Business Advisor
Why small business owners need to invest in proper software
Software is big decision, consider these in making a change.
Boost your customer base, and revenue with these easy techniques
You’ve launched your business!
Now what?
You might have a few friends and family lined up to serve initially, but you need to expand.
A first step in the process is learning about your current clientele (or your target market). Build a profile of your consumer to understand them better and how to attract more people like them. A profile might include their age, gender and more. (Build out your profile) If you haven’t already, take the time to survey your client base to gather this information. Surveys may seem like a painful way to collect data, but if you can get even 10% of your customers to complete one, you’ll gain incredibly valuable insights on which to base assumptions for the group. Also, don’t be afraid to ask what clients feel is lacking from your business. Maybe they wish your yoga studio offered mats to rent if they forget theirs, or your music studio offered classes in the mornings.Once you have a strong understanding of your existing customer, follow these simple strategies for attracting new customers and continuing to grow your business.
Word of mouth
With social media becoming a pervasive part of our lives, word of mouth is hands down the most powerful method of gaining new customers (plus other ways to build get referrals). We now live in a culture where advertising struggles to compete with original content on our social networks—and the most successful ads are those that appear not to be ads at all. This demonstrates that our decisions are influenced by what's posted by our friends and family. Use your social platforms as a means of encouraging your following to share your posts to their networks (and thank them when they do!). Don’t be shy about also asking clients for referrals in-person.
Online reviews
Blame it on e-commerce: we’ve become “review-addicted.” How many times have you been shopping online and read through the reviews before making a purchase decision? We all do it—because we rely on others’ opinions before investing in something we haven’t tried before. The same goes for your business and what your potential new customers are concerned about. Do them a favor by ensuring you have public reviews about your business to prove how great you really are! Ask existing clients to rate you on Yelp or Google—or see if they’ll even send you a short testimonial to feature on your website. This feedback is attractive to new customers and eases their minds when making the decision to engage with your business.
Signing discounts
Go ahead, dangle that carrot! Lure in your target audience by giving away freebies or steep discounts when first signing up. Think: receive a free yoga mat when pre-purchasing a month of classes, or a music lesson for free after registering for summer classes. Once they’re in the door and sold on a promotion, continue to engage with that new customer, otherwise they’ll take the initial offer and you’ll never see them again. Nurture the relationship through customer feedback surveys, newsletters, and social media.
Partner with other organizations
Mutually beneficial partnerships can be incredibly helpful in gaining new customers while supporting a fellow small business owner. For example, a local smoothie maker may be interested in hosting a free sample day at your gym. They’ll invite their clientele, many of whom will likely fit with your target market, and you’ll have the opportunity to entice those consumers to buy a membership. And vice versa—they may gain loyal smoothie-aficionados from your business! Even simply asking other relevant organizations in your community if you can place business cards or marketing brochures at their locations will open the opportunity to reach new customers within your target audience.
With the right dedication and commitment, each of these tactics has the potential to lead to long-term growth and a loyal client base.
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