Even if you’ve only created your business in the last five years, you can see significant differences in what your customers are looking for, and therefore, how your business ought to be run.
What worked in 2009 is most likely not going to work in 2014. Simply look to the fads, lava lamps and pagers have given way to tablets and Priuses.
The trick is to stay ahead of, or at least on, the curve. So the next time you feel like your business is a little behind, remember these three tips to make sure your business evolves with your customers!
Stay active on social media
Marketing changed forever the minute the Facebook business page was introduced, offering a free, easy-to-use medium that could reach out to a large community.
It was a game changer in the world of business. Though just like your customers, social media is always changing. Keep your business active on all outlets at least a couple times a day.
The only way your business is going to master all things social is to partake in them regularly. Notice what gets the most likes, comments and reach, and try to duplicate content like that. By taking notice of what your audience is responding to, you’ll get a good, natural idea of what your customers already like and want to see more of from your business.
Read the news frequently
Every business owner should be a news buff.
You never know when something is going to affect your business directly, or even indirectly. Read the news and stay current not only with what’s happening in the business world, but to see what’s affecting your customers as well. If it’s affecting your customers, it’s affecting you.
Perhaps a charity is gaining popularity among those who frequent your business. If a cause holds that big of a place in your customers’ hearts, it would show great support for those customers if your business could partake in some way.
Just ask them!
If you ever feel like there is some sort of block between you and your customers, and you’re not sure where it came from, go ahead and take a poll!
Set up a simple, five-question poll on the home page of your website asking general questions like “Which product/service is your favorite?” Keep it simple with multiple choice answers and allow for an “additional comments” box at the end of the quiz.
Encourage your customers to take the quiz on your social outlets, and even offer some sort of promotion if you’re really looking for a lot of feedback. It could be as simple as, “Take our quiz and receive 30 percent off your next purchase from us!”
Sometimes it’s good to check in with your customers with a simple poll that doesn’t take a lot of time, but can provide valuable information. Not only do you get to learn about them, but, in turn, your customers learn that you care about their opinions. ●
