and negative feedback on these popular online platforms instead (as well as via traditional social media).\n \n\nSo, should you respond to these online reviews immediately? The short answer is, yes, you should respond as soon as you possibly can. Let’s look at some potential issues.\nWill my business seem desperate if I respond immediately to reviews?\nUnfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), in the postmodern, tech-saturated world we live in, this is a real concern. Try Googling “how long should I wait to reply to his/her text” and see how many results come up. (Hint: it’s over THREE BILLION).\nNow, we understand that replying to an online review for your business isn’t quite the same as replying to a text from your crush, but there are some similarities.\nIn the case of online feedback, you have nothing to gain by playing hard-to-get with customers. You definitely want to be the needy, supportive one in this relationship, and show customers that you’re there for them immediately whenever they want you.\nHowever, today’s customers are also somewhat fickle. Not only do up to 80% of \nsatisfied\n customers never come back to purchase again from the business that satisfied them, customer engagement studies have shown that people expect a nearly instant response when they reach out online.\nIf they don’t get it, bad things happen.\nHarvard study shows companies that respond within the hour are 60 times more successful than those that wait 24 hours\nA Harvard study on online sales leads found that companies that attempted to reach potential customers within the hour of being contacted were almost 7 times as likely to get results as those that waited even one hour—and more than \n60 times\n more successful than companies that waited just 24 hours.\nOf course, a study on sales leads is not the same as the issue of responding to online reviews. However, the principle is similar. \nWhen customers reach out to you online with either a positive or a negative review, you have a narrow window to show them you care about what they think, and resolve any possible concerns or issues they bring to your attention.\nimage of man with paper bag on head with negative and positive reviews behind\nOne report states that 52% of customers expect you to reply to their online comments and messages within 7 days.\nWe would stress that your window for building real customer loyalty is a lot shorter than that. In simple terms, we recommend that you reply to online reviews as soon as possible, and definitely within a couple of days, max.\nWhy you should respond to online reviews ASAP\nWhen you reply to a positive review quickly and genuinely, you show your customers (and everyone else who is reading your reviews) that you value their feedback, that your customers are important to you, and that you are a responsive, responsible business owner.\nWhen you \nreply to a negative review\n immediately, express concern, and offer to fix the problem offline, you again show customers and review readers that you take any complaints seriously and are committed to resolving any issues that may arise.\nAnother reason you should respond to negative reviews as soon as possible is so potential customers can see both sides of the story before they make a rash decision based on a negative review.\nDon’t ignore bad reviews… use them as opportunities\nBy the way, don’t freak out when you get a bad review. Everyone, and we mean \neveryone\n, gets bad reviews occasionally. \nSome people are just jerks that can’t ever be satisfied, but some bad reviews may surface legitimate concerns that, if you’re smart, you’ll take to heart and use as an opportunity to improve your business and build customer loyalty. Lots of companies pay millions to get legitimate customer feedback, and a negative review basically does that for you for free.