Define your business identity
Review what your business offers in regards to products or services and pinpoint the space within the market where it will be able to expand. Your visual identity should promote your business, connect with your customer base and differentiate you from the crowd.
It’s important to understand that brand identity is different to branding – brand identity is the product of your branding image.
Brand identity includes the below elements:
- Your Visual Identity
- The Voice You Provide
- The Value and Goals of Your Business
- Personality Within the Brand
What is driving your business
What does your brand believe in, what is its purpose and who are its competitors. These are the key inputs that drive the operation of a business. Other factors may include salespeople, number of franchises, website traffic, how many products are sold etc.
Building customer relationship
Don’t raise expectations and dress up your offerings if they cannot be met. Create trust with honest branding and be clear with what your business delivers.
Building a strong customer relationship is key to learning your customers’ expectations. Below are some ways in building a strong customer relationship to keep them coming back:
Communication
A key component to any good relationship is communication which is an essential way to building a customer relationship. Rather than communicating to your customer about your business and what you are promoting, have a conversation with them. Find out what your customers’ needs are, then show them or advise them of the best solution to their needs.
Exceed customer expectation
Your customers will expect great services provided by you and your business. You should look at raising the bar on what your business offers and go beyond by over delivering. When you impress customers, they are most likely to come back.
To exceed expectation, you can deliver a product or service faster than the proposed delivery time. When you deliver earlier than expected, the customer will feel much more satisfied and surprised. A good example would be to let a customer know a product will arrive by the end of the month but deliver it a week earlier.
Ask for customer feedback
After delivering a product or service ask customers for feedback, whether they have a good or bad opinion about your business. Customer feedback allows you to look at their specific needs and if they were satisfied by the product or service you had delivered.
It’s important to always listen carefully to what your customers are saying, whether it’s a good or bad review. Whether it’s a compliment or complaint respond to their feedback immediately. The worst thing you could do is ask for feedback and not address their needs.
Appreciation
Reward long-time customers with a loyalty reward program. You can hand out reward cards or provide discounts on their next product or service with you. Other rewards to show your appreciation could include inexpensive items, such as promotional pens or notepads, or expensive items such as t-shirts, jackets and hats. This is a small and effective way to say thank you to your customers while keeping mindful of your business.
Always consider your branding
Don’t lose pride in your brand with friendly discounting. Try offering more of a service rather than slashing prices. Promotions are a great way to reinforce your branding position.