One of the key objectives of an organisation, and the marketing department of a company, is retention. The ability to attract new customers and retain them for an extended period is extremely vital. In this process, the marketing department, whose job is to create sales, leads, and potential customers, is important. Customer retention rate, simply, is the percentage of customers a business retains over a specific time period. Customer retention rate is a KPI (key performance indicator) that is measured in a percentage over a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. This metric provides insights into a company’s ability to retain its existing customer base and sustain ongoing relationships.
A high retention rate means more leads and potential customers are retained. This means retaining customers so that they can continue their relationship with the company. With a high retention rate, also comes multiple factors, which can affect the amount of leads created as a result. Before understanding the advantages of a high retention rate, it is important to understand how an organization would measure their retention rate.
Number of Customers at End of Period – (New Customers Acquired During Period/ Number of Customers at Start of Period)*100
The formula to measure the retention rate is above. The formula itself aims to calculate the period and the amount of retained relationships during that period. Whether the period is one month, four, or twelve, the effect of the retention rate % only increases with higher intervals. Optimal retention rates are around 75-85%, and ideal and goal retention rates should be 90% and above. To achieve these retention rates, companies use strategies in order to ensure continuous interaction between the company and the lead.
To increase retention rate various strategies can be used such as:
The core aspect of customer retention is not providing endless incentives to a customer or prospect. On the other hand, customer retention is a system, in which healthy communication is fostered. This communication builds trust and a relationship between the customer and the organization. The company has an idea of what its customer base might want, and the customer is provided with incentives.
Customer retention rate is the percentage of customers a business retains over a specific time period
You can measure customer retention rate using the following formula:
Number of Customers at End of Period – (New Customers Acquired During Period/ Number of Customers at Start of Period)*100
Businesses can use newsletters, emails, loyalty programs, good customer service, and community building to increase their customer retention rate.