If you want to drive repeat business, it might seem counterintuitive to start at the very top of the funnel, but that’s exactly where long-term loyalty begins. Before customers can come back, they need a strong reason to choose you. Enter: top-of-the-funnel (TOF) marketing. Lay the groundwork for lasting customer relationships with early-stage tactics focused on awareness and attraction. 

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through how to use TOFU strategies not just to attract new customers but to build the first impression that leads to repeat sales, referrals, and long-term growth.

How to Drive Repeat Business

1. Create a positive first impression.
2. Be findable online.
3. Deliver excellent customer service.
4. Build a loyalty program.
5. Personalize your communications.
6. Offer deals and freebies.
7. Get rid of customer roadblocks.

1. Create a positive first impression.

To encourage repeat business, it’s essential to make a strong and positive customer experience from the start. Your website is often the first point of contact a customer has with your brand, so it needs to make a trustworthy impression. It should look modern, load quickly, and work seamlessly on mobile devices. In addition to good design, search engine optimization (SEO) helps your site appear in relevant search results, making it easier for new customers to find you when they need your service or product. Think of your website like your digital storefront – it needs to be welcoming, easy to navigate, and built to convert.

You don’t need to be a tech expert to pull this off. Tools like Thryv help small businesses launch professional-looking websites that are built for SEO from the start, so you rank better on search engines and make the right first impression, without hiring a full marketing team.

2. Be findable online.

Customers can’t come back if they can’t find you. That means your business needs to appear across platforms where people search (i.e., Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook, and more). Inconsistent information online, such as incorrect hours, outdated addresses, or missing contact info, can quickly send someone to a competitor. Make it a routine to check your online listings and ensure your profiles are fully built out and consistent across the web.

Social media also plays a significant role in visibility. Even if you’re not posting daily, maintaining an active presence helps keep your business at the forefront of people’s minds. Thryv makes this easier by managing your listings from a single central dashboard and allowing you to schedule and post to multiple social platforms simultaneously, all while tracking performance.

3. Deliver excellent customer service.

Excellent service is often what turns a one-time buyer into a repeat customer. But in today’s digital-first world, customer service doesn’t stop at the cash register. It continues in your inbox, your review pages, and your follow-up messages. Responding quickly to questions, resolving issues with empathy, and acknowledging feedback (especially online reviews) shows customers that their experience matters.

Review platforms are often the first place people go to validate a business, and customers notice when a company takes the time to respond to their concerns. Thryv allows you to monitor and reply to reviews across platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp from one place, so you can maintain a strong, responsive reputation without juggling multiple tabs.

4. Build a loyalty program.

Returning customers want to feel recognized and rewarded. Loyalty programs are a powerful way to achieve this, whether through point systems, exclusive offers, or VIP perks. But even beyond formal programs, simple gestures like sending a thank-you email, sharing an anniversary discount, or offering early access to a promotion can go a long way.

To keep things running smoothly, it helps to have tools that manage these touchpoints automatically. With Thryv’s built-in CRM and email marketing tools, you can track customer activity, segment your audience, and set up automated email sequences that feel personal, so loyalty marketing works for you behind the scenes.

5. Personalize your communications.

Generic messages don’t build relationships. To encourage repeat business, you need to treat customers like individuals, not transactions. Personalization involves using their name, referencing past purchases, or adjusting your timing to match when they typically engage. When you personalize your messages, they feel more relevant and are more likely to prompt action.

This is where a unified inbox becomes a game-changer. Instead of chasing down messages across text, email, and social media, Thryv keeps all your customer conversations in one place. It allows you to view full message history, keep track of details, and respond faster, making your communication feel intentional, even as your business grows.

6. Offer deals and freebies.

People love incentives. Limited-time deals, BOGO offers, or simple freebies can be great motivators for customers to return. The key is to provide value without coming across as pushy. Think strategically: offer a discount to customers who haven’t purchased in 60 days, or send a freebie to celebrate a milestone. These small gestures encourage loyalty and keep your brand on their radar.

Promotions are most effective when shared across multiple channels. Email, text, and social media all play a role. Thryv makes it easy to launch and track these campaigns from one platform, allowing you to test what works and refine your offers without spreading yourself too thin.

7. Get rid of customer roadblocks.

Every unnecessary step between a customer and a purchase is a potential drop-off point. Maybe your contact form is too long. Maybe your booking process is confusing. Perhaps they can’t pay online. Whatever the case, eliminating friction is one of the fastest ways to boost satisfaction and improve repeat business.

Once you identify the blockers, address them using simple, user-friendly tools. Thryv helps streamline booking, communication, reminders, and payments—all from one place—so customers get what they need quickly and easily, and you don’t lose them to a frustrating experience.

Set Up Repeat Business Systems to Drive Growth

Driving repeat business isn’t about one-off tactics. It’s about building systems that keep customers engaged, satisfied, and coming back. From creating strong first experiences to staying visible online, personalizing communication, and removing friction from the customer journey, each step plays a role in turning first-time buyers into loyal fans.