Customers are what make a business successful. You can put as much effort and money into your product as you like, but if you are not attracting customers, then your business will fail.
This is not a problem for larger brands, especially those that are already well established, because they have the resources to put into more marketing, and with a large customer base, they will only continue to grow.
However, attracting more customers as a small business can be more tricky. If your target customer base doesn’t know that you exist, then you can’t make money.
So, let’s have a look at some ways you can attract more customers to your business, and make your business a success.
Networking
Networking is one of those things that often cause stifled groans of despair, but it is very important! Networking involves meeting other business owners and letting them know what you are doing.
Depending on your area of business, there may be networking events held for that particular sector, such as all the photographers from a certain area of the country, for example.
If you have a smaller business, or are unable to access these types of events, then meeting other similar business owners in your city or town can also be extremely beneficial.
Here you can build connections with other business owners, and hopefully this will drive customers to you.
Buddy Up
A great marketing idea is to find a business that is similar to yours, but not directly in competition with you, and buddy up with them.
This means that customers to your business would also have some marketing towards your buddy’s business, and vice versa, so some customers will come to you without you actively having to look for them.
For example, if you were a business that decorates shop fronts, you could buddy with a company that offers neon signage, such as Neon Mama. So you are not directly in competition, but you are helping each other out.
Have An Online Presence
The internet is a huge part of our daily lives now, and it is not going to go away. Businesses that don’t have any sort of online presence are deemed untrustworthy, so it is very important to ensure you are meeting this criteria.
Having a website will be your first port of call, and you want a professional-looking website. Not a website that is slow to load because of all the adverts and graphics splashed across it, and also not a website that was clearly made in two minutes without much thought. Take some time over your website and your brand, and keep it consistent.
Smartphones are used more than any other type of technology to access information now, so ensure your website is mobile-friendly.
It is also important to have a social media presence, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are the most obvious to use, but you may also want to consider platforms such as Pinterest and TikTok.
Interact with your social media pages often, and talk to your followers, this helps to build trust in your brand.
Offer Deals
Today’s world is more cash strapped than ever before, so drawing people in with discounts and deals is more important than ever.
You may find that customers who have been wanting to buy from you, have held back, and once you offer them a discount or offer, they make that purchase. For you as a business owner, making a profit that is slightly less is better than making no sale at all.
It’s important to balance this, however, with making a profit, so before you offer a discount, check out your profit margin and ensure you are not losing money with any deals you’re offering.
Bring A Friend
This is a marketing strategy that has been around for a long time, but it has really taken off in the last few years, particularly with the rise of online subscriptions.
These offers are given to a regular customer, so that if they recommend a friend, the established customer will get their next order for a discount, usually 50% off, or even 100% off depending on the product.
The friend will also be offered a similar discount on their first order first, and one they are an established customer, they will be given the same offer.
The thought process here is that once a new customer has received a free or heavily discounted version of your product, they will then want to order more, and on and on it goes.
This marketing strategy works very well, and has a high success rate.
Online Reviews
There are many online review websites out there that are well trusted by people as a whole, and you can also incorporate a review system into your website, so that happy customers can leave a review for you.
Word of mouth is the oldest form of marketing available, and as we socialise in person less, especially in the world of Covid-19, online reviews are the technological version of word of mouth.
Research has shown that most shoppers will read up on reviews before making a purchase, and so having good reviews really do count towards getting new customers.
Connect With Previous Customers
It’s a good idea to regularly contact previous customers who haven’t made a purchase with you for some time.
Make this a regular part of your business ‘housekeeping’ and decide if you are going to look at your customer lists quarterly or every six months.
Any customers that haven’t made a new purchase within a set amount of time could be sent a follow-up email, text, or letter showcasing your newer products, and even offering some sort of discount or offer, to entice them to make a new purchase.
This contact should bond customers to you, so make it personal with some sort of message along the line of how much they are missed, and this will make them feel more valuable to your business, and this makes them feel important, which translates to sales.
Remember, that customers are your most valuable resource, so ensure you make them feel like cherished customers to your business, and you will surely have success.
