Client Retention Strategies for Small Business Owners

Do you know what’s easier than developing new marketing strategies to get more clients through the door? 

Keep your current clients coming back for more!

As a small business owner, there are so many things you can do to elevate your client experience. In this blog post we’ll talk about why you should care about client retention and what you can do to encourage your current clients to book more services. 

Don’t forget to download the freebie at the end - your Client Retention Checklist!

What is client retention?

Technically speaking, client retention is the rate at which a business keeps customers over a period of time. For the purpose of this blog post, we’re going to leave the mathematical equations out of it!

When I use the term client retention, I’m referring to your ability to keep your current clients coming back for more services.

Why is client retention important?

Client retention is so important for small business owners because it is much easier and cheaper to keep your current clients coming back than it is to find new clients. And who doesn’t want to save time and money?! 

Yes, some of these strategies will require your time and maybe even a small investment. But do you want to know what costs MORE money and takes MORE time? Trying to develop NEW marketing strategies to find NEW clients!

(Does it feel like I’m yelling? Sorry, friend! I’m just so passionate about this topic!)

What strategies can help increase client retention?

There are countless strategies that can help with client retention. From the moment a potential client contacts you or even searches your website or Instagram page, you have the opportunity to form a good first impression that will lead to a successful working relationship.

In this section I’ll share some specific strategies, from onboarding to offboarding and everything in between!

Onboarding

Onboarding is the process a client goes through when they first begin working with you. Having a smooth onboarding process is important for the client and you as the business owner! We want our clients to feel taken care of. We don’t want them to feel like our business is disorganized or confusing. With a planned out onboarding process, you’ll also save yourself time because you won’t have to be recreating the wheel every time - and you might even be able to automate some steps!

Here are a few tips to consider when thinking about your onboarding process:

✅ Create email templates (I have a freebie on my website!)

✅ Create a welcome packet (include a roadmap/timeline, share FAQs, communicate policies, etc)

✅ Encourage questions so your clients feel heard

Build client relationships

Building relationships with your clients is SO important! We want to show we care about them as a person, not just a client. A lot of these strategies will also encourage clients to continue working with you, so it’s a win win!

These will vary depending on your business and clientele, but here are some ideas for building client relationships:

✅ Celebrate birthdays (card, email, digital Starbucks gift card, etc)

✅ Follow up with a thank-you email after initial appointments or big projects

✅ Check in periodically (“How are you really doing?”) to make sure clients are satisfied and feel heard

Encourage clients to come back

This is what this blog post is all about! In this section, I’m going to share the more logistical side of getting clients to come back: making it easier to book appointments, offering discounts, creating milestones/goals, etc.

Low-lift ways to encourage clients to come back:

✅ Set up their next appointment/meeting before they leave

✅ Check for drop-offs and follow up promptly

✅ Offer a discount after a specific number of visits

✅ Create “packs” clients can purchase upfront to save money (e.g. a 5-pack of physical therapy sessions)

Offer another service

At some point, clients are going to want to stop working with you. Hopefully this isn’t because they’re unhappy with your services, but because they no longer need your support. 

When this happens, is there another service/product you can offer that is more aligned with their current needs? For example, if someone wants to leave your membership, can you offer them a 1:1 call?

Offboarding 

This is a process small business owners tend to forget about but it is SO important! 

When a client stops working with you - for whatever reason - you want to make sure you end things on a positive note. You also want to wrap things up in a way that makes sense for your business - no Irish goodbyes here!

Here are some things you might want to include in your offboarding process:

✅ Create an email template thanking them for their business. Share any next steps they can take. Ask for a Google review or testimonial (assuming they had a good experience working with you!) or general feedback (if they might not have had a good experience with you)

✅ Offer a time-limited reengagement discount

✅ Check back in after a set number of months

How can small business owners increase their client retention?

This blog post is filled with loads of tips to help small business owners increase their client retention…

But wait! There’s more!

Here are 3 more ways I can help you increase your client retention:

1️⃣) Download this freebie: Client Retention Checklist. This checklist covers the same topics here, but is filled with even MORE examples!

2️⃣) Book a 1:1 Call with me. During this 45-minute strategy session, you’ll tell me all about your business so I can give you specific suggestions and help you determine exactly what to focus on. You’ll leave with a workbook with clear actionable steps saving you time and mental energy!

3️⃣) Book a VA for a Day. If you’ve done step 1 or 2 here and want some extra support, I’m here for you! Maybe you have a plan of what you want to do but putting it into action…you just don’t have the time for that right now! Book me for ONE and I can get your email templates created, develop a (sustainable!) system for celebrating birthdays, finally create that product that’s the perfect complement to a service - and anything else that’s been on your to-do list for far too long!