The size of the business is a major issue that I hear from many of my clients. This is especially true for those who focus their customer acquisition strategies on B2B customers. They are often concerned that their business is too small to be able to provide a service or product of the same quality as a more established, larger company.
Businesses that are in this situation usually seek help after trying a discount pricing model. It seems to be working well at first. Over time, however, they discover that the growth of their customer base is not large or consistent enough to justify such steep discounts. Most of these businesses offer a good product or service, but the owner hasn’t done much to build the trust needed for the business.
Nobody wants to do business with someone or a company that they believe has nothing to gain. You can transform the course of your business by using a bit of creativity. This will allow you to build a strong, trustworthy brand. Here are five simple ways small businesses can expand their reach and increase their presence.
Create a quality, professional website
In the technology-driven world of today, the trust that a potential customer has in your company often begins with them visiting your website. What will they find?
If you answer with a website that is powered by stock images, cheap software and has little content, prospects will click away to find the information they are looking for elsewhere. A poorly designed, cheap website will not inspire confidence. In business and in life, first impressions matter.
I am always amazed at how many small business owners make this mistake. They were trying to cut costs and thought that the money would be better spent elsewhere (often in a worse way).
As a new business, your website is one of the most crucial places to invest. This is the first place that a prospective customer is likely to go, and this is where confidence and trust are built or destroyed.
Most start-ups today will use their website to begin and finish the customer transaction lifecycle. How can you expect prospective customers to enter sensitive information on a poorly designed site? Would you?
Investing in shared office space
Never underestimate the willingness of a potential customer to research your business before spending money with you. You can easily Google the company address from their website. If your house appears in the Google results, it’s not a good sign.
These companies, as well as a number of others, offer small businesses cost-effective office space solutions. These companies offer a mailbox service that lets you use their address for your official business address.
You can receive your mail at the company and then have it forwarded (for a fee) to your destination. Some large companies are even using shared offices to house their staff.
Harnessing the power of automation
Small business ownership is a demanding job that requires many hats. You must be the CEO, an accountant, a marketing director, a customer service agent, and a quality assurance specialist, among others. You may feel overwhelmed and miss important details that are crucial to acquiring and keeping customers.
Email automation is the answer. Using tools such as MailChimp Automate Woo, and Optinmonster, you can create interactive forms to provide your customers with customized, automated email responses. These services can be used to automate coupon offers, survey requests, review requests, and email list building.
