Salesforce Survey Looks at How Small Businesses Can Grow Loyalty

Cloud software powerhouse Salesforce recently shared results of a survey it conducted about what consumers look for in the small businesses they support and how business owners can earn their trust. The findings are indicative of what small business owners should keep in mind to grow and foster customer loyalty.

According to Salesforce, the following factors are the most important for customers deciding to work with a small business:

Image via Salesforce

"It’s no surprise that consumers often feel a more personal connection to small businesses," writes Brett Grossfield on the Salesforce blog. "There’s something about doing business with an independent CPA or indie cafe owner than with a big tax accounting firm or national coffee chain. But those personal connections have to be earned over time. With each interaction, one customer at a time, small businesses must prove themselves trustworthy. That trust forms the foundation for customer loyalty."

Customers really do want to do business with small businesses. Eight-six percent would even pay a little more for products/service to do so, the survey found. Only 14 percent said they would not. Forty-seven percent said they would "often" go out of their way to shop at locally-owned small businesses, and 36 percent said they would do so "sometimes." Only seven percent said they "never" would.

The survey found that nearly half (48 percent) of respondents prefer to learn about their favorite businesses via social media. While it is recommended that businesses are present on all possible channels, social media appears to be the most important in terms of customer preference. Email is the second most preferred.

The survey found that 76 percent of consumers expect businesses to understand their needs and expectations. Here’s a look at specific reasons people are loyal to the small businesses they support:

Image via Salesforce

Trust is also a major component of customer loyalty. The survey found that as many as 95 percent of respondents said trust in a company makes it more likely they will recommend the business and continue to make purchases. Customers also want to recommend small businesses to others. The survey found that 59 percent "always" tell others about small businesses they like, and another 36 percent do so "sometimes." Only three percent said they "hardly ever" do, and just one percent said they "never" do.

In a separate, earlier survey, Salesforce found that about three-quarters of those polled said that trust in companies matters more than it did the previous year. Considering that over nine in ten consumers are more loyal to companies they trust, it is critical that small businesses go out of their way to establish a trusting relationship.

Salesforce’s survey shines some light on what customers want and expect from small businesses, but it also shows that people really do prefer small business to larger chains, and will go the extra mile for them if needs and expectations are met. Small business owners should take this information to heart and provide customers with the best experience possible to turn them into loyal patrons.