Tag: small business marketing

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As an entrepreneur there are a few critical tasks that you need to turn into a daily habit in order for your business to keep moving in a positive direction and to make you money.

Published: December 19, 2011 by shari.maier

We’re in the home stretch now just before the holidays, but it’s not too late to get an extra push out of your marketing. Those final few emails can make or break your holiday sales, so don’t overlook opportunities to grab the attention of last-minute shoppers. The beauty of email is that you can quickly create and distribute virtually any kind of message — be it promotions, customer service information, big news, useful insight, account reminders or a quick holiday message — and send it directly to your most valuable customers. Email marketing offers a variety of specialized uses that can be tailored to both your business and your customers. Here are five ways that email can help you boost your online marketing for the holidays: Increase sales conversions — Prospects may require up to nine “touches” before making a buying decision. Your last one or two emails before the holidays could be the extra incentive they need to make their purchases. Generate repeat sales — Finding and acquiring new customers can be expensive, anywhere from six to 12 times more expensive than selling to an existing one. Focus on emailing your big spenders and frequent buyers right now. To create urgency, be sure to tell customers there’s a limited number of days to shop with you before Christmas. Send these emails directly to the customers who are most likely to buy in order to generate the most sales. Up-sell and cross-sell your products — Email provides a great opportunity for you to help customers order “one more” product while they’re in the mood to buy. Experian’s email campaign builder makes it easy to create a series of email messages that are timed to follow up with offers of related interest. Drive Web users to offline purchases — Email marketing is often a catalyst for Web users to purchase offline. More than half of users in one survey had made a purchase offline after receiving an email promotion. Make it easy for customers to find you, see business hours and other essentials about your brand. Gain feedback from your visitors — Email gives your customers a chance to offer honest feedback so you can readily adapt to what your customer base wants. Their reviews will help you tailor your products and messaging for their needs as you head into the new year. Experian’s email campaign builder makes it easy to give your holiday sales a boost — and also create the kind of customer loyalty that will generate year-round returns. Check out a risk-free trial here.

Published: December 12, 2011 by admin

You probably know your customers, but do you really understand them?  Knowing your customers -- information typically collected by a business -- means you generally know who they are demographically, their age, gender, location, etc.  Most small businesses do a good job on this front.  When it comes to understanding customers, however, many companies come up short. If you desire to possess a true understanding your customers and their needs, it is essential that you interact with them as often as possible. Moreover these interactions should be deep, broad, and come via a number of different methods. If you want to get inside the heads of your customers, try implementing any or all of the following tactics: Use Social Media and Networking to Your Advantage: Your social media platform is an ideal way to interact with your customers. Encourage real-time input from your customers. You can also use these channels to address conflict or misperceptions among your customers. If you don’t have a social media strategy, check out several of our previous blog posts to help you get started. Customer Surveys: Whether conducted in person at your store, via the phone, on your website, pushed out during a webcast, through direct mail, or through any other medium, a properly structured survey will allow you to elicit answers to your most important questions. What better way to find out what your customers are thinking than to ask them. Surveys today are relatively inexpensive and easy to implement. Form a “Beta” or “Test” Customer Group: Offer incentives to get your customers and prospects to join a group that will help you generate new ideas, provide feedback on your products and services and collaborate on marketing approaches. Gaining direct insight from the market you’re selling into is invaluable. Annual Customer Reviews: If you are in a service business, annual customer reviews are an invaluable way to gather feedback.  Customers will appreciate that not every contact has to be about a new sale. An annual review is an opportunity to connect, or reconnect, with your customers in a way that encourages their participation. Incorporating reviews into your business process allow you to close the loop on any knowledge gaps on a regularly planned basis. Gather Intelligence: Whether it is competitive intelligence, market research, or other forms of business intelligence, the more you know about your customers the better you will be able to meet their needs. Bottom line…Only by truly understanding your customers, will you be able to exceed expectations and build real loyalty.

Published: December 9, 2011 by Editor

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