It seems that most times when I work with entrepreneurs or solo-preneurs and I ask the question – “what do you believe is your unique selling point “USP”?, I often get very similar answers. The most common answer is quality or service or the willingness to do what it takes. While I agree that these are all necessary in business and especially if you are to build a lasting business, the key to understanding your USP is that you must pinpoint what makes your business unique in a world of homogeneous competitors. And if you’re not able to do this, you truly cannot target your sales efforts successfully. The simplest way to determine your USP is know with great certainty what makes your customers loyal customers.
In this three (3) part series, we’ll focus on working our way backwards. So, how do we turn customers into loyal customers? Personalization is a good place to start. If you’re going to compete in an increasingly digital marketplace, calling your customers “Hey, you,” isn’t going to cut it. Today’s consumers connect with brands across multiple channels, including websites, social media, brick-and-mortar stores, email, and more. Naturally, this omnichannel stream of touchpoints and communication complicates the process of recognizing, servicing, and rewarding loyal customers.
Good customers aren’t interested in complicated processes, though. Good customers are spoiled, and they’ve earned it! They expect engaging and relevant interactions and conversations across any and all channels, especially over time. Customers want and expect personalization, and when it’s done correctly, they are even willing to spend more than they initially planned for that experience.
Not convinced? Check the facts:
- According to research from Accenture, 75% of consumers are more likely to buy from a retailer that recognizes them by name, makes relevant recommendations based on past purchases, and knows their purchase history.
- 63% of consumers think more positively of a brand if it gives them content that is more valuable, relevant, or interesting, according to a Rapt Media survey.
- 77% of consumers have chosen, recommended, or paid more for a brand that offers a personalized service or experience, according to a Forrester research analyst.
Personalization in the digital arena can only happen after you’ve collected as much data as you can. Go beyond the basics like email address, name, location, and phone number. Modern digital personalization engines can collect data on when your customer likes to shop and what they like to click on when they do. Track every touchpoint from inbound to digital to offline channels. Keep an eye on social engagement, such as tweets or likes. All of this data can help you create a digital profile of your best customers.
Ideally, all of this data collection is automated. The result is that a customer’s shopping habits and browsing patterns provide details about his or her interests and needs. This data can be leveraged to create content that is of greater interest to this unique customer each time he or she encounters your brand. That’s how you keep your best customers engaged with your content and your products across many visits.
If it’s not yet clear to you, here is why that’s desirable: When you can show your customer personalized recommendations while he or she is shopping, or even simply when he or she likes to shop, you give that customer options he or she may not have known they had. Serving up additional choices that the data indicates may appeal to them leads to increasing the number of items per sale and the dollar amount per purchase. This optimizes your revenue and strengthens your bottom line.
Here’s an even better, more easily understood reason to incorporate as much personalization as you can into your business: Your competition is already doing it. If you aren’t giving them the personalized shopping experience they crave, someone else will. And ladies, you’ve got to take care of your business’ most precious asset!
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