So you’ve done the legwork, literally taking those many steps to start your business – that’s great! And by now you may have discovered that building a customer base can be one of the most challenging steps for small business owners.

Developing a Customer Base for a New SMB

Once you’ve committed to your business, continue to build it up right. As a new business, follow your initial efforts with the following essential steps to finding customers and cultivating your customer base.

5 Steps to Build Your Customer Base

1.  Use Your Existing Network

Think about who, in your immediate network, might be a good fit for your product or service. Someone you have established trust and familiarity with is much more likely to consider purchasing from you.

If these customers have a positive experience, there is a strong chance they will make recommendations to people within their network. Referrals from satisfied and loyal customers are highly promising leads.

2. Build Relationships with Your Target Market

Find local clubs, meetups, and interest groups relevant to your industry. For example, if you’re opening a book shop, join a local book club. If you’re a personal trainer, consider joining local fitness meetups.

The more people like you as a person, the more likely they are to want to become your customer. Even if you don’t find leads immediately, having a presence in your local community will put you on people’s radars.

It’s also a great way to learn what people in your target market like and dislike about your competitors, which will help you identify any gaps you can fill to make your business stand out.

3. Offer More for Less

As a small and emerging business, you need to find a reason for new customers to choose you over your competitors. One way to get a foot in the door is to offer something for free, or at a discounted rate.

Free Samples and Trials

Offer customers a 7-day evaluation, a product sample, a free consultation, or a free newsletter, requiring only their names and email addresses. This is a great way to get potential customers interested in your product, while also building upon your email marketing list. Follow up with customers after the sample or trial period, prompting them to sign up and asking them to provide feedback on their experiences.

Discount Referral Programs

Discount codes are a fantastic tool for drawing in new customers. Many businesses are using discount codes in their checkout, particularly as a way to reward customers who refer their friends.

Issuing a unique code allows your website to verify the referring customer at the checkout. You can set up your promotion to apply the discount only to the referring customer – or you can extend it to the customer they have referred.

Discount codes are a fantastic way to drive revenue, meet sales goals, and acquire new customers, while boosting your visibility amongst your target market.

Although discount codes have many benefits, there are a few downsides. They have a tendency to drive non-loyal shoppers, and the discounted products will have lower profit margins. Before going down the discount code route, consider whether it actually fits into your overall business strategy.

4. Speak at Local Events

Many event organizers struggle to find speakers within their budget. Organizations usually appreciate someone local with expertise who is willing to speak for free.

If the audience at the event is your target market, then it’s a perfect platform to introduce yourself and your brand.

Rather than approaching the speech as a marketing pitch, let them know who you are and what your company does, but focus on sharing your knowledge and experience in the industry, relating back to the topic. At the end of your speech, mention your website and leave your audience with some information about how they can purchase your product.

You can also use this opportunity to offer something back to the audience – some slides from your presentation, a resource or guide – in exchange for their contact details.

5. Use Social Media

Social media is very important for any business to stay connected with their customer base. Follow the expert social media tips to grow your social followings.

To improve your presence online, find out where your target audience spends the most time online, and channel additional energy into that platform.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube and Google + are all great ways to engage with existing customers, and spread further awareness of your brand. For many of these platforms, user activities are visible to their friends or followers. So, when existing customers like a post or provide positive feedback in the comments, it can leave a strong impression on the people in the social circles of those customers.

Vary your content, and tailor it to suit each platform. You can run powerful ad campaigns, answer customer questions, respond to feedback, hold competitions, and let your followers be the first to know about new products.

“Give to Receive” and Develop Your Customer Base

Starting with your existing network may seem like a no-brainer, but have you used yours to its fullest? And this is not a one-way street – you have a proposition that delivers a win-win to your new brand, and your potential customer and customer base. By offering discount codes and speaking “for free” at local events, you’ll begin to experience how giving most definitely leads to receiving. You’ve taken the initial steps to start your small business, so take the next 5 steps we discussed above and keep it up!

