Starting an online business is not only something that anyone with a laptop and an internet connection can accomplish, but it’s also a highly lucrative alternative to a traditional 9-to-5 job. Starting a home-based business, while easier for the average person, still requires you to be business savvy in order to attract your desired customer base and maintain profitability. For many, marketing their products and services can be the most difficult aspect of online business. If you’re struggling in the marketing department, here are five helpful ways to attract new customers to your online business.
Improve your online presence
The biggest mistake that new online business owners make is believing that simply setting up their website is the first and only step to launching their business. Whether you have a blog, a web store, or a website to advertise your services, you need to announce to the world that you are up-and-running so consumers can come to you to buy whatever it is that you have to offer. But how do you improve your presence? Simple changes such as developing an SEO strategy to rank higher on Google and advertising your services on other websites will boost your exposure and bring customers to your own website. When you first get started, improving your presence is the most important step to take!
Start leveraging social media to your advantage
Social media, in short, is free advertising. Social media platforms allow you to drive attention to your brand by posting throughout the week. Of course, what you post, how you caption your posts, and what hashtags you choose to use are equally important and will determine your overall success as you aim to grow your following. If you haven’t already, make sure to sign up for the major social media platforms (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), develop a strategy that will help you consistently post at the right times, and grow your audience to increase your exposure.
Market to the audience in your city
Although you operate an online business, that doesn’t mean you can’t advertise to those around you to attract new customers. Some local marketing methods that have proven to be effective include participating in local events where you can pass out business cards and talk to prospective customers, placing physical advertisements around your area, or handing out promotional goods to improve your reputation. Since physical marketing often requires physical goods, it can be beneficial to use a company like Mines Press to produce all of your promotional materials.
Reach out to others in your industry and network
When you build relationships with other professionals, you open up the doors for further marketing to established audiences who buy goods and services from another individual in your industry. Although you won’t necessarily get something out of every relationship, networking will help you connect with other businesses who can give you valuable advice regarding how to succeed. They may even be generous enough to advertise your services to their own customer base or collaborate with you on a project. It’s important to note, however, that professional relationships consist of give-and-take. If you do not have something to provide for your connections, these relationships will not last.
Provide excellent service and ask customers for feedback and reviews
Whether you are a new online business or you have experienced massive growth and are able to scale up, the customer experience is always your biggest concern. What people say about your business has a massive impact on the business itself, and you will need to make sure that you are tending to your customers’ needs and addressing concerns when they come up. If you are a relatively small business, you can most likely handle this on your own as you respond to each of your customer’s comments and concerns.
If you are a much larger business and plan on growing, you will want to reach out to a company like Bright Pattern to help you with customer service. Bright Pattern is an enterprise-level software company that provides you with cloud-based call center software, which will help you streamline your customer service processes so that you can better meet your customers’ needs. Additionally, it is important to ask your audience for feedback and reviews so that you can continue to improve and display your excellence to potential customers.
While setting up an online business is simple, following through to make sure that it succeeds can be daunting. If you are struggling to get your online business off the ground, use the 5 marketing methods listed above to boost growth and gain traction that will help you move forward.
