unning a successful business isn’t easy. In addition to the day-to-day essentials, every business owner needs to make time to accomplish the most important tasks: finding new leads, and converting them into viable revenue sources.
Here are five things every business owner can do to help a business – large or small – grow.
For instance: an insightful business will understand who the ideal customer is. This goes beyond simple demographics.
Answer questions like these:
• Why did the customer choose your business rather than your competitors?
• What emotional connection does the customer have with your brand?
• What is the customer’s lifestyle and broader interests?
The best sources of information to answer these questions will be the business’ most loyal and longstanding customers. Talking to these clients is an excellent starting point in finding out just what it is that makes your business special. This, in turn, can start the business down the road to sustainable growth.
A business’ most important numbers are the ones that paint a more detailed picture than just income vs. expenditures.
You should have a clear picture of the more granular opportunities for growth. For example:
• What is a customer’s lifetime value to your business?
• What is a new sale’s acquisition budget?
• What is your business’ new lead conversion rate?
Understanding the real numerical value of a customer to a business – what it costs to acquire and retain each customer – is just one way that the numbers can contribute to your business’ growth. The more hard data there is for each aspect of the business, the more realistic it will be to plot for, and benefit from, real growth.
A key component to business growth is to take the extra step to make every customer interaction that much more special.
Let your customers know they are heard and valued. Answer their questions. Don’t make them jump through hoops to find resolutions.
The better your customer service, the more forgiving customers will be. They may even be willing to recommend your business to others, leading to grassroots growth.
Social media can give you insight into what your customers really think about your business’ products and services. This technology also provides a way for you to understand your clients’ spending behavior and address their demands.
A well-constructed and administrated social media presence can help attract new customers, satisfy current clients, and help your business grow.
Here are a few questions to ask about your business’ website:
• When was the last time the site was redesigned? The longest time that should elapse between website redesigns is four years. Any longer than that, and a website is woefully out-of-date, and out of touch.
• Is your site responsive? More users are navigating the internet on mobile devices than ever before. A quality website will look just as good on a phone as it does on a computer.
• Is the site goal-oriented? Whatever your business goals – whether online ordering, requesting a quote, or making an appointment – your website should guide the user to that objective.
• How well is the site performing? How long does it take your site to load? How long are visitors staying on your site before they leave? Which pages have the most traffic?
An in-depth website analysis will help you see what needs to be improved, so that this indispensable tool can contribute to your business’ growth.
Although running a successful business has its challenges, with a patient and comprehensive approach you can be successful in growing your company.
Contact the Sumner Group today to get started growing your business.