Customer retention is a tricky thing for companies to master.  This is because customers have different expectations from a company.  What one customer may consider great customer service may be perceived as terrible customer service by another.  However, there are ways to keep customers around for the long-term.

1)  Provide Easy Online Shopping Options

Customers like to be able to buy things from the comfort of their own home.  Online orders can be completed quickly, easily and without having to battle traffic or deal with a pushy salesperson.  For parents with kids, it may be the only way to fit in a shopping trip before work or without having to worry about the kids acting up while in the store.

2)  Offer Discounts to Loyal Shoppers

Offering coupons, free items or other discounts to customers who meet a certain spending threshold can increase customer loyalty and satisfaction.  When customers are rewarded for their spending, they are more likely to keep spending on your brand.  This means more long-term profits and word-of-mouth referrals for your business.

Customer service by Alan Cleaver, on Flickr.  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.

3)  Offer Subscriptions that Renew Automatically

Offering a subscription-based service can create a stable revenue stream for a company.  If a customer decides to leave before the subscription is over, that customer is still paying until it expires.  While you never want your attrition rate to be above 0 percent, customers have a variety of reasons for leaving.  However, by offering subscriptions that renew automatically, you increase the odds that you will keep a paying customer.

Retaining a customer for the long-term can increase revenue and profit for a company for years to come.  By building up a base of loyal customers, a company can almost assure itself of a successful future in a competitive business environment.  That means a happy business owner, happy employees and happy customers for a long time to come.