How Entrepreneurs Can Establish a Successful Customer-First StrategyYour business would be nothing without your customers. Hold up your end of the bargain by putting their needs first.

ByPeter Daisyme

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

skynesher | Getty Images

The customer has always been right, but Covid is putting even more pressure on businesses to cater to their consumer base. Companies simply cannot afford clientele attrition during times like these, and the risks incurred by bad service are greater than ever. A study conducted by the Northridge Group found that72% of consumersare likely to switch brands after a single negative experience.

Related:Why Organizations Should Take A Customer-First Approach During Unprecedented Times

The answer here is simple. Put customers at the heart of your business strategy. It's a non-negotiable in today's market — one that's still easier said than done. How exactly can a business put its patrons first once and for all? Here are four ways to start.

1. Lean into deep personalization

If "personalization" to you means addressing customers by name in your marketing emails, it's time to up the ante. Surface-level personalization is low effort stuff, and customers can see straight through it. Don't just use personalization to sell your company harder; use it to cater to your customers' needs better than you ever have before. Deep personalization means building the unique demands into your business model itself. Sound challenging? It doesn't have to be.

One of the best ways to leverage deep personalization is by using it to offer the best possible deals to your customers. Increasingly, firms are analyzing customer usage before suggesting packages and rates. Internet service provider EarthLink, for example,uses speed testingand other metrics to get their customers the plan that works best for them. Customers won't just notice this kind of personalization, they'll reward it with increased brand loyalty.

2. Create a buyer persona

For all the good that personalization can do, it's also expensive, labor-intensive and difficult to pull off. You need to connect with your customers, but some forms of connection may come with price tags too steep for your blood. If that's the case, try creating buyer personas — outlines and sketches of your most common customer types. These personas can be used to cater your products more carefully to the people buying them. Think of it as personalization on a larger scale.

Related:5 Strategies for Understanding Customer Needs While Competing in Digital Retailing

To the uninitiated, though, buyer personas can seem just as alien as personalization does, but they don't have to. Hubspot'show-to guidefor creating professional-grade buyer personas is a great place to start, but no one knows your clientele like you do. Conduct surveys, do follow-ups and talk to your front-facing workers. By amalgamating all of that information, you're bound to come up with new ways to put your customers first.

3. Be transparent

Simply put, customers want to know that you're on their side. They want to know that you stand for the same causes as them, that you're operating ethically and that they get to be as much a part of the decision making process as possible. Bearing that in mind, it should come as no surprise that a recent survey from Sprout Social found that86% of Americansbelieve that transparency from businesses is more important than ever before.

This one is easy. Listen to your customers and don't leave them in the dark. Get feedback from each new branding decision or product alteration. The moment you lock out your customers, you start telling them that they aren't your priority. By keeping your client base in the loop as much as possible, you're cultivating a two-way relationship capable of withstanding just about anything.

4. Use data — discreetly

Implementing deep personalization and buyer personas is only possible if you have data on your customers first. The world has now officially transitioned into adata economy, meaning that your customers' data are valuable commodities. Using data to build and refine your business can lead to some big returns down the line, but be careful. Mishandling data can set your company back in a big way.

Related:Here's How (And Why) You Should Get Your Enterprise's Customer Experience Ready for The Post-COVID World

After messaging service WhatsApp announced that users would be required to share their data with Facebook, millions left the platformin protest,永久损害公司的声誉d giving its competitors a priceless boost in users. Data collection is a must, but do it carefully and do it well. Anything less will result in huge losses for your company.

Your business would be nothing without your customers, and they know it. It's up to you to hold up your end of the bargain. By putting their needs first, you can cultivate a strategy that will put your company firmly on the path to success.

Wavy Line
Peter Daisyme

Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor

Co-founder of Hostt

彼得Daisyme创始人之一Hostt, specializing in helping businesses host their website for free for life. Previously, he was co-founder of Pixloo, a company that helped people sell their homes online, which was acquired in 2012.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Data & Recovery

Get 1TB of Cloud Storage for Life for $119.97 With This Back-to-School Sale

This 1TB Cloud Storage Solution Is Only $119.97 for Back to School

Money & Finance

Want to Become a Millionaire? Follow Warren Buffett's 4 Rules.

太多entrepreneurs are counting too heavily on a company exit for their eventual 'win.' Do this instead.

Business News

Netflix is Hiring an AI-Focused Role—and the Starting Salary is up to $900,000

The streaming giant is looking for a leader in its machine learning department.

Leadership

This Common Leadership Habit Will Harm Your Credibility. Are You Guilty of It?

As leaders, we're always looking for ways to build credibility among peers and employees. But this easy-to-make mistake can ruin it in an instant.

Business News

McDonald's Is Launching a Spinoff Restaurant Chain Based on a Beloved, Blast-From-the-Past Mascot

The company saw a lot of success with another former mascot, Grimace, in June.

Growing a Business

We're Now Finding Out The Damaging Results of The Mandated Return to Office — And It's Worse Than We Thought.

Companies knew the mandated return to the office would cause some attrition, however, they were not prepared for the serious problems that would present.