\nWhen you respond to a bad review, it gives you a chance to resolve a customer's concern and possibly win them back. And even if that customer isn't satisfied, other potential customers will see that you take complaints seriously and that may earn you their business.\nnametag with problem solver to resolve customer negative review concerns\n\nIf you aren’t responsive to customers, the review platform may punish you\nAnother issue is that review platforms expect businesses to be responsive to customers’ messages and reviews. \nFor example, Yelp will actually turn off some features of their platform for business owners who are not sufficiently responsive to messages, such as the ability for customers to request quotes, schedule appointments, and send messages.\nSo there’s yet another reason why you should make responding promptly to customers online a top priority.\nWhat if I don’t have time to reply immediately to reviews?\nThe reality is, your current and potential customers who choose to engage with your business online expect the same level of responsiveness from you in this virtual conversation as they would if they called or visited you in person.\nThis can create a real logistical problem for hyper-busy small business owners.\nHere are 5 tips that can help you respond more effectively to online reviews, even when you’re super-busy.\n1. Use reputation management software \nA good reputation management solution can save you tons of time by gathering all your online reviews from all the different platforms in one place for easy management. For busy small business owners, this can be a lifesaver. \n2. Forward any email alerts to your mobile device\nIf you use reputation monitoring software or Google Alerts that send emails when you get new reviews, be sure to forward those emails to your mobile device and set your preferences to notify you immediately with attention-getting “badges,” “banners,” and “alerts” (on Apple devices) that don’t disappear until you address them/resolve the alert.\nSince responding to reviews promptly is paramount, you should make this a top business priority.\n3. Establish FAQs and include them on your website and review profiles\nThere will always be lazy customers who ask questions even though you include them clearly in your FAQs, but a robust and well-vetted FAQ list can save a lot of headaches if people are mostly asking the same questions or bringing them up in reviews.\nAlso, including everything you should on your \nonline business listings\n can cut down on this type of query. \nRead more: \nThe top 5 things every small business should include in their Google listing\n4. Take a time management skills course\nIf you are constantly feeling swamped and overwhelmed, you may benefit from expert help. Consider taking a time management course, or reading or listening to self-help books on the subject. \nThere may be significant ways for you to be more efficient in your daily routine, which could leave you more time to reply to your reviews and improve customer loyalty.\n5. Hire more help \nIf you’ve done everything you can think of and are actually having trouble managing all your customer reviews or responding to queries, that’s actually a very good problem to have. \nHowever, if you have that many reviews, it likely means you’re doing well and can afford to hire someone or delegate part of this important task. \nSources:\n
\nhttps://hbr.org/2011/03/the-short-life-of-online-sales-leads\n
\nhttps://www.inc.com/tommy-mello/harvard-study-says-this-is-how-long-you-should-wait-to-respond-to-a-customer.html\n
\nhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/larrymyler/2016/06/08/acquiring-new-customers-is-important-but-retaining-them-accelerates-profitable-growth/#6ffaeaa26671\n

