Over 70% of consumers say they focus on working with local companies rather than larger national companies, and 30% of those consumers shop local for better customer service. Local businesses can offer personalized services to their customers just as well as big companies with limitless resources do. When a customer chooses to work with a specific service provider, they have already done their research and made a choice so the responsibility to keep them coming back after their first visit falls on the business owner and employees.

How can a local business offer the type of service that continues to bring customers back?

• Keep the conversation going even after the service has been completed. Don’t forget to contact customers after each service to ask for feedback to ensure your business meets their expectations. The only way to build a strong and loyal customer base is through continued engagement and communication. 
• Provide customers with a quick and easy way to contact your business for any future needs. Providing customers with some way to quickly and easily contact your business should they have any questions or concerns, or to schedule another service is a big deal. Why? Because customers value convenience and they want to contact you, using their preferred method of communication as soon as they have a need. 
• Personalize interactions with customers by knowing their name, transaction data and upcoming needs. Tracking each transaction makes customer engagement much more meaningful. Being able to contact a customer when they are due for another service makes their life easier and that is something that no consumer would be upset about. 
• Convenience is king and any business that lives by that is a business that will keep customers happy and coming back for more. 

When so many customers prefer shopping locally and working with local businesses because of the level of customer service they offer, it is a business owner’s job to meet those expectations. Keeping your business procedures convenient for consumers and continuing to create loyalty through conversations are two of the most important things a business owner can implement into their business to keep customers coming back. 

For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. If any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add, please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!