{"id":67388,"date":"2026-06-24T14:27:55","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T13:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/?p=67388"},"modified":"2026-06-24T15:56:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T14:56:44","slug":"leaky-bucket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/leaky-bucket\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Hard-Won Customers Leaking Away?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id='familiarity'  class='avia-section av-2qwy3ht-8a2c23e8b96a4ca6a0ee5518929c44bc main_color avia-section-default avia-no-border-styling  avia-builder-el-0  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  avia-bg-style-scroll container_wrap sidebar_right'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><main  role=\"main\" itemprop=\"mainContentOfPage\"  class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-67388'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-jp009ut1-c2a891abf735c7eb7a5c24d037e4b61f\">\n.flex_column.av-jp009ut1-c2a891abf735c7eb7a5c24d037e4b61f{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-jp009ut1-c2a891abf735c7eb7a5c24d037e4b61f av_one_fifth  avia-builder-el-1  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  first flex_column_div av-hide-on-mobile av-zero-column-padding  '     ><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-28z32gh-8306082e681bdb1a559cb023abad5737\">\n.flex_column.av-28z32gh-8306082e681bdb1a559cb023abad5737{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-28z32gh-8306082e681bdb1a559cb023abad5737 av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_one_fifth  avia-builder-el-last  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  '     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-lb2-fcc2ba402b25719590c5ffbe73c8b19b '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h1>Are Hard-Won Customers Leaking Away?<\/h1>\n<p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lb1-8d6856e3f3bc0298e1899ab113fd785d\">\n.av_font_icon.av-lb1-8d6856e3f3bc0298e1899ab113fd785d .av-icon-char{\nfont-size:1em;\nline-height:1em;\n}\n<\/style>\n<span  class='av_font_icon av-lb1-8d6856e3f3bc0298e1899ab113fd785d avia_animate_when_visible av-icon-style- avia-icon-pos-left av-no-color avia-icon-animate'><span class='av-icon-char' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue862' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello' ><\/span><\/span> <em><strong>approx 5-7 minute read<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lb3-7db879506471f54f595dbe96a12d3a55\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-lb3-7db879506471f54f595dbe96a12d3a55{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-lb3-7db879506471f54f595dbe96a12d3a55 hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lb4-4eb11d33b7112a2c12c4e353ed40d0bd '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>You work hard to win customers. The problem is what happens next<\/h2>\n<p>Picture a bucket.<\/p>\n<p>Everything you do to win customers pours into the top. Referrals. Your website. Networking. Repeat enquiries. Word of mouth. Ads, if you run them. All of it fills the bucket.<\/p>\n<p>And filling it takes real effort. Time, money, or both.<\/p>\n<p>But a lot of buckets have holes in the bottom.<\/p>\n<p>You win a customer. You do great work. Then you go quiet. Months later they need you again, but someone else has stayed in view, so they call them instead.<\/p>\n<p>Nothing went wrong with how you won them. They just ran out the bottom.<\/p>\n<p>That is the bit most businesses never fix. They keep topping up the bucket instead of plugging the holes. And plugging the holes is far cheaper than filling it again.<\/p>\n<p>We will come back to the bucket. First, the holes.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lb6-61cd207fa70b3f42d6c864b0874fe420\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-lb6-61cd207fa70b3f42d6c864b0874fe420{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-lb6-61cd207fa70b3f42d6c864b0874fe420 hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lb7-a55f49a5a3c8b194a15b9484b0bb107b '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>The expensive habit nobody notices<\/h2>\n<p>Most businesses pour the bulk of their effort into chasing new customers.<\/p>\n<p>Fair enough. New leads feel like progress.<\/p>\n<p>But the numbers do not support treating new business as the whole job.<\/p>\n<p>In <em>Marketing Metrics<\/em>, Paul Farris puts a figure on it that gets quoted everywhere, because it is hard to argue with. The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60 to 70%. For a brand new prospect, it is just 5 to 20%.<\/p>\n<p>Read that again. You are several times more likely to win work from someone who already knows you than from a stranger you have never met.<\/p>\n<p>It compounds, too. Bain &amp; Company&#8217;s long-cited research found that even a small lift in customer retention drives a big jump in profit, because you keep earning from people you have already won once.<\/p>\n<p>So if all your energy points outward, you are doing the hard, expensive part over and over. While the easy wins quietly leak away.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lb8-8dfc88cef7877a9c053dfea89bb028fb\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-lb8-8dfc88cef7877a9c053dfea89bb028fb{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-lb8-8dfc88cef7877a9c053dfea89bb028fb hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-9  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lb9-d9c73dfb9a50845abae56a1f2bbd96d8 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>Hole one: you disappear after the job<\/h2>\n<p>This is the most common one we see.