How long should you wait before replying to an online review?

In this article:\nCreate a Facebook / Meta page \nAdd lots of photos\nGet customer reviews\nPost regular content\nBuild your following\nBoost posts and create ads\nCustomers are increasingly reaching out to businesses via their Facebook (now Meta, but who are we kidding... everyone still calls it Facebook) pages. Consumers just like to use Facebook as “social proof” before they commit to doing business with a salon they haven’t tried before. \nIf your salon isn’t on Facebook, you could be missing valuable opportunities to gain new customers. We’ll walk you through some of the main ways you can promote your hair or nail salon on Facebook. \nCreate a Facebook / Meta business page\nIn order to promote your salon on Facebook, you first need a business page to promote. Does your salon have a Facebook page already? If so, make sure that you have access to it. \nIf not, follow our step-by-step guide: \nHow to create and claim your Facebook business page\nOnce your Facebook page is set up, you can now start communicating with customers via messenger and engaging with your community. \nIn order to provide the best information for your salon, be sure to include all of the following items on your Facebook page:\nThe name of your salon (this should be the same name that is listed on your \nGoogle My Business listing\n and \nYelp listing\n)\nAddress\nPhone number\nOpen hours (including holiday hours)\nDescription of your salon\nWebsite\nEmail address\nProfile picture (use your logo to enforce your brand)\nCover photo (this can be a picture of your salon or stylists while doing their work)\nServices and prices\nAdd tons of portfolio photos to your Facebook page\nIt is vitally important for salons to add photos of their work on their Facebook page (and all of their social media accounts and review site profiles). Most customers want to see examples of what you can do for them before they ever decide to step foot in your salon. \nMake sure you show off all of your best work on your Facebook page, and be sure to include plenty of variety. Pictures of the range of hairstyles, colors, and nail art that your stylists can do will only help you to attract more customers. \nThese photos also add an extra element of trust and show customers that you really can do what you say you can do. It may be worth it to hire a professional photographer for a day and shoot a lot of pics. If that’s too much of an investment, we’re betting you have a teenage friend, niece, or nephew going through a “photography phase” whom you can bribe.\nGet reviews on your salon’s Facebook page\nOkay, so you have a page, you’ve added photos and info to it—now you need some customer recommendations. Recommendations and reviews on Facebook are very powerful. \nFor one, Facebook will let users know when their Facebook “friends” have left your page a review. And if they have, that is worth much more than the anonymous review of a stranger. \nThe more positive reviews you have on your page, the better opportunity you have to convert the customers who land on your page. \nHere are a few ways you can get some new reviews on your Facebook page:\nSimply ask for reviews. Provide excellent service and go the extra mile, then ask your customer for a review on Facebook. Happy customers don’t always think to leave a review and just need that little bit of encouragement. Remember, never ask for a positive or good review, or offer discounts or free stuff for a good review. Simply let people know that you appreciate their feedback online.\nAdd “Rate us on Facebook” signs in your salon. These can be on the checkout desk and on the front door/window. This is just another little reminder for customers that you are on Facebook and would love to hear from them. \nInclude QR codes or instructions to leave a Facebook review on your receipts. \nPost regular content\nNow that you’re on Facebook and customers are starting to engage with your page, it’s important to post some valuable content. \nThe best way to get more followers and customers from Facebook is to show off your work and provide valuable tips. \nHere are some ideas for some great content you can post to really get your followers to engage with your page:\nThe work that you do–hairstyles, haircuts, hair colors, nail art, etc.\nTips for how to do a specific hairstyle or nail technique\nHair care/nail care tips\nVideo tutorials\nEmployee features\nSpecial deals or promotions\nIncrease your Facebook following with boosted posts\nYour Facebook page isn’t going to take you very far if no one can see your posts, so it’s crucial to build up your page’s following. \nBeyond getting new reviews and posting content, one powerful way to increase your salon’s Facebook following is to boost your posts to local audiences. \nWhenever you create a post on your Facebook page, you have the ability to “boost” this post as an ad. That means that you can pay Facebook a small amount of money to share your content with specific audiences in your local community. \nWith Facebook’s targeting capabilities you can choose the age, gender, interests, and locations of your intended audience so that your ads are only shown to those who are likely to do business with you. \nThen you can select a budget and how long you want your add to run, and watch it take off!\nOnce you’ve boosted a post, you’ll likely start getting reactions on it from community members—especially if they recognize someone in your post. When people “like” your boosted posts, you can then easily invite them to “like” your page. \nThis is a great way to increase your following and spread awareness of your salon in your area. \nSet up Facebook Ads Manager\nIf you want some more customizable Facebook advertising options for your salon, you would benefit from setting up an Ads Manager account.\nFacebook Ads Manager allows you to set specific goals for your ad campaigns, like getting more conversions or spreading brand awareness. You can customize your ad copy, use videos, or add in more custom images. \nThen, similar to how you would for a boosted post, you can select your budget, duration, and target audiences for your ad.  \nLearn how to \nset up your Ads Manager\n account. 