Take These 5 Steps to Build Your Customer Base by @WebsiteFix_SEO #RocksDigital #Business
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Are you starting to build your customer base? Will you use one or more of these steps to boost your progress? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments!

The post Your Small Biz Needs Customers! Take These 5 Steps to Build Your Customer Base appeared first on Rocks Digital.

During last month’s “April showers of knowledge” recap we mentioned something about May flowers, didn’t we? And here they are! This colorful assortment of blog post summaries from the merry month of May has been arranged to meet your digital marketing needs. And of course, arrange the reading order as you prefer. Each summary has a link to take you to the full post.

Digital Flower Power Leads Up to June’s Big Event with May’s Recap

As you catch up with May’s blooming, info-packed posts, remember: the Rocks Digital Marketing Conference is right around the corner on June 29 & 30, 2018!

Is this Thing On? They’re Talking About Your Content…

Are you creating content? Then you need to read what Elijah Masek-Kelly shared with us. Leverage your expertise, get your content out into the world and promote it. Outreach strengthens reputation. Find out here how to improve your reach.

What Are Your Video Assets Worth?

10 tips for managing and making the most of your video assets are broken down by Matthew Dunn, so you can understand what you have to work with. Don’t get overwhelmed – you don’t have to master it all at once. Use these tips to get organized and the management will be much easier.

Cue the Music with the Facebook Sound Collection

When you shoot video, do you have a soundtrack in mind? But then you find out you can’t USE that music due to copyright issues? Anesha Collins introduces us to the Facebook Sound Collection, and clues us in on how best to use this great new resource.

An Open and Shut Case for Using Video

Have you gotten into using video content marketing yet? Visual content is an extraordinary way for you to get your content noticed. Moss Clement makes the case for why video content is important – and shares tips to help your video investments pay off.

Put Your Website Traffic in the Fast Lane

First tip, make sure you’re optimized for mobile. Give your website traffic the roadway it needs (mobile-friendly) and it will make the ride much easier. Makki Jaqwani maps out other tips for making the cruise an easy ride for your website traffic, and helps us navigate the potential potholes and roadblocks with ease.

Size Matters – But Not the Way You Think It Does

Bigger isn’t always better, especially when you’re talking SERP (Search Engine Results Page). Eric Johnson clues us in on why engagement is more important than the length of the content, and how short articles can still be front-page worthy.

Feeling Invisible in Facebook’s Feed?

As most everyone is aware, our friends at Facebook decided that they wanted to shift our newsfeeds to see less business-related content and more “meaningful interactions.” (I changed my “see first” list to ALL small businesses, out of spite). Manuela Gadancheva gives us some super tactics to get back some of the Facebook traffic you may have lost, and to stay visible using Facebook Groups.

Is Your TLD Top Banana?

In the history of The Internet, .COM, .NET and .ORG have been the primary Top Level Domains (TLDs) for websites. But there’s a lot more choices now, and Bill Hartzer walks us through gTLDs (Generic Top Level Domains) with a look at .CARS, and how we can leverage these new domains to our advantage.

BOOM! Online Launch Tips that Will Rock Your World

Veleisa Burrell gives four tips that are the absolute bomb for rolling out a launch! Three keys to a fantastic launch and one cautionary note. Hint: Surprise Launch does NOT mean “unplanned.” Drop it like Queen Bey, no Kanye mic drop moments allowed!

Fantastic Voyage

How do you make sure your potential clients have a great customer journey? Harley David Rubin shares tips on how to map out the best possible customer experience both online and offline. Have app, will travel!

Plant May’s Posts in Your Digital Mind

From pivoting to counter Facebook adjustments, moving to smooth out your customer journey, to the ever-increasing value of video and more, these posts are filled with helpful and actionable info. It was a joy to gather this blooming bouquet for you and your clients! Get to gardening – and as always, bookmark this convenient recap for easy reference – you will thank yourself.

Plus, we wind up June with the Rocks Digital Marketing Conference 2018. And, you know what they say… What happens at Rocks Digital… well, come find out for yourself!