<\/p>\n<p>The work finishes. The relationship goes cold. You are no longer front of mind.<\/p>\n<p>The fix is not complicated. Stay in view.<\/p>\n<p>A simple monthly email does most of the work. Not a hard sell. A short, useful note. A deadline worth knowing. A tip. A quick answer to a question customers always ask.<\/p>\n<p>The point is that when they next need you, you are the obvious call. And unlike most ways of reaching new people, you can contact your own email list as often as you like, for next to nothing.<\/p>\n<p>Do not write off the letterbox either. A well-timed piece of direct mail to a past-customer list cuts through in a way a crowded inbox often cannot. A postcard with a genuine offer, or a simple &#8220;we are still here&#8221; note, lands on the desk and stays there. Paired with email, it is a powerful nudge for the customers you already have.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever it cost you to win these people the first time, this is how you avoid paying it twice.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lb10-738f9762289077f34d3e284235cde8cd\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-lb10-738f9762289077f34d3e284235cde8cd{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-lb10-738f9762289077f34d3e284235cde8cd hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-11  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lb11-4113f5f070d76310a4a84d32ec15b585 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>Hole two: happy customers who never refer you<\/h2>\n<p>Your customers are happy. They just never think to recommend you, because you never made it easy.<\/p>\n<p>Word of mouth and online reviews are the quality-lead engine for any service business. They are also the leads people trust most. BrightLocal&#8217;s 2025 consumer research found 98% of people at least occasionally read online reviews for local businesses, and that many trust them as much as a personal recommendation.<\/p>\n<p>So ask. On purpose. Build it into the end of every job.<\/p>\n<p>A friendly request for a referral. A simple nudge to leave a review. It feels small. It compounds.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lb12-4acd85770c1e845d2049049282600b49\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-lb12-4acd85770c1e845d2049049282600b49{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-lb12-4acd85770c1e845d2049049282600b49 hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-13  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lb14-b216c8aa45d017534eeb73f3e5bff4a0 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>Hole three: the one almost nobody fixes<\/h2>\n<p>Here is the big gap. Remarketing.<\/p>\n<p>Someone visits your website, looks around, then leaves without getting in touch. Most businesses treat that as a dead end.<\/p>\n<p>It is not. With remarketing on social and display ads, you can stay gently visible to those people as they carry on browsing elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>Think about who these people are. They already showed interest. Or they already know you and have just drifted. The same <em>Marketing Metrics<\/em> research pegs the odds of selling to a past customer at 20 to 40%, still miles ahead of a cold prospect. Reaching them again is warmer, and cheaper, than starting from scratch.<\/p>\n<p>For most businesses this is the single biggest untapped opportunity in their digital marketing. The audience is already there. They are simply not being followed up.<\/p>\n<p>If the email list catches the customers who go quiet, remarketing catches the visitors who never quite got in touch. Same idea. Different hole.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lb15-08dd303b05095dd75bb028fa977eca9e\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-lb15-08dd303b05095dd75bb028fa977eca9e{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-lb15-08dd303b05095dd75bb028fa977eca9e hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-15  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lb16-72e202c3ef2f6e5dd958dec33d5eac91 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>What this looks like for different businesses<\/h2>\n<p>The principle is the same. The flavour changes by sector.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Professional services<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Solicitors, accountants, consultants, brokers. Your work is recurring and trust-led.<\/p>\n<p>A regular email keeps you top of mind for the next matter. Reviews reassure the cautious. Remarketing keeps you visible to the people researching quietly before they ever make contact.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Trades<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Repeat work and referrals are your lifeblood.<\/p>\n<p>A quick follow up after a job. An easy review ask while the work is fresh and the customer is happy. Remarketing to people who got a quote but did not book yet.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hospitality<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You live and die by people coming back, and by being recommended.<\/p>\n<p>An email list for offers and events. Reviews that pull in the next booking. Remarketing to people who looked at your menu or booking page and drifted off.