business_growth_big

As a businessman, it’s very important to know where you want to invest your money. There are a number of options and the only criterion to decide which one to follow is the value for money. The one where you get maximum returns is the one to invest in. But how do you measure the reliability of one over another? Well, that’s a difficult choice to make but don’t worry as today I’m going to take you through some of the most economical methods that will help you grow your business while making sure that your pocket’s still has something to hold on to.

BUILDING YOUR BRAND:

There’s no direct shortcut to building a strong image of your brand in the society. You’ve got to:

  1. Social Media: Use websites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc to build a strong user base for your brand. The more followers you have, the better will you be able to connect with them when it comes to a product launch or any event related to your brand.
  2. Use HARO: Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is a smart way to connect with the journalists who are looking for latest news from the industry. Use them to spread news about your brand.
  3. Originality is the Key: Whatever content you publish on your website, it needs to be original. Copying content from other websites won’t get you any traffic because you’ll belong to a pack of websites that all copy from the same website.
  4. Email Marketing: Using emails, you can reach a huge user base very easily. You can use them to keep in touch with your current customers and you can also ask new users to join your website using sign-up letters or offering discounts, etc.
  5. Represent your Brand at Events: There are many events and fests being held on a regular basis. Make sure you attend these and also talk to people. These events usually have big crowds and help you meet them directly on a face-to-face basis. If you can impress them, they’ll remember you.
  6. Philanthropy: People are becoming more and more aware about the social issues. People are happy to switch brands to the one who cares for the needy. So if you have done some charitable work, let the people know about it and they’ll join you in your cause and you’ll get a lot of new customers indirectly.

HOLDING ON TO IT:

It is as difficult to attract new customers as it is to hold on to them. You never know if a customer will come back or not. But you can make him follow back his footsteps by:

  1. Assisting in Solving Problems: If there’s any problem to your customers, make sure you’re available to them all the time. If they find any difficulty contacting you, then it’s your fault and a good solution is by being active on your social accounts or running a help forum on your website.
  2. A Personal Touch: Whether you’re sending an email to your customers or just answering to one of their queries, greet them by their name and it’ll leave a healthy impression.
  3. Hire Good Employees: Your employees represent your brand. They’re like the interface between your brand and the world. So make sure they’re the right choice.
  4. Loyalty Discounts: The beginning is a bit costly but when it all settles down, you end up with a big and happy customer base and they’re all loyal to your brand.
  5. Host a VIP Forum: A discussion forum is a must for any brand. It’s the best way to get direct feedback from your customers and it also allows them to share their experiences with the rest of the users.
  6. Personal Thank-You Cards: Thank-you cards are always appreciated but lose the touch if they’re addressed to a general audience. If they’re personally handwritten, they can do magic for you.

LOCATING & LANDING IN A NEW TERRITORY:

Want new customers but don’t know where to find them? Try these:

13. Networking: Always keep connecting with people from different parts of the world. This will keep you on the Silk Route and any business that goes from that road will get to you first.

14. Hire an Intern: As the owner and admin of a new website, you’ve got a lot of work to do such as updating the database, responding to queries, etc. So you need a helping hand and a college intern is the best choice. They’re looking for some experience and are hard working as well.

15. Free Seminar: You’re running a business and you have in-depth knowledge of that field. So why don’t you share it with others. It will help the society as well as you expanding your network.

16. Free Webinar: Online business does most often have a vast expanse over several cities and sometimes even countries. So host free webinars to attract more of them.

17. A Get-Together with your Clients: Your customers always have a piece of advice for your products. So why don’t you be that person with whom they share that? Talk to them regarding their experiences and any improvements they’d like to have.

18. A Good Surprise: You can offer free gifts to a random buyer each day. It won’t cost you much but enough to make someone’s day.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT:

Perfection is a mirage; the closer you go the further it will move back. So just keep following it.

Perfection is a mirage; the closer you go the further it will move back. So just keep following it.
19. Surveys: If you want to improve any of your products of services, then you must ask the users for their feedback. Ask them to fill out survey forms. If possible, mail them the surveys so that they don’t have to come to you.

20. A/B Testing: Run tests on different elements of your website that affect your customers. Eliminate the weak links and have better replacements ready for them.

21. Keep Your Enemies Closer: Always stay updated to how your competitors are doing. Keep checking their Google Rankings and if there’s something new in the market and you don’t know it, get to know it.

22. Ask your Customers to Volunteer for Beta Testing: Whenever you’re about to start a new feature or launch a new service, go and ask your loyal customers to test it. It’ll give you honest feedback and they’ll also feel privileged.

23. Meet fellow business owners: Meetings with other business owners in the same field always lead to new contacts and customers. So never shy from arranging a get-together with them.

24. Try a new position: It’s always to ask your employees for new customers but it’s difficult to do so. So join them for a day and work on the problems they’re facing. It’ll also help you build a good bonding with them.

THE CREAMY LAYER:

It’s difficult to find a perfect match; but not impossible:

25. Consult your Employees: When there’s a need for new talents, ask your employees for them. They always have a name or two for referral and they know which one will suit best for the required post.

26. Ask your Customers: If you can ask them to test your products, why can’t you ask them for the people they want to work in the company. Each such person recruited is like a customer on your side.

27. Not just Job Portals: Apart from job portals, you can also search for your specific requirements on other social platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

So these were some of the cost-cutting methods that you can employ to grow your business. I hope you found them useful. Don’t forget to tell us which one made its way into your list!