Blooming w/ #DigitalMarketing Goodness – Pure Flower Power! by @LauraDarkstar #RocksDigital
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Have a favorite pick in this bunch? Let’s hear your thoughts! And do click to let your circle have a look at this great info.

The post Blooming with Digital Marketing Goodness – This May Recap Is Our Version of Flower Power! appeared first on Rocks Digital.

Well, April showers bring May flowers, and this is also true for the Rocks Digital April Wrap-Up. Get a brief synopsis (and link to the full read) for each of our need-to-know April blog posts. Review or catch up on important digital marketing topics – including of course the upcoming Rocks Digital Marketing Conference slated for June. That’s June 29 & 30, 2018 to be exact!

April’s Refreshing Wrap-Up

Do enjoy this refreshing “April shower of knowledge” and start up the month of May by staying up-to-date. (And for your convenience, revisit the March wrap-up here.)

Sin-Free LinkedIn Messaging

If you’re on LinkedIn, you’ve gotten a LinkedIn Message that looks and sounds like it’s right out of a can. Harley David Rubin tells us how to shun the 7 deadly sins of LinkedIn messaging to be sure that your brand doesn’t leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth.

Demographic Infographic – Say THAT Three Times Fast!

Chances are that the people you want to market to are on social media, but the big question is always WHERE? Mark Toney helps answer this question with a great infographic that helps break it down by target generations and by platform.

Not-So-Social Media

If you’ve been paying attention over the last couple of years, you may notice that several social media platforms seem to have become much less …social. Changes to Facebook and Twitter, improvements in ad blocking technology that forces marketers to get creative, and the rise of dark social (not as nefarious as it sounds!)are all influencing the social media landscape. Hardik Oza helps track the trends and keep us savvy through the shifts.

This Digital Marketing Post Goes to Eleven

You want to do digital marketing right, but what does that mean? What should you post? How often should you be posting? Harley David Rubin tells us to: Be present – but not TOO present. Find out when to toot your own horn – and when to be the strong, silent brand (who is there for the potential client but not hovering).

Once Upon a Time on Instagram

Were you a fan of Mission Impossible (the classic TV series) where the message that laid out the mission would self-destruct? Even if you aren’t familiar with that, you should become familiar with Instagram Stories. Instagram Stories is content shared to Instagram that “self-destructs” after 24 hours. Tanya Smith tells us how to make the most of Instagram Stories and retain your brand mystique!

The Care and Feeding of Content

Are you optimizing your content for the long-term game? Syed Ali Mudassar helps us create optimization magic and set goals so we keep our content fresh longer. Visibility is an ongoing challenge – make sure you care for your content well, so it can continue to help your brand shine.

Cultivate Your Comments Section

Is your comments section helping to grow your brand? Bradley Shaw gives us 8 tips to boost your comments section to grow connections and create conversations. Your platforms should be about cultivating relationships, not just you talking AT potential customers. Comments can also help you determine what your audience wants more of, which is a great bonus!

Are You Ready to Rock at Rocks Digital 2018?

Lissa has been rounding up some phenomenal speakers for this year’s Rocks Digital Conference. Head over to Rocks Digital to see the lineup and register. You will NOT want to miss it! (I’m already exercising my live-blogging fingers to be ready to rock!)

Shower’s Over – Time to Start Growing!

There’s no time like nowto put into place those tips and strategies that can help your brand grow, or help your clients strengthen their online presence. Take your pick – start with the care & feeding of content, ramp up Instagram Stories, or cultivate your comments section! Bookmark this page and review when needed – and remember to register now for this year’s Rocks Digital Conference on June 29 & 30.

Forecast Calls for a Shower of #DigitalMarketing Info in this Wrap-Up by @LauraDarkstar #RocksDigital
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Which “April info-shower” post is most useful for your immediate needs? You can tweet this wrap-up and click share to let your circle know the forecast too!

The post Forecast Calls for a Shower – A Shower of Digital Marketing Info in the April Wrap-Up, That Is! appeared first on Rocks Digital.

Yes, we’ve already had to “spring forward” but the springing part is never really over. It’s definitely time to spring forward in your digital marketing knowledge quest.

