“5 Tips to Keep Your Home Based Small Business Customers Loyal?”

Regardless of whether your at home based business is online or offline, the point is still to keep your customers excited and engaged. Experts say that getting a new customer is at least five times more costly than keeping your current customers and selling to them. So it only makes good economic sense to work hard to keep your current clients and you will reap the rewords.

In his book by the same name, Jeffrey Gitomer proclaims "Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless" -- but what do many work from home company owners measure? Customer Satisfaction! And why is that?

Just because a customer is satisfied, doesn't mean she's going to be loyal! Think about what satisfied means -- in fact ask yourself -- would you rather your spouse was satisfied, or loyal? Well loyal of course! Because if someone is loyal, they will stay with you even if things aren't always satisfactory!

So here are a five secrets to turn your satisfied customers into loyal customers increasing your ability to earn extra money from home:

1. Keep In Touch: While I sometimes think business home Internet marketing is the best for the sheer volume of staying in touch, the content often leaves something to be desired. I know that 99 out of 100 times I get an email from the online marketing crowd, it's only because they are trying to sell me something one more time. But that one out of 100, who gives me something of value for free, and doesn't try to hard sell me something -- well I'm going to be more likely to be loyal to him.

If your top home based business is offline, a personal touch is essential. A call from someone in your company that has some clout, it the best kind of call to have. "How did that last service call go? Any issues? (If there are by ALL means solve them quickly and courteously!) And most importantly, thank them for their business. Tell them how much you appreciate them calling you. People love to feel appreciated -- so it best be heart-felt!

2. Offer a Loyalty Program: One study showed that the average American family belongs to 14 different loyalty programs. There are loyalty programs for coffee shops, airlines, dog grooming visits -- even panty clubs where you get the 10th pair free after having purchased nine.

My hair dresser gives me "buy five get the sixth for free" and she says her business if up twenty percent. We live in a resort town and she gets a lot of out of town clients. Its a great way to give those of us who live there year round a benefit, while she is able to charge top dollar to her walk-ins that are one timers.

3. Rewards For Referrals: Online this is called an affiliate program. The deal is if I think enough of your product to try to sell it to my contacts -- in exchange, I will get a percentage of the sale. It's simple enough to do it online because it is very easy to set up and track, while people you don't even know are selling products for you.

Off line it is still a great practice to get into for your top home business. You're probably already asking new customers how they heard about you...you are aren't you? If so, be sure you give a referring customer some token of appreciation. It could be a gift certificate, or a discount on purchase or some other token, but be sure to send a thank you note. The little things count!

4. Give Away an Unplanned Freebie: Unlike the rewards program where you give away the 10th product after the customer buys nine -- this is truly an unexpected freebie. Research shows that unexpected positive events have a stronger impression on the brain than expected positive events. So if you give your customer something FOR NO REASON -- other than you appreciated their patronage, you will have created a very lasting impression in their mind about you.

5. Ask For Their Opinion: Make an effort to invest your customers in your business. At least once a year send out a survey with your newsletter... you are sending newsletters right? Ask their opinion about the quality of your products or service and how they can be improved. Make sure you actually implement some of the suggestions -- when customers feel vested, valued and heard - they are bound to keep coming back.

Depending on your business, you might even think about forming an advisory board with people who have spent a lot of money with you. Treat them to breakfast or lunch and pick their brains about marketing strategies or a new product development plan.

As a top home based business consultant, I speak from experience when I say, these tips could change your business for the better. The old saying -- People won't always remember what you say, and they may not remember what you do -- but the will always remember how you made them feel. So make them feel good!

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