Businesses can always use tips to increase their customer base. With a few changes, clients will be able to find your business, and buy from your business.
Your business deserves as much time and attention as you can give it, especially when it is a new business. The number one priority of a new business is finding new customers and keeping them happy, so that they will return to the business to buy additional items.
Sometimes, businesses struggle to find ways to increase their customer base. If this is your problem, keep reading to find some solutions for increasing your customer base.
How to Attract New Customers For Your Business
1. Understanding Your Business, Marketing Approach and Identifying Target Audience
Before you can begin to look for customers, you need to make sure that you understand your business. This means that you know where you want your business to go, and the steps you want to take to get there. Make sure you understand your businesses’ mission and vision, goals and objectives.
If you are not sure about your mission and vision, or how you decide to make your goals and objectives, you can do research online, look at mission and vision statements from other companies, especially other competitors, or ask your business mentors.
In addition to knowing your company framework, you also need to have a firm grasp of the product or service you’re selling. If you understand what you are selling, you’ll be able to advise clients of the best product or service for their business.
Using CRM Software like Copper recommended by Google is a good tool to use for tracking customer wants and needs. Perhaps as important as product knowledge is knowledge of the types of problems clients may have, and how best to solve them. If clients think you can help them solve their problems, they are more likely to buy from your company.
2. Word-of-Mouth, Social Media, Social Responsibility and Networking
In order to attract customers, you need to be visible. There are many ways to increase the visibility of your company. First, if you do not already have a website, you need to create one. There are many website-building companies that will let you build a page for free or at a greatly reduced cost.
Second, you will need to have a social media presence. Depending on the nature of your business, you need to have accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. For example, if you have a business with visual elements, such as design, real estate, clothing, or other forms of product sales, Instagram is a great place to post pictures. Once you have activated your accounts, you need to update them regularly, because the more you post, the more likely potential customers are going to see it. Ask your friends to help you by linking, retweeting and sharing your posts.
While social media is a good way to get your name out, there is nothing like word of mouth to spread the good news about your business to other people.
If you treat customers fairly, and you serve them responsibly, they will have a good experience with your company, which means they will have positive things to say.
Encourage them to spread the word about your business, because research has indicated that clients who are happy will sometimes forget to tell friends about their experience, but if they have a bad experience, they will be sure and tell as many people as possible.
If the customer is very pleased with your business, ask them to write a positive review on Facebook, Google or Twitter to help your business out.
There are two other ways to get yourself out in the public eye. One is by networking. If there are business service organizations in the area, consider joining them. These organizations, such as the Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club, serve their communities, but also serve as networking opportunities for business people. Because clients often want to get to know someone before doing business with them, it helps to get out in the community to talk to potential clients and let them know about your business.
In addition to business organizations, your company needs to have and practice social responsibility. Social responsibility for businesses is the law in many countries and is good business practice as well.
Many businesses make social responsibility a part of their business platform, related to their business practice. For example, a local bookseller may include free readings of children’s books as well as children’s book giveaways as part of their literacy campaign.
A paint supply store might offer paint giveaways to local organizations that repaint houses for veterans or the elderly. Be sure that you post pictures of your social responsibility campaigns and include community service as part of your website and business goals platform.
3. Sales, Special Offers and Discounts
Another way to attract new customers is through sales, special offers and discounts for your products and services. You could offer new client discounts, or an unusual promotion.
For example, a pet store offered free dog food and dog treats for a month if customers bought a dog. A financial service business offered to deposit money in their client’s accounts if they referred a new customer, and that customer purchased financial services. Don’t just reward your new clients, reward your existing clients as well. A beauty salon could offer a discount for their repeat customers if they book their next appointment early. Businesses could also sponsor monthly raffles for repeat customers; such as a local restaurant that puts their client’s business cards in a fishbowl and hosts a drawing for a free dinner for two each month.
There are many ways that a business can get new customers into their establishment. While there are all sorts of new gimmicks, the old ones are sometimes still the best way to attract new customers. Word-of-mouth and networking can be powerful tools to attract new customers, but don’t forget about the power of new technologies such as social media. With a blend of old and new practices, your business can grow to be successful.
Author Bio: Being a senior business associate, Peter Davidson strives to help different brands and startups to make effective business decisions and plan effective business strategies. With years of rich domain expertise, he loves to share his views on the latest technologies and applications through his well-researched content pieces. Follow him on Google+ and Twitter.