6 ways to promote your hair or nail salon on Facebook

In this 8-minute read:\nFree ways to advertise your restaurant online\nFree ways to advertise in your community\nLet’s be real here, advertising can get expensive! We know it, you know it, everyone knows it. But it’s also so important for gaining exposure, and ultimately more customers, for your restaurant. We don’t believe that you must have a huge marketing budget to gain some awesome reach, though. Here are 20 free ways that you can advertise your restaurant locally as you’re starting out. \n1. Claim your online business profiles\nThe internet is a wonderful place where huge companies like Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor have created free platforms for businesses to list their information in order to create the best user experience possible. So take advantage! These online profiles determine how your restaurant shows up in these different search engines. Help your customers and your business by claiming your online profiles. \nWe even have some tutorials ready for you:\nHow to claim your Google My Business listing\nHow to claim your Yelp business listing\nHow to claim your business listing on TripAdvisor\n2. Get and respond to customer reviews\nOnline reviews are crucial nowadays for converting new customers. Keep up good business practices, have great customer service, and serve awesome food and you should have no problem getting some really good reviews. But happy customers don’t always think to leave good reviews and sometimes need a little nudge in the right direction. \nHere are some ideas to get new reviews:\nAsk for them! (Especially after you hear someone raving about their favorite menu item.)\nPut up a sign that encourages customers to leave reviews (just try to avoid incentivizing customers with gift cards or giveaways because Google does not like that). \nInclude a link to your online review platforms in their email receipt\nInclude instructions to leave a review on all receipts\nOnce the reviews start coming in, it’s important to respond to them too. Interact with and engage your customers! This shows that you love what you do, and ultimately that’s what most people want from their restaurant experience. Plus, research shows that businesses that regularly respond to reviews earn up to 49% more revenue!\n3. Post your restaurant on free listing websites\nThere are tons of free advertising sites for restaurants out there. Take advantage of this and start getting your restaurant listed on these websites. We’ve even got your first list of 25 restaurant listing websites ready to go!\nClick here to read \n24 free listing sites every restaurant should be on\n. \n4. Create a free website \nDisclaimer: Websites are never 100% free if you want to own your domain or need it to be hosted, but they can come pretty close to it. \nWhile free websites aren’t always the most desirable, they are great when you’re on a budget crunch. And there are plenty of ways to create a pretty nice looking website for free. \nHere are a few of our favorites:\nWix \nSquarespace\nGoogle My Business\n (this one can be completely free)\nCustomers typically want to see menus, pricing, photos, and to get a vibe for your restaurant before making the decision to sit down and eat there. Include all of this on your website and make it easily accessible in your online listings.\nToo busy for a website? With a free Solo profile, even the smallest local restaurant, pop-up, food cart, or hole-in-the-wall can have a helpful, functional SEO-friendly online presence for free. Building and maintaining a traditional website is simply too much for many restaurant owners to deal with. This is one reason a Solo profile can be such an amazing benefit. \nYour customizable Solo profile can list your business’s location, relevant contact information, links to your social pages, and any business details you want included. Sign up at\n \nSolo.co\n.\n5. Boost your SEO \nGet your website in front of more customers with the help of search engine optimization (SEO). This is basically how you get any website to show up on Google and other search engines. Claiming your Google Business listing and other online listings sites are a great first step. \nClick here for some more \nfree ways to boost your local search rankings\n. \n6. Participate in forums\nOnline forums like Quora and Reddit, and especially local community forums, can help to promote your restaurant. Create an account and search for questions about things that are relevant to your restaurant, maybe “how to cook the perfect pizza” or “best ways to boil an egg.” Post some helpful answers and at the end add an invite to come try out your restaurant. \nYou can also write up your own articles or post entertaining how-to videos on these platforms. If that kind of content goes viral, you’ll have people coming from all over just to see the cool place that produced that content (and of course to try your awesome food). \n7. Write a blog\nBlogs are great for boosting SEO as well as providing helpful content that promotes your restaurant and gives value to online users. \nHere are some blog ideas you can use for your restaurant:\nShare photos from