
An increase in customer numbers is a boost for any business, especially smaller firms that are looking to grow. If you’re keen to expand your customer base then there are some simple ways to do it.
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• Use social media to promote your business
• Improve your customer service
Re-evaluate your website
Your website is like an extra shop front. If your resources are limited, improving your site is one of the fastest and most effective ways to increase customer numbers.
Take a look at your website. Is it intuitive to use? It should be simple for inexperienced web users to navigate. You should also examine your current SEO (search engine optimisation) techniques to draw in more visitors via Google.
Update your website regularly with fresh content, such as blogs, videos and other multimedia. This will boost your search rankings and attract customers who are looking for useful information.
Use social media to promote your business
If you’re regularly updating your website with fresh blog content, you can use social media to share it and increase traffic to your website.
Social media offers a vast potential audience for your business, but it’s important to tailor your message to each platform. A Facebook page is more likely to be followed by your current customers, while Twitter offers an opportunity to tie your services to a current event. Most social media sites also offer paid advertising. If this is in your budget, it could be useful.
Promote your content, launch products, run campaigns and seek out reviews via social media to gradually grow your customer base.
Understand your customers
Understanding your current customers will provide the foundation for increasing your numbers. What drew them to your business in the first place?
The most important part of this is identifying your customer’s needs. Once you understand this, you can start creating more personalised marketing, specifically designed to highlight how you meet the needs of your customer base.
Satisfied customers are much more likely to recommend your business to others. Their word of mouth is an extremely effective strategy for recruiting more customers.
Improve your customer service
A study by American Express found 78% of customers walked away from a sale as a result of poor customer service. One small interaction could cost you a sale.
Analyse the level of customer service you offer. How is your response time? Is there a range of different contact options? A more comprehensive support service could help you to retain more customers.
Try a joint venture
For small businesses, teaming up with another business can be a useful way to increase customer numbers. Hosting a joint event, or collaborating on products or services are simple options where costs are split and benefits are shared.
Follow up on leads
Following up on all of the leads you generate will improve your chances of landing more customers. You could send email reminders about abandoned purchases, offer free samples to potential customers, or reach out for networking purposes.