How to retain and win more customers during challenging times

The challenges presented by the pandemic, followed by supply chain disruption, soaring energy prices and the rising cost of living, have contributed to the threat of a recession.

More than ever, small businesses are facing economic uncertainties. The big question is – how can you grow your business in these challenging times?

How do you prepare for tough times ahead?

Most small businesses will start with general housekeeping, and there are simple ways to cut back on costs.

Setting a budget based on your income and expenditure will help you to identify available capital, review your spending, and predict revenue. This will help with bigger business decisions.

You may realise you need to cut down on expenses such as buying new equipment or increasing staffing levels. A review of business operations will highlight where to scale back on non-profitable areas.

It will also show you where to prioritise your spending. Because it shouldn’t be all about cutbacks.

Now is the time to invest in winning new customers and retaining old ones to give your business the best chance of overcoming future challenges.

What should you invest in now?

In a competitive marketplace, now is the time to stand out. You need marketing that will increase your visibility and boost your brand presence.

Depending on your budget and goals, you may want to stick to one campaign or devise a marketing strategy that encompasses a range of activities.

Here are just three effective marketing tools:

Email marketing is the most widely used form of digital marketing as it’s a low-cost, high-impact marketing activity that’s been proven to generate higher and quicker response rates than direct mail.

Remarketing is an effective way to connect with website and app users who have already expressed an interest in your brand.

Content marketing increases your brand authority and search visibility across the web, enabling you to engage with your target audience.

How can SEO help customers find you?

As well as proactively looking for new customers, your business needs to be found by customers searching for your product or service. Sounds simple.

But how do you get your website to be the first to appear in searches? You need an SEO strategy geared to your audience.

For example, if your business has a predominantly local audience, it’s worth investing in a Local Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Strategy. This works if you have a single business location or multiple locations nationwide. A local SEO strategy can be rolled out across all locations with adaptations to make it location-specific.

An SEO Audit will give you valuable insight into how your site is performing in organic search results. It will also tell you if you lack the vital optimisation needed to put your site in front of potential customers.

With the right SEO strategy, you can immediately increase your brand’s visibility. What follows is targeted traffic, which in turn, leads to increased conversions and sales.