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lb17-3e495e5696e0eb1a71389fdf80c95893\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-lb17-3e495e5696e0eb1a71389fdf80c95893{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-lb17-3e495e5696e0eb1a71389fdf80c95893 hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-17  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lb18-7b402424980ac7a80afdbdc060c872ea '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>Where to start<\/h2>\n<p>You do not need to do all of this at once. Pick the hole costing you most.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Never speak to past customers? Start a simple monthly email. Back it up with the odd mailer.<\/li>\n<li>Customers happy but quiet? Build a review and referral ask into your process.<\/li>\n<li>Visitors landing and vanishing? Turn on remarketing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lb19-ca24576778a9b2a424ad4169abdc875d\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-lb19-ca24576778a9b2a424ad4169abdc875d{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-lb19-ca24576778a9b2a424ad4169abdc875d hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-19  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lb20-e8214f6b32803437f9b534fd17472632 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>Back to the bucket<\/h2>\n<p>You work hard to fill it. Whatever brings customers in, it takes effort to get them there.<\/p>\n<p>But filling the bucket is only half the job. The other half is making sure it holds.<\/p>\n<p>Stay in view. Ask for the referral. Follow up the people who already know you.<\/p>\n<p>Do that, and every bit of effort you put into winning a customer keeps paying you back, long after the work that won them is done.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lb21-95da0424e826f7a288cbc9848bc5877b\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-lb21-95da0424e826f7a288cbc9848bc5877b{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-lb21-95da0424e826f7a288cbc9848bc5877b hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-21  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lb22-eca8d08e879b56bc662de7d77b639851 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>Want a hand plugging the holes?<\/h2>\n<p>This is exactly the sort of thing we help businesses with every day. From the activity that fills the bucket to the email, remarketing and print that keep it full, we can put the whole system together for you.<\/p>\n<p>Have a chat with your local Nettl studio and we will help you stop the leaks.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lb23-1e9f5c8db6bc529e948cf9f3b41ce107\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-lb23-1e9f5c8db6bc529e948cf9f3b41ce107{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-lb23-1e9f5c8db6bc529e948cf9f3b41ce107 hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-23  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_button '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap av-jinlazj9-71420c2f11d25f16877c2eed3289cb3b-wrap avia-button-center  avia-builder-el-24  el_after_av_hr  el_before_av_hr '><a href='https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/digital-marketing-plan\/'  class='avia-button av-jinlazj9-71420c2f11d25f16877c2eed3289cb3b av-link-btn avia-icon_select-yes-left-icon avia-size-large avia-position-center avia-color-theme-color'  target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" ><span class='avia_button_icon avia_button_icon_left' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue803' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Build a Digital Marketing Plan<\/span><\/a><\/div><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lb24-b6144990078dbae2d7bd961433bca6a6\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-lb24-b6144990078dbae2d7bd961433bca6a6{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-lb24-b6144990078dbae2d7bd961433bca6a6 hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-25  el_after_av_button  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lb25-d80a4da543ec19cd87c67bce74d5abbb '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><em>Getting more of those first-time visitors to convert in the first place is a story for another day. For now, the quickest win is holding on to what your effort has already won.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/main><!-- close content main element --><\/div><\/div><div id='after_section_1'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-67388'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You work hard to win customers. Referrals, your website, word of mouth, ads. But most businesses never notice the holes in the bottom of the bucket, where hard-won customers quietly leak away. Here is how to plug them and keep more of what your effort wins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":234,"featured_media":67391,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"iawp_total_views":3,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/234"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67388"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67399,"href":"https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67388\/revisions\/67399"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nettl.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}