The ability to connect with potential and existing customers is of paramount importance if your goal is to create a successful small business and marketing strategy.
Businesses can spend huge amounts of money on getting to know their customers better.
This enables them to modify and improve their products or services and to deliver better value.
Remember that businesses are not just built on money - they are built upon people.
Thus, enhancing customer experience is a sure-fire way of boosting your profits.
And we're going to look at how to do that, without necessarily spending big dollars.
Understanding your customers is absolutely indispensable if you hope to attract them.
Trying to attract customers without understanding them is like trying to have a conversion without knowing the language.
Below are a few tips on getting to know your customers better.
These are tried and tested ideas and they have helped millions of entrepreneurs to set up a flourishing small business and marketing campaign.
Whom are you targeting? Be very clear about whom it is that you are targeting.
Identify your potential customers based on gender, age group, financial status and so forth.
This is the most crucial aspect of understanding your customer's needs, interests, demands, preferences and ultimately devising a befitting marketing strategy.
For example, if you are selling a cosmetic product which enables people to look younger, then your customer base mostly includes women who belong to the middle/upper middle class and who fall into the age group of 30 to 55.
Essentially, this is an integral part of your business and everything else revolves around it.
What is hot and what is not? There is a famous saying which says: 'People do not simply buy products, but values that they represent'.
If you pay attention to this priceless piece of advice and implement it, then nothing can stop your business from booming! The potential customers have already been identified - so now it is time to find out what they like and what they don't.
In our case - generally speaking, middle-aged women often find it difficult to cope with their wrinkles and the entire aging process.
Thus, the concept of 'eternal youth' is definitely very appealing to them.
Other ideas that middle-aged women may find interesting include 'the independent, smart and sophisticated modern women'.
Thus, you could stress upon how looking good is beneficial for one's well-being and it implies that one is a confident, meticulous individual when it comes to her social image and reputation.
On the other hand - using props like rap music and muscle cars is definitely less attractive to middle-aged women and falls into the 'not hot' category.
Having a sense of what's hot and what's not - for your typical customer - is critical to the success of any marketing plan.
Being at the right place at the right time.
Your location is an integral part in the development of a prolific small business and marketing plan.
This consideration is not just restricted to the physical location of your business - it also applies to the virtual (online) location.
Creating an appealing advertisement is not enough; you must make sure that the ad has a maximum impact on the targeted customer base.
In our case, middle-aged women are easily associated with things like daily such as women's' magazines, dealing with teenagers and so on.
Thus, it pays to use these as a medium to reach out to them.
Facilitating communication with customers.
Communication with customers helps to generate a good rapport which is essential for 'brand loyalty'.
Adding features like emails, newsletters, forums, help lines and customer care centers help you to constantly improve your relationship with your clients.
Customer feedback essentially decides the direction that your business should take in the future.
Always remember that happy customers return for more and recommend you to other people.