a community event you participated in \nWrite a helpful how-to article (how to boil an egg properly, perhaps) \nCreate a video tutorial \nShare recipes (no secrets, of course)\n8. Build up your social media presence\nMake sure your restaurant is active on social media. This is an incredibly beneficial way to promote brand awareness and to take advantage of the power of “shares” and “likes” on the internet. Setup a Facebook business page, Instagram account, YouTube account, Snapchat, etc. and go crazy. Just make sure that you have someone who is actively posting to these whatever accounts you choose—at least a few times a week is a great goal to have here. \nSome ideas for your social shares:\nYour food, of course\nNew menu items\nSweet deals\nEmployee favorites \nCustomer favorites (tag them!)\n9. Join your local chamber of commerce\nMost communities have a local \nchamber of commerce\n. Find yours and ask to get your restaurant listed on their website. They typically provide some free resources for local businesses like promotional materials and marketing tips to help you get your restaurant off the ground. \n10. Host local events at your restaurant\nHave you ever done a paint night or slam poetry contest? Try hosting some local events to give community members a fun night to look forward to. Blast that event on social media, share with everyone you know, and post about it on your blog! Not only do these events excite customers, but they’re likely to buy food and drink while participating and come back for more events.\nHere are some ideas for events you could try:\nPaint night by a local artist \nKaraoke night\nLive bands\nArt galleries\nWine tasting\nHost a fundraiser\n11. Ask customers for feedback\nBeyond asking for online reviews, you can send out surveys or ask customers for feedback in-store. You could even have a customer feedback jar or box in the restaurant. This might not directly promote your business publicly (except when customers see your jar full of feedback), but it can help you know where you can improve and what your customers already love about your restaurant. \n12. Start a loyalty program\nWho doesn’t love a good deal? Start a loyalty program to provide dedicated customers with some awesome incentives to keep coming back. There are a few free resources out there, like Loyverse, or you could always start with the punchcard route. \nCheck out \n6 elements of an effective customer loyalty program\n to help you get started. \n13. Host a webinar\nEmbrace the live video capabilities of Facebook and YouTube and host a webinar for your dedicated followers (and maybe even gain a few more). Host a Q&A with your head chef, do a tutorial on how to plate food with perfection, or share the fun history of how your restaurant got started. \n14. Volunteer in the community\nGet major brownie points with some good ole fashioned philanthropy. Customers love to see the restaurants they frequent out and about in the community. Volunteer at 5k in the summer and hand out drinks and snacks from your restaurant, join community holiday parades, or host a fundraiser at your restaurant.\n15. Host a cooking class\nShow off your skills (without giving away your secrets) by hosting a cooking class at your restaurant. Share it on Facebook, post flyers, and get the word out. Show off your fun side and that you want to be involved.\n16. Celebrate funky holidays with sweet offers\nEver heard of “National Doughnut Day”? Krispy Kreme is a prime example of going above and beyond to celebrate their national holiday with free doughnuts at all of their locations on National Doughnut Day. Find the national day that resonates best with your restaurant and do something fun, whether that’s offering a fun discount or giving away free treats to people who dress up a certain way. And share it on social media and your website!\n17. Print out flyers and hand them out like crazy\nNever underestimate the power of flyers. Design some for your restaurant that promote an upcoming event or fun deals or just that you’re new to town and want to get to know the community. You could even ask local college students in a graphic design program to help out—it’s good portfolio piece for them and free promotional material for you. \n18. Make a free promotional video\nMake a fun promotional video and post it on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, your website, and anywhere else you can think of. Cool resources like \nBiteable\n will help you create a free video that is sure to impress. \n19. Post on Craigslist\nCreate a comical Craigslist post to give your restaurant some more exposure. Things like this can go viral and keep the customers wanting more. Look to find other opportunities for free local online classifieds, too.  \n20. Let local organizations/groups use your space\nEveryone wants a cool place to hold meetings. Let book clubs, community board meetings, PTA meetings, and other local groups reserve a space at your restaurant to have their monthly meeting. They’ll order food and tell others where they hold their meetings, leaving more people wanting to do the same. \nTry some or all of these tips and see what works best for your restaurant!

