The bulk of your marketing success will be based on the strength of your SEO, PPC campaigns, and email marketing.
However, with that said, there are also plenty of techniques that fly a little more under the radar. Essentially anything that your customer sees that results in a positive impression being made can be classed as a marketing method, and in an age when competition for customers is so fierce, it’s paramount that businesses leave no stone unturned.
Below, we’ll run through a bunch of the most effective, often under-discussed methods that can help you get to ahead.
Have a Fast-Loading Website
It’s incredible that so many websites still have slow-loading websites. You’ll know from your own browsing just how frustrating it is to be sitting there waiting for a website to load. You can ensure that your customers’ impression of you gets off to a great start by having a website that’s lightning-fast.
There’s another bonus to this, too. As well as helping to provide a better customer experience, it’ll also give your SEO credentials a boost — Google loves fast-loading websites!
Offer a Welcome Discount
Your website visitors will swing by your website out of curiosity. After all, people don’t think too hard about the websites they visit when they’re browsing the web — if there’s even a hint of curiosity, then they’ll click.
All business owners know that they need to have a visually appealing website to make a positive first impression. It’s essential. One way to get your website ahead of the curve is to offer a welcome discount of around 10 – 15%. It might just be enough to turn your visitor into a customer. If nothing else, you’ll have another name on your email subscriber list (provided you give the discount in exchange for signing up!).
Flexible Payment Methods
Customers want a smooth journey from beginning to end. In fact, the smoothness of the process is arguably even more important at the end. By that time, they’ve committed.
You can help to make their journey as straightforward as possible by offering a variety of payment options. For example, could you offer debit and credit, Apple Pay, and PayPal payments? It’s not an exaggeration to say that this can have a big impact on the number of sales you make. After all, many people aren’t even sure where their credit card is, since all the information is saved on their devices. It’s easy to offer these payment options, too, so it’s a no-brainer.
Postage and Packaging
Many businesses think that their obligation to their customer ends as soon as they’ve posted their item. But leading businesses know that that’s not the case at all. You’ll earn more repeat business if your customers are fully satisfied with every aspect of their experience. One component that some businesses overlook is their postage and packaging. They overcharge for postage and use standard packaging that doesn’t make a good impression. Provide a better customer experience by keeping your postage costs low and using quality packaging, such as the options available at Ozpack. Ultimately, it’s imperative that your customer’s order turns up on time and in perfect condition, and it’s your postage and packaging that’ll ensure that’s the case.
Be Present All Around the Web
You’ll have put a lot of energy into making sure that your website is on-brand, looks awesome, and all-around has a positive impact on your customers.
However, remember that while it’s your website that’ll get the bulk of your attention, it’s not the only corner of the internet that deserves some of your energy. Having a presence all around the web, for example on review sites, directory listings, and maintaining a complete Google Business Page, is an underrated marketing tactic. It’ll show that you’re a legitimate, trustworthy business — and as with many other tips in this article, it’ll also help improve your SEO.
Give Away Freebies
Freebies have long been an excellent way to draw in potential customers. Depending on what the freebie is, it can either ensure that you stay in the minds of your customers or that you establish your expertise.
The latter is the result of giving away digital freebies. For example, let’s say you have a business website that is targeted at entrepreneurs. You offer business coaching. An example of a smart freebie to give away would be an ebook containing 10 mistakes that beginner entrepreneurs make. At the very least, you’ll get their email address — at best, you’ll bag yourself a new client.
The other type of freebie is a physical freebie. Think of tote bags, pens, water bottles, and anything that can be branded with your business name and logo. Give them out (or include them in packages you send to your customers), and you’ll be ensuring that you stay in their minds.
Quick Customer Service Responses
Your potential customers won’t know much about who you are when they send you their first email. One way to show them who you are is to respond promptly to their response. There’s nothing people love more than firing off an inquiry and then receiving a response within minutes; there’s no reason to play things cool! If you don’t have the need to hire a customer service agent, then you can always use automated responses — that’ll tell your customers that their message has been received and that you’ll get back to them as soon as you can.
Put Your Business Forward For Awards
Finally, remember that there are multiple types of social proof. It’s not just about getting positive reviews from your customers! If you can get positive reviews from industry experts, then you’ll catch the eye of potential customers.
One way to do this is to put yourself forward for industry awards. For example, if you have a sustainable clothing brand, then look for awards that have to do with that sector — there’ll be plenty around! If you’re shortlisted or, better yet, win, then you’ll have something that you can easily include in all of your marketing materials.
