Running your own online business can be extremely profitable and it’s a great idea for anyone who is looking to explore the entrepreneurial world. It’s estimated that there will be 2.14 billion global digital buyers in 2021, but just like there are a lot of buyers, there are a lot of sellers as well.
The online business market is one of the most competitive ones out there, and business owners need to look for new and creative ways to attract customers to their store. If you’re tired of the same old customer acquisition techniques and want to get some new ideas for securing new customers, you’ve come to the right place.
Send promotional items
Giving away promotional products is one of the oldest marketing tricks in the book and for a good reason. No matter if you’re a small business or a large enterprise, your customers will love to receive something free from your brand.
Your promotional items are something like your business cards, as they help you introduce your business and products to customers, but they do it in a much more memorable way. And unlike a business card, they give you greater exposure and the opportunity to stay on your customers’ minds much longer.
Let’s take a look at some of the other reasons why promotional items are a great way to attract new customers:
- Low cost. As you’re still trying to grow your business, you don’t have a lot of money for marketing. Luckily, most manufacturers who create promotional products for businesses have very low prices for mass distribution, and the impressions you make will certainly be well worth the money you spent.
- Instant brand recognition. When a customer recognizes your business just by the brand logo, the chances of them remembering your brand and purchasing something from you are much greater.
- Proves your items are high-quality. If your promotional items are high-quality, people will associate their quality with the quality of your business and the products you’re selling.
In simpler terms, promotional items bring in a lot of business for a small cost. The only issue you might have is deciding which items will attract the most attention. If that’s your concern, SnackNation has made a list of promotional items ideas that are sure to attract many new customers. Decide which one(s) fit your business best and start your campaign – the sooner the better.
Use the right tools
You can’t expect your business to survive in this digital world without playing by its rules. Today’s companies are adopting new tools and technologies every day and if you want to keep up with competitors, you need to use the right tools that will make your job easier and more efficient.
There are multiple different types of tools businesses use nowadays for various operations, but for now, let’s focus on customer acquisition. If you and your sales team don’t feel like your efforts are paying off, are running out of time, or just don’t have satisfactory numbers, something has to change.
You can help your sales team maximize their sales by using the right tools and implementing the appropriate processes that will allow them to make the most out of the time they have.
When it comes to which tool you should use, businesses of different niches have different requirements from their tools, so you need to know all the tips for selecting the right software for your business.
One tool that almost everyone agrees does this job right is ZoomInfo, but there is one problem with it. Recently, the creators of this very popular tool decided to increase its price, which made ZoomInfo too expensive for companies that are working with a budget. Luckily, there are some ZoomInfo alternatives that work just as well for much less money and will help you get great results.
Meet your customers’ needs with the right content
Content marketing is one of the most popular and most efficient marketing techniques companies use to draw in new customers. As much as 84% of companies have a content marketing strategy, but only 11% of those companies think their content marketing strategy is excellent.
So why is that?
The reason for it is that the amount of content you post isn’t as important as the content itself, but still many of these businesses seem to focus on quantity rather than quality. If you don’t want to make the same mistakes, you should create content that fits your customers’ needs.
Let’s say for instance that you have a lot of customers who come to you with the same questions. Instead of answering the same question every time, add the answer to your FAQ page or even dedicate an entire blog post to the topic if you have enough material for it.
And don’t just stick to the regular boring kind of written content, because there are many ways to get creative with content and make it interesting for customers. A good example of an eye-catching type of content are infographics, which present important information in a fun and colorful way.
Make sure your website is beautiful and professional
When you look at online stores, they’re usually either very beautiful but don’t have the right functions or professional but look so bland that nobody is interested.
Keep in mind that you only have a few seconds before a potential customer makes up their mind about your website and decides whether or not they want to explore it further. Remember that your website is the way you represent your company, and your first impression needs to be memorable.
Some characteristics of a beautiful and professional design are:
- Simple layout that puts focus on essential elements. This doesn’t mean the layout needs to be boring, as you can include various design elements to make it fun. However, keeping it simple will give off a professional vibe.
- Easy to follow navigation. There are a lot of places on your website where you can get creative, but this isn’t one of them. When it comes to navigation, keep it simple and intuitive so customers always know where they are and where they want to go.
- Use eye-catching colors. Use one color for your website design and contrasting accent colors for important buttons. Colors play an important part in the design and if you choose the right color palette, you’ll certainly grab everyone’s attention.
- Use videos and images. Text is boring and not really engaging, if you use mostly text on your website, don’t expect a lot of engagement. Instead, bring out your creative side with videos and images that are going to provide your visitors with a high-quality user experience.
And finally, don’t forget to find ways to be different from your competitors. Look at their websites and see which elements are good but need to be improved. Also, ask other people for creative advice because an outsider’s opinion on your website can often help you determine what you need to change and improve.
Final thoughts
When you run an online store, customer acquisition is one of your biggest concerns. However, bringing in new customers doesn’t have to be difficult if you know the right ways to attract them to your business.
Forget about the same old techniques everyone is using right now and dare to be different and stand out from the crowd. Your future customers will surely take notice.