Now you have completed the groundwork and decided that your business can sustain the growth, there are many ways to help you to achieve it. Generating new business by growing your customer base is important to your business success. We explore 8 practical ways to help you grow your customer base.
Get to know your customers
Gaining an ongoing understanding of your customer’s needs and developing products and services that meet those needs is necessary in any business. Personalising your services, encouraging customer feedback and occasional market research activity are simple ways to help you achieve this knowledge.
Offer great customer service
Together with understanding your customer needs and wants, ensuring your customers are receiving exceptional service and going the extra mile when you can, is crucial to retaining customers and gaining new ones. Not only will your customers remember great service they will also be more likely to recommend you to others.
Nurture existing customers and look for new opportunities
It is important to have strategies or processes in action to nurture existing customers to make them feel extra special and valued. This could include staying in contact with them via an e-newsletter or letting them know about promotions ahead of time, offering special offers or discounts, VIP invitations to events or a follow up service. In addition to offering these benefits to customers, you should always be looking to grow your work opportunities and build your customer base.
Use social media
Social media is a powerful and low-cost tool to promote your business to potential customers and gain valuable insight through listening to your network. Through social listening you can discover what customers are saying about you, gain insight into their behaviour, identify keywords and trends that appeal to your target market to improve your customer service. Social media can help you to build your business profile and attract new customers.
Attend networking events
Invest time to build your networks – it’s not always what you know but who you know and how they can help you. Networking allows you to build relationships with others and encourage them to refer customers to you through word of mouth or perhaps open up opportunities to work with new suppliers.
Host client or customer events
Hosting your own event can be a great way to get to know your customers and build personal relationships and reward them for being a loyal customer. Invite some of your most valued existing customers and encourage them to bring their friends.
Give back to your community
Building brand awareness in your local community is a great way to attract new business. Consider sponsorship or participating in a community event to raise your business profile.
Measure what works and refine your strategies as required
You should track where your new customers are coming from to determine whether your activities are successful or not. Refine your method if something is not working and spend more time and focus on the activities that are delivering the best results. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Sometimes thinking outside the box and doing things outside your comfort zone may just deliver the best outcomes.