March’s Mighty Wrap-up

We’ve gathered all 14 of Rocks Digital’s “info-nutritive” March blog posts into one easy-to-reference page. (And while you’re at it, take a look back at February’s wrap-up right here.)

Phat Tips for a Lean Startup

“Life’s Too Short to Build Something Nobody Wants” is the quote to keep in mind as you start on the path to a lean startup. Vikas Rana shares some tips on how to cut costs without cutting corners. It’s a mindset shift you should definitely think about.

A Snapshot of Visual Content Marketing

You may be able to write beautiful, compelling copy – but maybe an infographic is a better way to go. Often, people respond better to visual information than plain text. Laura Buckler presents some good guidelines for better marketing. Hmmm, maybe I should do infographic wrap-ups…

Tune Up Your Pitch with a Powerful Call-to-Action

What makes a great call-to-action? Moss Clement clues us in on the key components of compelling call-to-action elements. From positioning to the creative use of color, you can optimize your call-to-action and raise your conversion rate. Don’t wait! Read now for more tips!

Optimize Your SEO Services Choice

In-House? Consultant? Agency? So many choices. It’s Grayson Kemper to the rescue, with some sound advice on making the best choice for your business. Explore your options and plan for the future.

Mobile Marketing Musts

Mobile searches lead to action, so make sure your mobile marketing strategy passes muster. Mark Toney walks us through mobile marketing facts, figures, tips and tricks to make sure our mobile game is keeping up, so we don’t get left in the digital dust.

Social Media Success Refresher

It may seem like common sense, but sometimes we all need to go back to the Social Media basics! Syed Ali Mudassar reminds us of the fundamentals so we can stay authentic and stay on track. Consistency is key – and don’t be afraid to experiment!

Buff Up Your Creative Brief for Better Branding

Get your team focused on your brand experience by crafting a creative brief. It will serve as the roadmap for your marketing and make sure everyone is on the same page. Harley David Rubin shares the six elements needed for writing your creative brief so all the bases will be covered, and your message will be focused.

When “No” is the Beginning of the Conversation

We’ve all been there – we’ve presented a proposal to a potential client and they say the magic words that make our hopes fizzle – We can’t afford it. Sometimes that’s really the case, and sometimes that “No” is the beginning of a new conversation. Debbie Mrazek clues us in on how to salvage the sale or at least continue the conversation so even if the answer is not right now, you’re building a relationship so you can make the sale later.

Get Moving on Your Mobile Marketing

How often do you use your phone when you’re looking for a product or service? Guess what? Your potential customers are using mobile devices, too, and Neha Baluni shows us how to get moving so we can make sure we’re mobile friendly – and visible in the digital world.

Uplevel Your E-commerce Website

Optimizing your e-commerce website doesn’t have to be hard. Al Gomez shares optimization techniques to help your e-commerce site rise in the page rankings and get noticed. If you’re selling online, great tech tips and commentary on making sure you have an eye on quality make this a must-read!

Bad Data Brings Big Dilemmas

Bernadette Coleman gives us all a little wake-up call regarding how we’re handling our brand’s data. If you’ve changed your business name, merged, or been part of an acquisition you’re going to need to make sure that not just the Post Office has all of your updated information. Make sure your data is correct and keep customers coming to the right place. Your spring cleaning should DEFINITELY include cleaning up bad data!

Facebook Business Page – Your Quick and Painless Guide

You might think that once you’ve set up your Facebook Business Page, your job is done. Stevan McGrath guides us through setup and optimization and then tells us how and why managing the page is so important. It’s the perfect primer for honing your Facebook savvy!

Your Twitter Twelve-Step Improvement Program

Just when you’ve gotten used to 140 characters for Twitter, they change the game and expand it all the way to 280 characters. Good news, right? Well, you still need to keep it brief, but now you can be a little more creative. Pankaj Narang gives us 12 great pointers for making our new, longer Tweets powerful and engaging.

