As a business owner, you will face many challenges along the way. Sometimes you might make a bad decision and have to dig yourself out of a hole, and other times your business might be the victim of current situations. You have to not only be able to adjust when you are faced with adversity and challenges, but you also need to be looking ahead at all times, with the ability to make decisions that will open the door for new opportunities.
What would you do if all of your customers disappeared one day? What would you do if your website traffic dropped off the face of the earth? What if you owned a physical brick and mortar business and a pandemic caused you to shift all of your attention to online commerce?
Some business owners would have a plan and others would scramble and panic, desperately looking for a solution. When you are always thinking of ways to grow your business you become less vulnerable to situations like this.
So, what are some ways to constantly grow your business? Here are a few universal tips that every business can take advantage of, regardless of their industry.
Search Engine Optimization
As more businesses shift their focus online it has made being found in the search results very competitive. There is only so much top real estate available. The majority of businesses will not be found at the top, so if you want to compete for that traffic you need to be constantly publishing content and working on optimizing off-site and on-site factors.
Build a Loyal Social Media Following
The majority of the world’s population is on social media. While Facebook is the most popular, a business cannot limit their activity to just one social network. Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest, and even LinkedIn all offer opportunities to be found by people looking for the products and services your business offers. Post on a regular basis and use popular hashtags to get your content discovered.
Segment Your Email List
You have heard a million times how important it is to build an email list, but what isn’t always discussed is the importance of segmenting your list. When you can send targeted emails to previous buyers and emails to leads it allows you to create a message that speaks directly to that specific audience. This greatly increases your conversion rates.
Start a Referral Program
Your previous customers can be your best sales team. If you offer something of value such as a discount on future orders, you will find that many of your customers will make an effort to refer business to you. This can snowball and turn into one of your most effective sources of new business.
These are all great ideas, but to provide even more value, we have an infographic below that features tips and insight from several successful business owners and entrepreneurs. Take the time to see what each has to say and identify strategies you can leverage to help grow your own business.
