There are several retail common customer types in the market, and the ways of marketing to them are also quite different. As a business owner, it’s essential to understand your type of customers, because it helps to convert potential customers into new ones and expand the business.
Some customers have a specific need for particular products; however, others just want to go window shopping, get some ideas, and leave the store without a purchase. Therefore, a shop owner must know the common customer types to build a suitable plan for each type and strengthen their client base. Here are the 5 most popular types of customers you will probably encounter in your business.
Loyal Customer
This is the type of customer base which takes up only the minority in the marketplace. Loyal customers are those who select one company’s product constantly over their competitors for a long period of time. If a customer is loyal, very often the price or availability will not matter. This is because there are other things that fulfill their needs, for example, product quality or the company’s sustainable mission.
A loyal customer is a solid base for the sales and the company’s reputation. However,50% of loyal customers say they would opt for a company’s competitor if they better fulfill their needs. For this reason, businesses should give special care to these loyal clients, such as a loyalty program, membership discount, etc., to maintain a strong loyal customer base.
Wandering Customer
They are those who come to the store or visits the online store without any specific needs. Their main intention could be to pass some time or just because it is their favorite activity. It is quite difficult for a shop owner to find out their exact motive or simply they just cannot recognize this type of customer.
However, wandering customers are still your potential clients, who are willing to pay if they see something that suits their needs. Therefore, it is useful to make marketing plans that can turn look-a-like customers into real ones, such as running impressive ads to gain attention, or offering special discounts for first-time buyers.
Bargain Hunter
Bargain hunters’ main motto is, as you can tell by the name, to bargain over the original price. This is because they are looking for goods that are the actual value for money. Bargain hunters often prefer or want to buy products that are lower in the price range. They may not be the ones who make purchases on impulse. However if you can organize a sales season, it could be effective to turn bargain hunters into your real customers.
Indecisive Customers
Indecisive people are the hardest to convince among common customer types, as they tend to ask a lot of questions about the product, check the information several times, and think carefully about whether they should buy an item or not. In the online stores, in some cases, they add products to the cart but cancel the order while checking out, because they cannot decide which one to choose.
Therefore, you should provide this type of customer with sufficient information. Most preferably, you should create a situation where a product is inevitably better to serve their needs than the others.
Need-based Customers
They are the main customers who will shop in-store or online due to their emergency needs. They normally enter the store, shop for particular products and leave. This customer type rarely wastes their time at the store and does not ask too many questions because they are fully aware of what they need.
Need-based customers often appear in stores that sell essential items, such as household products or groceries. These customers can be likely converted into loyal customers, so retailers should create suitable combos or discounts to keep them shop at their stores.
Final Words
To increase sales and maintain a good reputation, businesses should understand different types of customers thoroughly. It should be noted that different types can overlap. All in all, we hope that these 5 customer types can inspire you to create appropriate business plans.
ConnectPOS offers a wide range of technological solutions for businesses to treat specific types of customers, such as operating loyalty programs. Contact us if you have any questions.
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