Ads Can Add Up to Increased Sales

If you’ve been on the fence about social media advertising, you’ll want to take a look at the data that Mark Toney presents. Even though people say that social media doesn’t influence them, it’s woven into the fabric of our daily lives, and we may not be stopping to think where we spotted that fabulous find, we just know that we MUST have it. Social Media advertising doesn’t need to be a go-big-or-go-home proposal, but it should be something that you consider as part of your marketing plan.

And That’s March’s Wrap-up

From the magic of infographics and Twitter’s new 280 character limit, the importance of protecting and correcting your brand’s data online, to when NO may actually signal the start of a conversation – and more – we’ve got you covered. Refer to this “bouquet” as needed to refresh your store of knowledge!

Our Mighty March Summary of #DigitalMarketing #Tips & Teachings by @LauraDarkstar #RocksDigital
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Savoring this bouquet of digital marketing know-how? Tweet this post and click share to help colleagues and friends “spring forward” too!

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What do you do when the customer says they can’t afford it? If they say they have no money and can’t afford to buy, what then? Sweaty palms? Anger? Dread? Nothing? I will assume you do NOT run out of there screaming!

There is nothing more uncomfortable than working on an opportunity, feeling like you have presented a great solution that the customer is going to find easy to say YES to… and then they say no, we don’t have the money.

When Customers Say They Can’t Afford It, It’s Not Over…

Hold on, let’s take a step back. Do they really not have enough money? Maybe, but more often than not they do have money – but you have not made a case for them to give it to you!

Think about what you’re selling. What does it cost? That may be a lot of money to you, as it has to do with your checkbook – but not with theirs. So don’t put your standard for “a lot of money” onto the client’s perspective.

Three Go-To Tips to Use When a Customer Says They Can’t Afford It

So, let’s back up. What are the real reasons they don’t buy, and what can you do about it?

Are You Really Listening to the Customer?

Most often, the reason customers do not buy is because we have not listened well enough to understand what their priorities are on spending money, and how to remove their fear of spending it with you.

There are times of course when the customer will say it’s because of lack of money, when they don’t want to tell you the truth such as “we’re going with someone else.” They get away with this because people often will not try to continue the conversation after they hear the client say they have no money.

Are You Asking What the Customer Needs?

Remember, when you get an opportunity, always begin with questions about the client! What do they need? What are they trying to accomplish? What’s not working with their current supplier? What new thing are they trying to create? To garner as much information as possible, ask all the who, what, why, where, when, how questions until you cannot think of any others to ask. When you’re asking these things, be certain you are REALLY listening to the answers, and not just listening for what you want to hear.

Try using a FAB (Features, Advantages, Benefit) statement when you’re creating your solution for what you can do. Understand clearly – and practice with others – on how you articulate features, advantages, and benefits. You may be clear in your head about what they are, but the way you describe them might be clear as mud to others. You want to make sure they hear what you’re really trying to say.

Features – Describe the product, offer, service, and what makes it special
Advantages – What the feature accomplishes that is unique and different
Benefit – How your advantages offer a benefit

Sometimes They Can’t Afford It, but Still…

It’s true that sometimes there does end up being no money. Something had to be done on a project and budget had to be reassigned; they lost money last quarter and need to hold back for a quarter, and so on – but again, more often than not we haven’t made our case powerfully enough for them to easily say yes.

When They Can’t Afford It, Don’t Let the Conversation End There

So, next time you go in to present your solution so you can receive the order, be certain you have really listened for understanding. Don’t just listen until it’s your turn to talk. Ask questions and assure them that you’d really like to do business with them. As part of gathering information to create your offer, let them know you want to be engaged with their success.

And if the answer should be no money… remember that NO is the beginning of a conversation, not the end! Know that your persistence could benefit both parties – your client-to-be and your brand. If you’re still certain that they are the perfect client for you, figure out what you did wrong and begin again. Good luck!

How to Salvage the #Sale by @DebbieMrazek #RocksDigital #Business
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When a customer says they can’t afford it, what’s your first response? How do you refocus and turn the conversation around? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post The Customer Said They Can’t Afford It – How to Salvage the Sale appeared first on Rocks Digital.

