Business mistakes to avoid to maximize your success in customer service, sales and marketing!
Business mistakes to avoid to maximize your success in customer service, sales and marketing!I mean there are tons of things that businesses do right and some where they fail. The biggest areas that impact which side they are on is customer service, sales and marketing. Trust me – you’ll want to know the biggest business mistakes to avoid so you can prosper and flourish. Knowing how you market to your audience is key to getting NEW sales. Customer Service is key in keeping your bread and butter and sales allows you to close more and bring in more money. Without these things – a business rarely remains afloat. Let’s look at what I consider the biggest areas where many small business owners fail – so you can avoid them!
- No website or social media presence. It really amazes me how many small and local businesses STILL do not have a website or social media presence. They often take it for granted that everyone knows about them, they are easy to find and are always top of mind. One would hope that you know this is NOT TRUE. You NEED to be easily found online. These stats from PewResearch are powerful. The numbers of those online – and searching online on google or Facebook, You Tube etc is staggering and only increasing.
Today, 68% of U.S. adults have a smartphone, up from 35% in 2011, and tablet computer ownership has edged up to 45% among adults, according to newly released survey data from the Pew Research Center. Smartphone ownership is nearing the saturation point with some groups: 86% of those ages 18-29 have a smartphone, as do 83% of those ages 30-49 and 87% of those living in households earning $75,000 and up annually.
You need to be found to compete – show your services, products, what’s new and remain top of mind.
- Aren’t in touch with the current customer base. I’ve noticed many small businesses are not consistent keeping in touch with their customers and prospects – whether it’s direct mail, printed or e-newsletters, emails, texts. These people are your bread and butter – plus those that already know like and trust you, and have purchased from you – are likely to do it again – and with less work! It takes so much less effort marketing to current and past customers than it is to attain a new lead. Client retention is key – just ask client retention advocate Jim Palmer! Stay in touch, keep providing value and content – even gifts! Remind them of new services, events, products. Keep them engaged and top of mind.
- Lack of Follow Up. A study done by the Association of Sales Executives revealed that 81% of all sales happens on or after the fifth contact. So – what does that mean? You need to follow up! Just because they don’t say yes the first time – or don’t call YOU to initiate the process/service/product – it does not mean it’s a dead lead. Show them you care, show them they are important to you, show you are on top of things, are reliable, can be trusted and follow through. I guarantee it’ll make a difference in your overall sales!
- Testing. I did a video about how 15 minutes can save you thousands. What I discussed is how often plugins make one’s website have technical issues – and so your contact page or opt-ins can easily, and all of a sudden, not work. Imagine all the leads you could lose, all the business? It pays to spend about 15 minutes or so each month testing your contact page and opt-ins (and make sure the email and contact information is up to date), check to make sure you get the email notifications and all is working as it should.
On a slightly separate note – it’s a good idea to do split testing with your landing pages and Facebook Ads. For instance – if you see that you get 500 visitors to a landing page but only 40 opt-ins that said YES to the lead magnet – then you need to change something. If you have a control landing page (or Facebook Ad) and 2 other opt-ins that have a different graphic or different headline – you can test to see which are the most effective and drop the one’s that don’t serve your need. Test to see what works, what grabs people’s attention, makes them say YES and which one’s do not – so you spend your marketing dollars wisely and get more leads.
- Don’t change. I’m sure you’ve seen them…those businesses that do what they always have done and don’t try new things or change their branding or services or way they market themselves. Here are some changes that are great to adopt.
- create more content on your site (and social media) to drive traffic to your website
- update your website with fresh branding, a new look, new content
- add more value – provide more free content and gifts
- try something new – videos, a blog, podcast show, live video, webinars, online events
- add new services or products
Be seen and get exposure, show off your expertise. Find out what makes your audience tick and provide it. Plus times change and so does technology. What worked for marketing efforts 5 years ago doesn’t necessarily work today. Live video is what’s hot right now – give it a try – mix things up – test.
By learning these business mistakes to avoid, I know you can generate more leads, close more sales, create more exposure and have higher client retention – all things that make up a solid business that thrives.
Need any help implementing some of these changes? Be sure to contact Smooth Sailing Online Support for your online and social media marketing and presence! info@ssonlinesupport.com
