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Low-Cost Web Marketing Tips
Marketing your products and services is a constant, ongoing process that is a never-ending job. Especially if you're looking to generate revenue and increase your customer, base and hold on to your current customers.
The good news is you don't need a large bulk of advertising funding to market your business successfully. No matter what size your budget is, effective marketing tactics educate customers about a products most important feature, motivates them to purchase it and enhances their satisfaction level with the purchase.
Here are some tips of low-cost marketing efforts you can apply to your marketing plan today!
What do your customers really want?
Any good marketing plan begins with determining your customers needs and desires, right? It's important that you're in the market in meeting those customers' needs with the products or services you offer. What advantage do you have as a small to mid sized business that you can offer to your customers that larger corporations can't? Time. Small business owners should take advantage of their size and easier access to customers. Speak directly to your customers and prospects. Finding out what your customers value will help you shape your marketing strategy and make important adjustments to your products and services online.
While surveys and questionnaires are a good way to understand your customer base, they can be quite costly as well. Instead of using these methods, use informal methods to create the same results. For example, why not call some of your best customers and offer to wine and dine them and over dinner, you ask them for a full appraisal of your product line, customer service support, suggestions on what they would like to see you offer. The fact that you've taken the time out of your busy schedule to really hear what your customers are saying about your products and that their input is important to vitality of your business says a lot. This approach is very cheap, cost effective and at the same time, you receive important, customer-driven input and ideas that can improve your online status that you wouldn't get anywhere else.
Retain Your Current Customers.
Would you believe that most marketers estimate that acquiring a new customer costs four to seven times more than keeping an existing one. That's why it's so important to retain your current customers. They're very important to the survival of your online business. Simply by providing a 'customer-oriented' approach, useful service and making your customers feel appreciated are solid ways to keep them coming back for more. So, how do you retain those current customers?
Keep Your Customers Involved.
Motivate your customers by offering a free product or even money by getting them to participate in a 'Customer Panel', where they offer ideas and suggestions. Or simply, have fun contests or drawings where they can win a gift certificate for dinner or tickets to a large amusement park. The possibilities are endless.
Develop a V.I.P. Program.
It's a loyalty program that rewards repeat customers with free products or services or even larger discounts for purchase they may make. For example, Subway Shops will offer frequent eater cards that use a distinctive stamp to tally each time a customer buys a sandwich. After customers accumulate a certain number of stamps, they get the next sandwich for free. Another good example of a VIP privilege is if a customer purchases a large amount or spends a specific amount of money, they will get an additional 5% on the overall purchase. Offering rewards for repeat purchases or visits, makes customers want to come back.
Offer Unique Features For Your Customers.
By keeping track of your customer's recent purchases so you can better direct them to other products or services that might interest them. One small wine shop utilizes the same idea by tracking every wine a customer buys so customers can quickly recall what they previously bought and not buy the same vintage again. Another nice feature that you can offer your customer is for them to track their orders. Let's say they placed an order and they receive an order number for that particular order, they can type in that order number to see if it's been shipped out. Features to make your customers lives easier will keep them right where you want them.
Always keep In Touch.
Keep in touch with your customers by sending postcards of sales or special offers. Sending thank you notes for recent purchases are a nice way to acknowledge those customers. You may even want to recognize those customers on their birthdays by offering them a 10% discount on any purchase mad the month of their birthday.
Referrals are nice too.
Tell your customers to pass the word on about your products or services. If you receive a specific referral from customers, offer something in return for their efforts in attracting new customers for you. Offer coupons, discounts, and theatre tickets or even giving them a free product of their liking.
Be The Expert Of Your Industry.
If your product or service is more specialized, you can market your business by raising your profile as the industry expert. If you show that you're educated and that the content within your website, newsletters and email campaigns speak clearly that you know everything there is to know about your niche. People will naturally turn to you. Volunteer your time and expertise to your community and industry events. Make yourself marketable by offering to do workshops, speaking at conventions or local associations such as the Chamber of Commerce.
Go With The Flow.
Product and pricing strategies are an important part of the marketing mix. Leverage your ability to make quick changes to your business to keep you competitive. Offer package deals that include several services bundled into one price, or allow customers to create their own package based on their own needs for that one price. Why not offer your clients if they are showing more interest in a certain kind of package and be quick to promote that to other customers? What a better way to keep customers coming back and retain new ones as well.
With just a little creative brainstorming, your business can enjoy the benefits of well-planned marketing efforts with out burning holes in your pockets. Take the time to really get to know your customers and listen to what they have to say.
Developing lifelong relationships with your customers will only generate you many new ones down the road.
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