20 free advertising ideas for restaurants

Acquiring new customers is essential for growth, but getting new people in the door is only half the battle. How are you going to get them to come back? If you’re answer is to simply provide a great experience, think again. Up to \n80% of customers \nwho describe themselves as satisfied don’t return for another visit. \nThat’s crazy, but it’s also very telling. These days, simply satisfying a customer isn’t enough, especially as options and distractions continue to grow. Small businesses spend a lot of time, money, and attention attracting new customers, but repeat business is a vital part of any healthy bottom line. \nThe good news: It’s not too late to improve customer engagement and retention, and there are several ways to reward your customers for their loyalty and encourage repeat business. \nThe better news: Doing so will benefit your business in truly remarkable ways. A mere 5% increase in customer retention typically increases profits \n25 to 95%\n. \nThe bottom line: Customers want a relationship with the businesses they support. The more valued customers feel, the more likely they are to shop at that location again. \nWhile any program to boost customer retention is better than nothing, the programs that work the best are the programs that don’t feel like programs. Customers prefer programs that engage and make them feel like they’re a part of the family. \nWe pulled together a list of 5 ideas that can be used in nearly every industry or type of business. We hope they spark some ideas and help you put together a program for your customers. \nHow can you tell if your customer loyalty program is efficient? Just follow \nthese six principles\n.\n5 ideas to get your creative juices flowing\n1. Buy one, get one
\nBuy-one-get-one (BOGO) offers have been around for ages because they work, but there’s nothing magic about the number “one.” You can play with the ratios the offer structures.\n“\nBuy three tune-ups, get fourth free!\n” or \n“buy two, get one free!”\n both capture the effectiveness of a traditional BOGO offer. \nWhile BOGO offers are more in the realm of a discount or coupon than the rewards program, they can easily be harnessed to increase customer retention and motivate repeat purchasing. They could be a key component to your loyalty program, and best of all, they’re easy to put in place. \nPROS: Time-tested and still a compelling offer for most shoppers.\nCONS: Hard to repeat over time and can cut into your margins.\nTIPS: Compensate for the downside of BOGO programs by offering items that don’t cost you much, if anything. Decreasing the cost of the offer will make it more repeatable. Or you could increase the level of exclusivity for bigger deals. Extending the offer to fewer customers will keep costs manageable and still reward your truly loyal members.\n2. Punch cards\nPunch cards are another classic customer loyalty program that rewards the daily, weekly, or monthly shopper. They are one of the easiest programs to start, and people understand them.  \nThese cards themselves are not, however, the most compelling offer. They can be highly effective when your business or service is one that warrants frequent purchasing, but if the purchases are higher priced items or services, they won’t be as compelling.\nPROS: Cheap to start, low cost to the business, applicable to nearly every type of business, and allows for flexible reward options. This makes this an easy program to try. It could be a great place to start.\nCONS: Customers often don’t carry their cards, so they don’t get to participate as much as they’d like. Often requires many purchases before getting the first reward, which disincentivizes customers and doesn’t stimulate loyalty.\nTIPS: Keep it simple and light. It’s better to have smaller rewards in between the big rewards. For example, every third punch gets a small reward; every ninth punch earns your customer a more substantial and desirable prize.\n3. Buy now and save later\nNot all clubs have to be “clubs.” In other words, some businesses don’t lend themselves to the average loyalty program. If you’re in an industry where frequent purchases aren’t common—like the automotive industry, where 4-5 visits a year is a lot—your program could simply be along the lines of, \n“buy four oil changes for the price of three today!”\nThis kind of program is highly effective at converting one-time buyers and bringing in higher amounts of revenue. You could win a year’s worth of patronage on their first or second visit, which will open up opportunities for upsells and cross-sells throughout the year.\nPROS: An immediate win, especially for businesses where it’s more difficult to inspire repeat business.\nCONS: Not the most relationship-forming customer loyalty program. It feels a bit more like a discount or coupon.\nTIPS: Find ways to increase the level of engagement on and between each subsequent visit. You’ve won their business for the next few transactions, so be sure you’re gearing up for a renewal when the initial offer finishes. Find ways to upsell and cross-sell.\n4. Host local events (if you have a business location)
