When we talk about keeping customers forever, what we’re really talking about is loyalty. A common refrain is that it’s cheaper to retain a customer than find a new one, and having genuine loyalty means a steady stream of revenue and the ability to plan for the long-term. Having a customer forever is the Mount Everest of retention – but like scaling the great peak, achieving lifetime customer loyalty is challenging.
So, in this article, I’ll look at strategies to keep your customers onboard forever. I’ll tackle the misleading mantra about the primacy of customer service, community building and personalised marketing. Sure, these things are important, but without offering a quality product or service to begin with – and a plan to sustain that quality long-term – keeping a customer forever is just a pipe dream.
Let’s start with something specific to the UAE which entrepreneurs and small business owners should consider.
Customer loyalty in the UAE – customer expectations
Operating in the UAE means you already deal with very discerning customers. They quickly adapt to market changes, whether those disruptions are based on economic changes or tech innovations. The speed of smartphone adoption attests to this. Quality is also crucial in the UAE, with customers seeking the best deals and fast, consistent, and personalised interactions. When we look at the numbers from a recent Salesforce study, they found that 89% of UAE consumers expect quicker service as technology advances, and over 70% expect companies to understand and adapt to their unique needs and expectations. To meet these evolving preferences, companies must intensify their efforts and use the right technology to reconnect with customers and adapt to their changing behaviours.
Understanding your customer needs: A focus on quality
You already make a product or provide a service. You already have customers. So why do you need to understand their needs? I think it’s worth remembering that what we’re not talking about here is continually bringing something different to the market. Rather, as the Harvard Business Review points out: ‘Customers whether consumers or businesses, do not want more choices. They want exactly what they want – when, where, and how they want it.’
It’s your job to deliver on that need. Maintaining high product or service quality is paramount in this, ensuring customers know they can depend on your offerings to meet or exceed their expectations, so their repeat purchases become like clockwork. We have all experienced as consumers ourselves a sudden drop in quality from a previously reliable brand. This applies in the B2B space as well. High-quality products and services differentiate your business from competitors, and by consistently delivering excellence, you will benefit from positive word-of-mouth and referrals – the very core of UAE business culture.
I think of this approach as an endless loop: Conducting surveys, holding feedback sessions, tracking marketing campaigns, analysing buyer objections, and looking in-depth at customer journeys, all of which provide insights into your customer base and ensure you constantly improve customer satisfaction. Because a satisfied customer is a repeat customer, and it’s here that you have a chance at retaining them for life.
Building trust: Become a partner, not a provider
Trust is irreplaceable in business. In the B2B world, it’s that sense of having a partner whose product or service solves a problem, rather than a company that you need but view as an adversary. So, trust is built when the relationship between business and customer feels less transactional and more meaningful.
Just like in life, communication is at the centre of trust building. It bleeds into all aspects of your business – ensuring your lines of communication are always open, you answer queries promptly, you follow up with customers and always provide the information they need without delay.
So this then blends with your customer service approach. Keep in mind that in the UAE, over 80% of consumers expect businesses to solve complex problems by speaking to one person – and a similar percentage expect to interact with someone immediately when they contact your organisation.
It’s also essential that you and those you work with are transparent about any news affecting your business and your customers. It’s about being proactive – looking for problems before they occur, anticipating customer reactions, and then responding accordingly.
Re-think your marketing: Put content first
It goes without saying that you will maintain regular communication with your customers through channels such as email, social media, and newsletters. Which of those you choose will depend ‘where’ your audiences typically reside online.
But by putting content first, you’re finding new ways to build trust. By leveraging content marketing, by providing helpful (and free) articles, videos, infographics, whitepapers, eBooks (or indeed any other form that your audience responds to), you are nurturing a relationship that’s not all about the hard sell (new products, offers, etc), but about helping your customers use your products more effectively, advising them on news that affects their industry, and so on.
While you are establishing yourself as a thought leader, you are also building a sense of trust with your customers. Yes, they bought from you. But by creating a stream of carefully crafted, high-quality, and segmented content, they will feel they’re being spoken to directly and will return to your business when it’s time to purchase once again.
So, the key is creating the right mix – some of the content will be selling directly. But there should be a strong component of content that’s simply there to build trust and ensure you nurture a customer for life. For some sectors, social media can also be useful not only for communicating directly with your customers but also for enabling customers to build communities amongst themselves.
Meeting in–person outside of the sales cycle
From events marketing to more casual one-to-one meetups, building strong relationships with your existing customers comes in many forms.
This is in addition to the typical face-to-face customer visits to plan an installation, observe operations, etc. This is about seeing the customer’s satisfaction with your solution first-hand, strengthening the relationship, and transforming a transactional interaction into a partnership. Such visits can also motivate your team, allow for the discovery or production of customer success stories, and uncover hidden benefits of your solutions that customers have realised. These interactions enhance the depth and quality of your customer relationships, fostering greater loyalty and trust.
Loyalty programs
The modern concept of customer loyalty programs began in the 1980s with the launch of frequent flyer programs by airlines. Implementing such programs is an effective way to encourage repeat business. You can offer rewards, discounts, and exclusive deals to loyal customers.
But it is a challenge to run a program in today’s saturated market. Keep in mind that many consumers are members of multiple programs, and in such a crowded environment you need to ensure your program will meet your business goals while also delivering real value to the consumer. It’s also worth considering the time and money involved in establishing such a program and whether your business is set up to deal with the impact if it’s highly successful. With this in mind, a good loyalty program needs careful planning and monitoring to be successful.
Conclusion
Retaining a customer for life requires a multifaceted approach that encompasses understanding their needs, providing excellent service, personalising their experiences, and maintaining high-quality standards. To succeed in the UAE, businesses must craft strategies that resonate with the region’s unique cultural, economic, and technological environment. This means truly understanding the expectations of UAE consumers. By focusing on these aspects, businesses can cultivate lasting relationships with customers, ensuring they remain loyal for years to come.