The “lean startup” is a trend in the business world that’s growing rapidly. Lean startup methods encompass a way of doing business that focuses on gaining customer feedback in real-time, allowing businesses to make more informed and successful decisions.

Lean Startup Methods vs. Old School

Many years ago, AKA old school, the only way to start a new business was to write a lengthy business plan, get an expensive business loan or pitch to investors, then start it up and work as hard as you could to make it work!

However, the high level of financial obligation involved with this method makes it risky, and often unaffordable for most people. In fact, research by Harvard Business School’s Shikhar Ghosh shows that an astounding 75% of all startups fail. With this in mind, the idea of starting a business in the traditional sense can be overwhelming and risky.

When Spending Less Can Pay Off More…

However, times are changing, and the business world is changing constantly too. It’s no surprise that many people are moving away from the riskiness of an expensive business loan and more towards the benefits of a lean startup.

Many new startups are adopting lean startup methods to initially test the product, with low-cost testing and implementation methods. Outsourcing for startups is another effective way to get the work done initially at low cost (if done the right way!).

Before Spending, Test First

When I started WebsiteFix, I adopted some lean startup methods by launching my website first to test the market. Rather than renting a big office and investing a huge chunk of money, I tested the idea first. To offer SEO consulting, I first decided to get my own site to page 1 of Google to prove the point that if I can do it for myself, I can help others, too.

I started doing SEO on my site, and the site got on the first page of Google for my target keywords. After two years, it still ranks top of first page of Google for “SEO Services Brisbane.” This gave me an advantage over others, and I started getting inquiries from potential clients. Further, it was a low-cost investment start – I was only working from home in the initial stage, and all the inquiries were originating from the website – no office was required! I took the customer feedbacks on board and improved things in my business before I started the SEO consulting work full-time.

A Tale of Two Businesses and Their Lean Startup Methods

There are many well-known organizations that have achieved success with this model. Here are two of them.

Dropbox

As many are aware, Dropbox is an online “cloud” storage system for documents. Instead of initially spending a large business loan on developing the platform, they used real-time testing to see whether or not the business would succeed. They did this by initially developing a short screencast that illustrated to customers what the potential program would achieve.

Potential customers responded to the product by signing up on a waiting list, which allowed the Dropbox creators to identify demand. This not only confirmed viability of the product, but also ensured an initial customer base when they launched.

Airbnb

Airbnb is one of the largest accommodation companies in the world, yet it doesn’t own any property. It has changed the way that accommodation is viewed, and also brought more change into the “sharing economy” industry. Airbnb also started using this business model, and their idea came from developing a solution to a personal problem they had.

The founders had a problem. How could they pay the rent on their San Francisco loft? They looked around and then realized that a major design conference was scheduled in San Francisco, and all the hotels were booked solid! Their solution achieved instant success and provided validation for their idea.

3 “To-Do” Lean Startup Methods for Businesses Today

Thankfully, there are many ways that people who want to start a business can learn from successes such as Airbnb and Dropbox.

1. Rethink the standard business plan.

Bulky business plans leave plenty of room for unnecessary information. Lean Stack is an online platform that changes the way business plans are made by allowing users to develop modern one-page plans.

2. Real-time customer research.

Have an idea for an awesome product? Make a few, and take the idea to your local markets, within your chosen target market, and test the response from customers in real-time. This will allow you to get an idea of the potential success of your product before you continue.

3. Use customer feedback.

Make notes of all the comments for change you receive from people who interact with your products, and take these into consideration when you proceed with your business.

Lean Startup Methods Let You Build What People Want

From the Lean Stack website, this quote sums up everything concisely: “Life’s Too Short to Build Something Nobody Wants.”

Keep this quote in mind, because it sums up the importance of the lean startup ­– it allows for real-time testing and validation of a product or service before too much commitment is made. It can be predicted that as the business world continues to evolve, this business model will increase in popularity.

Get the Skinny on Lean #Startup Methods for Your #Business by @WebsiteFix_SEO #RocksDigital
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Ready to turn the key with these lean startup methods? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

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