It was love at first sight...

Think fast, which brand would you say that you love? Name one brand (or service) that you stay loyal to it, no matter what. One brand, that even though you can't buy a product right now, you know that they are your first choice.

It doesn't matter whether it's about cosmetics, clothes, shoes, books, or even cars. The point of these questions are for you to consider, why you love them? What has driven you to be loyal to them?

Let me present to you some potential reasons:

• Good customer service. They helped you with every inquiry. They followed-up you with you after you purchased their product, to ensure your satisfaction

• They were open with you. When they were out of stock of your order, they informed you about it and discussed with you whether you wished for a refund or whether they could help you with an alternative

• They enabled you to return a product, in case you were not satisfied with it or you received it damaged

• They acknowledge their flaws, and try their best to become even better, for you

According to Reichheld & Schefter (2000), these are some of the basic reasons, that can lead to e-loyalty by consumers towards their favorite brands.

All these characteristics, make them reliable and allow you to feel safe to use their services. It's exactly like a personal relationship with a friend or a lover. In order for the relationship to work, you must feel comfortable with the other person, be honest and be open to criticism (no one perfect).

But mostly, trust is the most important aspect that can lead to loyalty in an e-commerce environment (Pavlou, 2003). If you trust the other person (or business in our case), you feel comfortable with talking to them, using their products, trust your bani details to their hands and rest assured that the products that you buy or services you use will be of good quality.

Brand loyalty is one of the most rewarding relationships between customers and brands. If you achieve, you should be rewardeing, honest and intimate, just like any other relationship.

Sources:

Pavlou, P. (2003), “Consumer acceptance of electronic commerce-integrating trust and risk with the technology acceptance model”, International Journal of Electronic Commerce, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 101-134.

Reichheld F., Schefter, P., (2000), “E-Loyalty”, Harvard Business Review, Vol.78, No. 4, pp. 105-113