Gaining new customers is always a priority for a business. There’s nothing wrong with having a small client base. This means you have already built a solid relationship with your existing clients, but getting new customers gives you the chance to grow and achieve new business goals.
So how do you successfully encourage new people to support your products or services? This is easier said than done, but not entirely impossible. Most of the time, business owners splurge their money and focus their energy on ways that don’t necessarily work for them.
We don’t want you to fall into that trap and waste valuable time and resources.
To help you expand your customer reach that will turn to increased business sales, upgrading your digital marketing strategies should be given the utmost priority. Here are 10 tried and tested ways to help you attract new customers.
1. Know Who’s Your Ideal Customer
No marketing strategy will work if you don’t know who’s your target audience. You could put out billboard advertisements in every street or get commercials in every tv channel but if they are not strategically placed or shown to where your target audience is, you will not get any good results. If your efforts to get your name out there don’t reach your target audience, then what’s the point? Answer this first, “Who’s your ideal new client? You have to identify their age, physical characteristics, location, income, buying habits, and so on. Think about what they want in life, their pain, their strengths, their aspirations, then identify how your business can make their lives easier.
However, it’s also important to not overdo it. Overstating your target audience makes it difficult to find potential customers, but making it too specific can also cut the chances of reaching them. This process could require some real work – meaning you have to sit in front of a computer for hours to research or go out there and talk to other people or assign a team to do it for you. This will give you significant information that will help your business in making and adapting marketing strategies that will surely grow your client base.
2. Always Improve Your Website
People mostly come upon new businesses by searching online. Think of your website as the face of your business. If a customer looks at it for the first time, will they be wanting to get to know you more? Or are there some things that hinder them from doing so? These are the questions you have to keep in mind because there will always be room for improvement.
First, aesthetics. Does it look good? Are the texts readable? Does it reflect your brand’s identity? You have to make sure that your website is always up to date with the recent trends and technical developments.
Second, the user experience. Is it working smoothly? Does it take too long to load the pages? When a customer clicks a button, does it bring them to the correct place? Your website must be easy to use and navigate so that website visitors will not get frustrated and go to your competitors.
Last, relevancy. No one wants to see outdated content. It will only be a turn off to potential customers and it will send a message you’re not hands on to the other aspects of your business. Always update your website and it will encourage more new customers to learn more about your products or services.
3. Make Use Of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Now that you have made your website look great in the eye, it’s essential to take steps into how you can make it always on top of search results. This is where Search Engine Optimization or SEO comes in – it helps your brand to be more visible to increase exposure and drive more organic traffic to your website.
There are two factors you have to consider for SEO: on-page SEO and off-page SEO. The first one refers to any strategies such as header text, keyword placement, meta description, and many more that you implement on your own website. While the second one is about the techniques you have done to other websites. This one usually refers to links that will enhance the quality of your search rankings.
It’s a common thing to know that if you’re not on the first page, it means that you’re more likely to receive fewer website clicks which also put your efforts into getting known to waste. Learning and mastering the best SEO practices will give you significant benefits in the long run. Instead of paying for traffic ads, you can save more resources by investing in your SEO actions. A brilliant SEO strategy will increase your visibility and make prospective customers come back for more.
4. Ask For Your Customers’ Referrals
Without getting the word out that your business provides excellent service or product, you will not catch the attention of new consumers. You can ask for your loyal customers’ testimonials and include them on your website’s content or post them on your social media accounts. You can also take control of this process – create a way that will systematically get reviews from your customers. Don’t be passive and wait for them to give their thoughts. Instead, be proactive and make the most out of these referrals.
These positive words about your business will serve as a credible source for other people to give you a try. It’s difficult to gain the trust of people who encounter your brand for the first time, but with the help of these referrals from satisfied customers, it will make them feel more confident to support your business.
5. Take Advantage of Social Media
Create accounts on different platforms so that your business has an online presence. With social media, there’s an assurance that you will reach a wide number of audiences and potential customers will notice your business. If you pay for social ads, you can always start small then increase the budget when you see a return on your investment. As the number of your following grows, make sure to listen and engage with your online community. Monitor the conversations (the good and the bad) about your brand and the industry. If a loyal customer posts a positive review about you, you can respond to it and make them feel appreciated. If they put a negative post out against your brand, you can address it immediately and properly. This will show your prospective customers that you have excellent customer service with these situations.
Also, make sure to bring out fresh content as no one wants to see random and uninformed posts. If someone makes a comment or sends a message, respond timely. People always have a lot of questions and if you’re able to attend to them promptly, there’s a higher chance you can persuade them into giving your business a chance. The best part is that after you convert them into paying customers, they can share your brand with their family, relatives, and friends which will bring another wave of potential consumers.
6. Give Out New Discounts, Promotions
Everyone wants free things. Or if they are discounted. The thing is, giving out free trials or discounted products or services might not be the most practical option. However, this strategy can be exactly what you need to finally get more people to look at your brand. Most consumers have second thoughts with their purchasing process. When they have redeemed your rewards, this could serve as the last step for them to seal the deal with you. Let them experience that your products or services are truly the best value and through that, you will gain their trust and make them loyal supporters of your business.
7. Use Direct Marketing
One strategy you can incorporate into your marketing plan is when you ask people to engage by adding a call to action to your marketing materials. This usually comprises encouraging them to be a part of your email marketing list or asking them for more information. Through this way, you can identify and target people who could show interest in your future events, sales, promotions, newsletters, and many more. This strategy doesn’t mean that you can ask for them to do too much, you just have to make sure that there’s an increase in customers’ engagement.
8. (Online) Networking
With everything that’s been happening, you might think the practice of good and old-fashioned networking can be difficult to do. Hosting and attending business functions with many people is not advisable right now. However, the industry is constantly adapting to the changes and there’s always the internet. Websites such as Facebook and LinkedIn allow you to connect with your former colleagues and friends that could bring potential customers. Meeting new people is a great way to build relationships that could lead you to clients who are actually interested to learn more about your business and turn them to paying customers.
9. Become Partners With Us
Building a partnership with a business that complements your products or services can help you drive in new people into your client base without spending a lot of money. For example, an SEO company can team up with a company that performs website design. The trick here is to strategically plan how you will market each other’s business that will attract potential consumers. In the long run, you have made a benefitting relationship with your partners and loyal customers that’s important to achieve success.
10. Website Retargeting
A high number of website visits is a good sign. It means that people are aware of and interested in your brand. However, website traffic doesn’t always equate to increased sales. Most of the time, people look at your website, then that’s the end. They might add some of your products to their carts, but there’s no last action. Why is that? There could be a lot of reasons and factors affecting their buying decisions. Therefore, it’s important to take steps into making these customers return to your brand and remind them to give that purchase a go. Remarketing or Retargeting are terms that are often interchanged, but they do one thing: show ads to people who have directly interacted with your website or any of your digital properties. When they go to different sites, ads relevant to your business will follow them.
This helps to keep your name in their minds and hopefully convince them to convert. When you’re able to increase your conversion rate, you will generate more sales. Website Retargeting makes it easier to reach out once more to customers who are already interested in doing business with you.
The Wrap Up
There’s no perfect marketing strategy that will tailor to all kinds of businesses. First, you have to identify your unique needs then use the ways that will give resolution to all of these. We have provided you with ways that will help you garner more attention from potential customers. It’s important to make a solid plan that will help your business expand its client base and achieve growth. With these strategies, you can start on your journey and find that winning streak.
