Attracting customers when people are tightening the purse strings

2012-02-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

Heraldnethave published an article discussing various business owners creativeapproaches to attracting customers; these included hosting giveaways of thecompany products, offering coupons and even advertising on Craigslist. All ofthese are great ways of drawing in customers; giveaways have been shown to beparticularly effective, especially when the prizes include branded companyitems, as both the giveaway and the prize then become a form of advertisement.However, one excellent way to encourage more purchases when selling products isto offer free delivery. A survey byCom-Score revealed that a whopping 47% of online shoppers would abandon theirshopping list at the checkout if free delivery was not available.

Forbusiness owners who like the idea of offering free delivery of their products,but are hesitant to use too much of their budget on this offer, there are anumber of different ways to approach it. Most companies do not offer completelyfree delivery all of the time; instead they use it as part of exclusive onlinedeals. For example, you could offer free delivery when your customers spendover a certain amount; for instance, if the minimum price is set at £100 forfree delivery, then customers who are just under this amount will be morelikely to buy something extra so that they quality for the free delivery offer.

Anotheroption is to offer free delivery to members only; this is an excellent way toencourage people to sign up for a monthly subscription service with yourcompany. Many customers love the idea of exclusivity and this would be anexcellent option for companies selling luxury or high end products.

Forcompanies who have excess stock of a particular product, offering free deliveryonly for this product is a fantastic way to drive customers to purchase thisitem, rather than another similar item whose delivery they would have to payfor.

Companieswho sell clothing are now realising the benefits of not only offering freedelivery, but also free returns. Having to pay money to return an item ofclothing that they don’t like is one factor which puts many people off clothesshopping online. By offering free returns, you eliminate this problem and willmore than likely see an increase in your sales.

GiftSelection

How to make the most of increased business optimism

2012-02-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

Many of us have become all toofamiliar with news reports regaling us with tales of the dismal economy.However, Calculatedriskblog.comhas recently reported a much needed spot of good news; an article on the sitedetailed the increase in the optimism and confidence of small business owners,citing a survey from the organisation NFIB. Capitalising on these generallyshort lived bouts of positivity in the economy is essential for any businessowner. When things are going well, some may be tempted to ‘cruise’ along ontheir success and ease up on marketing and other business strategies. Thereality is that this is the time when business owners need to be more driventhan ever, to ensure that they stay ahead of the competition, if or when theeconomy takes another nosedive.

The first thing to consider whenbusiness confidence is booming is an increase in your marketing budget. Anymoney which is invested now will pay off in droves of customers in the future. Brandedgifts are an excellent way to widen your customer base. Bear in mind too,that splurging on an impressive marketing campaign is much easier to do whenbusiness is going well; waiting until your business heads south to push yourmarketing efforts is not a wise idea.

Another smart move when businessconfidence is up is to hire some new talent for your company. Small businessowners may feel that they have less to offer in terms of salary and benefits,in comparison to larger corporations; however, there are in fact manyadvantages to working with a smaller business and these should be emphasisedwhen you are advertising for new employees. Small businesses tend to havestronger professional relationships between management and employees, as asmaller workforce makes communicating with colleagues easier. Positions insmall businesses also tend to offer more scope in terms of responsibilities,allowing employees to learn about different areas of the company. These pointsare just some of the benefits which should be mentioned when hiring new talent.

When optimism in the small businesssector is rising, business owners should see this as the perfect opportunity tomove their company in a new direction and take some risks. If you have beenhesitant about introducing a new service or product, now is the time to makethe leap. Small businesses today need to be as innovative as possible, in orderto keep up with the competition, so why not take advantage of this positivemoment in the business world to do something new and exciting with your company?

GiftSelection

Ideas on promoting your brand and sales message

Attracting customers when people are tightening the purse strings

How to make the most of increased business optimism