Getting more online customers can be tough for a small business. There are a lot of companies to choose from, and consumers have the luxury of indifference.
So how can small businesses win new customers? In this post, I’ll share some of my learnings from my years of helping small businesses grow their organic search traffic and customer bases by an average of five times.
Strategy And Specialization
You’re not going to outrank, outspend or outmaneuver a large company. To compete online, a small business needs to specialize. For example, let’s say that you are a web hosting company that can service gamers really well. Targeting a term like “Gaming VPS” is a good start. But can you take it a step further to target a specific set of games?
Develop a strategy that focuses on your strengths. Bonus points if that focus area is currently underserved in the market.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)
Google Ads are expensive. Let’s assume that you’re a chiropractor. Our data has found that keyword phrases such as “I need a chiropractor” cost an average of $20 per click. “Best chiropractor near me” averages $15 per click. Just the term “chiropractor” is $17 per click.
These keywords are expensive for two reasons:
1. The keywords convert. They are expensive because they work for chiropractors looking for new patients.
2. Many chiropractors are reliant on PPC for new patients. Because they’re reliant on PPC, they outbid each other for ad placement. As a result, the costs rise.
The math needs to work out if your small business is going to engage in PPC. If you’re paying $30 per click and your conversion rate is 10%, you’re paying $300 to acquire a new customer. Given the value and longevity of your average customer, what is an acquisition cost that makes sense?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
How do you avoid PPC? SEO.
SEO enables small businesses to target lucrative PPC keywords without paying for each click. When successful, SEO can significantly drive down the cost of acquiring a new customer.
Let’s assume a web search is conducted by a customer at the very end of their buying cycle. They’ve done their research. It’s down to two choices before they move forward with a purchase. If your website can answer their question and give them a clear path to purchase, you’ll have a new customer.
SEO identifies lucrative keywords and devises a strategy to rank for the search terms. The process an SEO company takes is simple: Develop the content. Promote the content. Ensure the content can be easily accessed and indexed by search engines. That’s it.
Blogging
If you want to rank for keywords, consider developing a detailed blog post about the topic. To achieve a coveted first page rank, the blog should be “top 10” material. The content should be more detailed and thorough than any existing search result. As Google says, “Focus on the user and all else will follow.”
Once the blog is created, you’ll need to promote it. Online promotion, or digital PR, will help acquire backlinks to your blog post. Backlinks build authority, which helps your website outrank competitors. Then, make sure your content is free of technical errors. Following technical SEO best practices, you’ll tackle elements like site structure and page speed.
If you blog frequently and target enough keywords, you’ll likely see an increase in organic traffic. Over time, that organic traffic will hopefully provide a steady stream of new customers for your small business.
Great Customer Service
Customers have options in selecting a small business. Great customer service is a big differentiating factor.
Service starts with the initial experience on your website. I’ve found that LiveChat works really well for small businesses. Customers have many questions about products and services. If you’re able to answer those questions through LiveChat, your chance of making a sale increases.
You know how frustrating customer support can be with a larger company. Chat support can be a nightmare when you’re rerouted to a call center overseas. Phone support can have long wait times. Use all of that to your advantage.
If you have traffic to your site, sign up for a LiveChat free trial. Install on your site. See if any chats come through. If so, service them and see if the conversations increase close rates.
Referrals
Your current customers are your best source to get new customers. You just need to deliver a good enough service so that they tell their friends.
This is especially true if your small business has a specialized focus. When customers know how to accurately describe your service, they can talk about it. But if they can’t describe your service easily, then they will stay silent, and your business will miss a chance for a referral.
Forums
Conversations about small businesses are taking place online. Sometimes, those conversations are happening in forums.
Depending on your specialty, forums are a good place to monitor conversations. Are people talking about frustrations with services like yours? If so, listen, and eventually engage. Don’t just bust into a forum and start dropping links with discounts for new sign-ups.
Alternatively, publicly available forums like Quora are another good place to listen. Identify a few relevant questions to weigh in on. By participating in forums, you’ll subtly market your small business.
How will you get new customers for your small business?
This is a decent starting point for figuring out how to get customers for your small business. Where will you start? Will you write your first blog? Jump into an online forum? Set up your first Google ad?
Whatever route you choose, stick with it. Everything takes time. Sooner or later, something will break through, and you’ll be able to generate customers for your business.
