Having an online business means that you have no boundaries to who you can sell or provide services to. It also means that there are many more competitors in the same niche as you.
While healthy competition may be seen as a good thing, as business owners we know that it can also lead to higher costs in advertising.
How we do decide to market and how large our marketing budgets are, do play a vital role in how we get in front of more people and are able to convert them into paying customers. The good news is if you have a little extra time; there are some really efficient ways to market your products at very reasonable rates!
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Market to your existing clients
It cannot be stressed enough, your current customers are more valuable to your business than trying to get new ones. Cultivating those strong relationship bonds takes time, and since you have already started those bonds with your existing customers; you can use that to your advantage.
Using your existing clientele can help you diversify your product line in a way that will keep them coming back for more. Find out what it is that they want from you, and how you can better serve them. Get customer referrals from them, and use their praise on your website to help build your authority.
Use word of mouth
It has been said many times over, word of mouth can make or break a business. Just because your business is online doesn’t mean that that rule doesn’t still apply. If you are using your current clientele to your advantage, then you already have a strong start in building some word-of-mouth advertising.
But because we live in a very digital age, we can plaster ourselves all over social media. Inviting our current clients to join us means that their friends and followers have a good chance of seeing you and becoming interested. It is far easier to sell to an interested party than it is to sell to an uninterested one.
Make use of surveys
Surveys can do wonders for your business, from gaining customer insights into what your next product or service line should have in it to some solid information about how your pricing scale should work.
A clever way to use surveys is to include them on your site when a visitor is about to leave which is also known as the exit-intent strategy. Your visitors already have an idea of what you are about and they can offer feedback on how to better connect with them. It is really a win-win situation when both your business and clients are working hand in hand and on the same page.
Make some videos
It is no secret that videos do wonders. Think of all the commercials you watch on a daily basis. In a nutshell, your video is your commercial. They don’t have to have a full production crew to make them, with a little time and effort you can make a quality video with something as handy as your current iPhone or Android.
YouTube only takes a few minutes to set up and get going, so why haven’t you joined your competition there?
If you can’t make videos, think of ways you can utilize other visual media on your website. You could search around the WordPress plugins that are available, and install a slider plugin for images.
Live stream
Akin to the videos mentioned above, you can hold a live stream where you can do a Q&A session whilst showing off your product or performing your service. A live stream video adds a lot to your marketing arsenal and allows you to become personal with your clients. It can even give you insights into how you can better serve them in ways that the written text can.
You can share your live streams on Facebook with Facebook Live or Periscope. Both these platforms serve a huge audience and are free and easy to get going.
Make an infographic
It’s no secret that we love visual aids wherever we can get them. So, make an infographic that depicts the workflow process, how your product can be used to solve problems, or how your service gets the job done for your clients.
Because it’s visual, it needs to be eye-catching and pleasing while still offering a compelling reason to use you. There are many programs out there that can help you there, from Adobe and Gimp to Canva.
Use managed hosting
You should be worrying about the content and performance of your website, not the headaches that come along with maintaining the back end of it. Opt for a managed hosting plan and allow your preferred hosting provider to do all that for you!
By focusing your efforts on your business, you will be able to do more.
Hold an online contest
Who doesn’t like a contest? While you will have to foot the bill on the prize, it can bring in a lot of new eyes and even get your current clients talking! The only downside is determining how much you can allocate to the prize. But if you have a proven track record, offering up a sweet deal including your services or products can be all the bait a person needs.
If you request an email address as the entry fee; an added benefit is that you can grow your email list at the same time.
Consider SMS marketing
Chances are that you have your phone close at hand and that as soon as you hear it make some kind of noise you are probably going to see why. Most people will open and read a new text message, unlike their email inbox. Because mobile internet use is outgrowing the home internet exponentially, SMS marketing could be a very effective way to market your services.
You can send out a message that your shop has a flash sale, or send a message to your clients as a reminder that they have an appointment with you. The possibilities of what promotional material you send are limitless. It’s also very easy to handle SMS campaigns with specialized software that enables you to send online SMS messages.
Overpowering your competition
With these 9 ideas, you can truly see a rise in your ROI, make your current customers happy, and bring in some new ones. You don’t have to throw money at marketing to work; just being personal and using your own creativity can do the job better.
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