What is your business doing in order to attract new customers?
For some business owners, the focus is mostly on marketing and advertising.
Others, meantime, will zero-in on providing the best customer service possible. Still others turn to their websites and social media to make the difference.
No matter what works for you in attracting new business, make sure you never lose focus on the big picture, growing your company and its revenue stream.
Your Checklist for Expanding Business
In order to improve your odds of landing new business and keeping those customers you already have, here are some areas of focus you should never lose sight of:
- Customer service – The true bread and butter of your business, customer service is something you can never afford to overlook. Without stellar customer service, even the best products and services will more times than not fall on the deaf ears of consumers. Review your customer service initiatives on a regular basis to be sure you are meeting the needs of those doing business with you. Does your company return customer service phone messages or emails promptly? Do you look to solve customer service problems efficiently without causing added issues? These are but two of the important facets of solid customer service. Without them, you may very well find customers heading over to your competition;
- Top employees – As part of your customer service efforts, you need to make sure you continue to hire the best employees out there. Your employees are in essence the face of your brand, so it is imperative that they represent you in the best manner possible. Not only is talent important, but personalities are too. When taking part in the hiring process, be sure to ask the right questions when it comes to how personable each candidate is. Will they work well with their fellow employees? Do they go that extra mile for customers in need? These are two traits in employees that are not a choice but a necessity, allowing you to mold the best workplace culture for your business;
- Website dominance – Your website is as important as your customer service initiatives, just in a different way. Be sure you have a website you’re proud to show off to the world. When consumers come to your site, they want to be able to find information quickly and easily no matter what products or services you offer. Whether they look for auto insurance rates, home improvement tips, legal advice, a Texas license plate look up, or real estate leads, it is important that your data is both authoritative and informative. Keep in mind that consumers oftentimes have myriad of sites they can go to for not only their goods and services, but also where to learn about such items. Make it your site that they count on to deliver the goods;
- Social media – If you’re one of those business owners that doesn’t think social media can serve your brand all that well, think again. Social networking can serve your company in so many ways, especially when it comes to finding new business. It is important that you are active on at least several sites, notably ones such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. You should also be quick to share and retweet those posts that are relevant to your line of business. Yes, you may not want to give direct competition some free advertising, but others with posts tied to your industry should be getting shared and retweeted. Not only is this information worthwhile for consumers, but these other businesses are then more likely to share and retweet your offerings, giving your brand free advertising;
- What tomorrow brings – Lastly, what is your brand’s mission moving forward? It is easy at times to get so caught up in what is going on today, you lose track of tomorrow and down the road. Always have a future plan in place so that you can continue to grow your brand down the road. Without one, you may not have a down the road to look forward to.
As a business owner, what are you doing these days to attract new customers and retain the ones you currently have?
