Whether you are self-employed with no team or a rapidly growing start-up business, you’re always thinking – how can I find more customers? You have a website to provide information about what you do, how to buy, and means to contact. That’s definitely a great start, but now let’s take it to the next level by knowing how to grow your website beyond being an information hub and into a customer generation tool.
Here are a few ways to find new customers online for your small business:
Start a Blog
Every day, people are using Google to search for an answer to their question and Google is serving up web pages that are likely to provide a solution. With your business having a blog, you’re creating content that is being crawled by search engines and becomes an organic gateway for people to find your business. The quality of your blog post is more important than the quantity, so if it takes 2-3 weeks to write an excellent blog post then take those extra few days. Having a high-quality blog post will compound over time and generate you more potential customers than a mediocre blog post.
Create Video Content
Did you know the second largest search engine is YouTube? Video content is a big deal, especially since it’s trending to account for more than 80% of all consumer internet traffic by 2020 (CISCO, 2016). Having videos educating buyers on how your product/service can solve their pain point(s) or capturing testimonials provides a simple way to digest the information. Along with a new platform for people to find you, you can also embed the videos onto your website for a more engaging user experience and additional search engine optimization benefits using schema markup.
Be Active on Social Media & Review Sites
No matter what type of business you are, it’s always a benefit to claim your social media account on all the popular platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google Business Pages, Yelp, etc.) as it can amplify your search engine ranking. Keep 80% of posts related to educational and insightful topics related to your buyer’s interest and 20% of posts self-promotional about your business and that formula should allow you to see a steady increase of followers and website visits month-over-month.
Add Offers to Your Website
When someone lands on your website, you want to be able to provide them helpful information and to capture their email address in the same session. Obtaining their email address (and first name, last name, etc.) is a voluntary decision that tells you that these people are more likely to become a customer. Also, by collecting a list of emails, you will automatically establish a custom audience list for when you’re ready for paid social media re-marketing campaigns.
Here are some ideas for website offers:
- A discount for first-time buyers
- Content Offer (eBook, Whitepaper, Guides, etc.)
- Newsletter subscription to exclusive products, updates, contest, or sales
- Free event registration that you’re hosting in person or online
Is Your Website Generating Customers?
As more and more users are doing research online before making a purchase, its good to make sure you’re taking advantage of one or more ways to find new customers organically online without having to pass out flyers, cold call or other offline methods.
Do you have a small business strategy in finding more customers that became a huge success? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
With over 10+ years of experience in marketing and design, Jiun help businesses manage and execute marketing campaigns, track goal metrics, develop SEO-friendly content, optimize the buyer lifecycle, and collaborate with multiple partners, vendors, and press to maximize a brand’s lead acquisition strategy. Her background in marketing, graphic design, and front-end web development allows her to easily plan, communicate, and develop projects to meet your organizational goals.
