As a small business, it’s easy to get carried away constantly chasing new customers. It can be relentless and feel like you are always sprinting uphill and never quite getting there.
At Cool Ventures, we are asked this a lot: “how do I get more customers in my business?”
But what if you had enough customers in your contacts book already, you just don’t know it yet?
As 2026 starts gaining momentum, instead of getting caught on the treadmill of always looking for new customers, take a moment to consider who you already know and how else you can help them.
Growth is important, but your most valuable customers are the ones you already have.
What can your business do to keep them coming back and trusting you with more of their hard-earned money.
Retaining the customers you already have is cheaper, easier to scale, and much more sustainable than trying to acquire new ones. Loyal customers spend more, buy more often, and are more likely to recommend you to others – even without being asked (or bribed with discounts).
Here are five practical quick wins to improve your existing customers’ experience and get them coming back for more this year:
It all starts with Great Customer Service
We all think we are good at customer service, but are you consistently doing these 5 things:
1. Responding to enquiries quickly
That’s not to say you must be available 24/7 – set and communicate boundaries. You can set up automated responses to manage customer’s expectations.
People might contact you at weird times of day, but they don’t necessarily expect you to answer them then.
A message along the lines of, “Thank you for getting in touch, we will respond within 24 hours” can be enough.
The important thing is that there is some sort of response, instead of radio silence.
Top tip: Change your voicemail from the default to a friendly message explaining your opening hours and response time. Set up an auto reply on WhatsApp and Messenger. Have an email ‘out of office’ message – whatever communications channels you have, familiarise yourself with the tools to automate replies – don’t leave people hanging!
2. Ask for Feedback (and use it!)
Your customers are your most valuable resource; their input can make or break your business. Ask for feedback to uncover any blind spots, and improve your offering accordingly. Try not to
take criticism personally, instead reframe it as an opportunity to be better at business. While it’s lovely to hear the positives, knowing what is not going so well is an opportunity to improve.
Collect enough feedback and you will identify patterns – for example, if lots of people are asking for a particular thing, is there a way you can offer it.
Easy ways to collect feedback could be:
- Short post-purchase surveys
- A quick “How did we do?” email
- Google review requests
- Casual check-ins with long-term clients
If customers see that their feedback is valued and this results in real changes, their trust in you will increase, and this creates loyalty.
3. Reward Loyalty (It doesn’t have to expensive or fancy)
The goal here isn’t to keep offering discounts, it’s to help customers feel valued and appreciated.
Simple loyalty ideas:
- A personalised, handwritten thank you note
- A points card – i.e.: buy X number of coffees and get one free
- Exclusive discounts for repeat customers
- Referral rewards – a reward when someone refers a friend
- Thank you gifts
- The occasional bonus freebie
- If your customers are other businesses, actively choose to be a customer of theirs as well, where appropriate. Trading with each other creates a healthy peer support community and local business ecosystem.
4. Personalise the experience wherever you can
Everyone likes to feel special, heard, and appreciated. It doesn’t have to mean tailoring everything you do for the individual if that isn’t appropriate. But anything you can do to make the relationship feel less transactional, and more thoughtful and memorable, can only be positive for everyone.
Ways to personalise an experience:
- Use customers preferred name in communications
- Remember past purchases and preferences. Use digital tools to capture these customer records so you are not asking them the same questions over and over again.
- Recommend products and services tailored to their buying history.
- Acknowledge milestones and special occasions – like anniversaries, birthdays, and repeat visits.
When customers feel seen and understood they are more likely to come back, and tell their friends.
5. Don’t skip the post-purchase follow up
The relationship shouldn’t end once the sale is made. Often, when someone has recently purchased from you, they are more likely to buy again, so stay in touch while they are still ‘warm’.
Following up shows you care about their experience, and it is more than just a transaction.
Smart follow up ideas:
- Send a thank you email or message – you can use digital tools to automate these immediately after purchase, so you never miss one
- Share tips on how to use or get the most out of the purchase
- Check to see if they are satisfied (see point 2: ‘Ask for feedback’)
- Offer help, support, or related recommendations
Customer Loyalty for the Win
Focusing on customer experience sets your business up for steady growth throughout the year. Strong relationships lead to longer term sustainable business and higher value from each customer. It can make revenue more predictable and keep you in tune with what customers are asking for, what else they need ,and how you can grow and improve your business around them.
This year, instead of asking, “how do I get more customers?”
Ask, “How do I take better care of the customers I have?”
That mindset shift alone can transform your business.