\nLocal events are a huge opportunity to rub shoulders with your customers. As much as customers want a good deal, often they’re more than happy to pay full price to support your company. They just want to feel like they belong and are part of a larger community.\n\n63% of customers say they want local business to invite them to events.\n\nEvery fall, right around the first snowfall, the snowboard shop I used to manage would host the local “Rail Jam.” They’d truck in ice shavings from the local skating rinks, head to the park to set up some rails and boxes and use the ice to build a fun obstacle course for snowboarders and skiers. It was open to the public for a price, but loyalty members got in free. Other business owners would chip in and sponsor the one-day event, but the community would talk about it for weeks before and after, and looked forward to it all summer long. \nThis same shop sold bicycles and had an open invitation for Tuesday night road bike rides. No cost to the customer or the business. No memberships. It was just an opportunity to enjoy the activities they have in common with their customers. That, more than anything, formed lasting relationships and repeated business. Remember, the best programs often don’t feel like programs.\nPROS: Community building. Provides a truly exclusive experience and by working with fellow local business owners, you’ll be able to network with their best and most loyal customers, too. It benefits both your existing customers while attracting new customers in the community.\nCONS: Can be pricey and time-consuming, depending on the type of the event.\nTIPS: Don’t get too far ahead. Listen to your customers. They’ll often express things they wish existed in the community that you could provide. And remember to keep the goal in mind. Oft times these local events can distract you with other initiatives that distract from the purpose of the program.\n5. Educate
\nEducation takes your customer relationship to the next level. It provides face-to-face interactions that will last much longer than that 15% discount or another punch in their card. The outcomes will also be much more beneficial and far-reaching for you and the customer.\nOne of the most commonly expressed desires customers have about local businesses is more tips and advice, especially if you run a shop for hobbyists. Budding enthusiasts and seasoned vets alike love to learn the latest tips and tricks about the products and services they use. Imparting your knowledge and years of insight is something only you can provide, and customers want to hear it. More than that, you’ll satisfy a shopper’s number one want: a hands-on experience before buying.\n\n80% of customers want more tips and advice from local businesses\n.\nPROS: Highly engaging, personal, and compelling. Free workshops, DIY workshops, or how-to events don’t have to cost the business anything more than a few hours of your time once a month.\nCONS: Hosting an educational setting can be a little time consuming to prep. Some industries don’t lend themselves the mass attraction of what you offer.\nTIPS: Take advantage of your seasonality. If there is a time of year when business is typically low in sales, you can take that time to boost customer retention with a workshop that takes a couple of hours. If you’re uncertain about the ability to incorporate such an event, then start with a small group of your best customers first. Invite your friends and family to participate and provide insight on how to make it more compelling and engaging before you take it to your, other loyal customers. \nKeep it real — as in real life and face to face\nCustomers have never felt less attached to the businesses they support. They’ve not been given the opportunity to engage with you beyond online searches and the few times they’ve been in your store. It has never been easier, or more important, for small businesses to form a person-to-person relationship with their customers, especially their most valuable, loyal customers. The more authentic and personal the connection, the better.\nWhereas big corporations have to rely on exclusively digital relationships with their customers, small businesses can engage digitally and in person. People who shop locally already have an attraction to supporting small businesses. Make it easier for them to support yours and feel like they’re a part of the process. You won’t regret it. 

121 articles found in “Customer relations”

How to respond to bad reviews [with examples]

How to create and claim your free business listing on Manta

How long should you wait before replying to an online review?

6 ways to promote your hair or nail salon on Facebook

20 free advertising ideas for restaurants

5 simple strategies to keep your customers coming back

Recommended

How to spot fake online reviews

25 free business listing websites every small or local business should be on (Updated for 2022!)

How much does it cost to rent space for a small business?

The 6 elements of an effective customer loyalty program

Important market research questions to ask before starting a new business