82% of Online Consumers More Loyal Where Discounts Are Provided
November 28 2011 by Troy Blackman
I’m a fan of Marketing Charts. I get their update everyday, with cool charts and facts from the world of marketing. Today’s top chart caught my eye. It struck me as funny that a survey could claim more consumers are “loyal” to online sites that provide regular discounts. In fact they go as far to say that they are more loyal to sites that offer regular discounts, versus the occasional discount. I think they have their definition of loyalty wrong. Here’s the link to the full chart, or view a portion below.
This survey appears to be about use – which is only a portion of what loyalty is to a brand. I, too, use online sites more often when there is a discount. That doesn’t mean I’m loyal. At best, it means I’m a mercenary trying to get the best price on something. Loyalty is “choosing one brand above another regardless of price based on how that brand performs for you, fits into your life, or even aligns with your aspirations.”
How do you measure that? Simple. Ask them questions. To develop a sense of who your loyal customers are, and why they are loyal, you have to ask them. Ask them questions in these categories:
- Overall satisfaction with the brand
- Product-level satisfaction
- Timeliness of delivery
- Customer service process satisfaction
- Returns and exchange process satisfaction
True loyalty indicators come from questions about:
- Interest in new potential products and services
- Willingness to repurchase
- Willingness to recommend
- What influenced the purchase
When you combine the attitudes and behaviors from a survey, data from your client file, and outside data, that is how you end up with the best way to discern loyalty. You will weed out mercenaries and focus on the consumers that truly engage with your brand.
