This Is The First Thing You Should Do If You Need More Customers
Have you ever walked into a storefront, looked around, and quietly thought to yourself, ‘Man, does this place need more customers!’ Here’s an even more important question — have you asked yourself the same question about your own business? If you’ve answered in the affirmative, then congratulations. You’ve now hit a crossroad in your path as a business owner.
The Path Far Too Often Traveled…
There are two distinct directions you can go. But for the sake of argument, let’s assume you do exactly what most other business owners do & panic. It’s time to start throwing any measured action you have at your disposal right out the window. Start blowing up your social media with post after post amping up the wonders of your product/service. Create accounts with local neighborhood apps and undersell your product/service in the hope that enough folks come through the door to make it all worthwhile.
If you’ve got employees, start asking them to shave off hours while also asking them to do more. Plus, if they’ve got an online presence, get them to use it as a second or third place to get more publicity for the business. While you’re at it, look around & see if there’s anything you don’t immediately need that could fetch a little money on a public sales board.
Getting Answers Starts with Asking the Right Questions
This sounds absolutely bonkers, right? Sure, you need more customers, but it doesn’t mean it’s time to lose your mind & throw away all logic. Getting to the bottom of anything starts with asking some basic questions. In the case of your getting more customers, it starts with digging a little deep. For example:
Why do think you don’t have enough customers? Every business owner has a theory as to why they don’t have enough customers. Sometimes it’s politics. Maybe it’s property management not doing enough to give the grounds good curbside appeal.
What is the market doing? Maybe there’s foreign market fluctuation. Supply chains are being impacted by global crisis. It could be there’s distrust in the current government’s approach to fiscal behavior.
What changes is the industry going through? Depending on your business’s product/service, things are starting to shift. Lawn equipment is becoming more automated. There’s greater interest in less expensive, not-ready-for-primetime produce. Funny novelty gag gifts are more meme-centric than are hand buzzers & invisible ink.
How have spending habits been changing? Folks are spending more money online for cheaper alternatives to your offerings. Cost of living is rising, so people’s budgets are being reserved for rent & utilities. Millennials & Gen Zers don’t understand the value of a dollar.
Need To Point A Finger? Look In The Mirror…
If any of this sounds familiar, guess what? There’s a reason why your business is hemorrhaging money & customers aren’t around — it’s always someone else’s fault. The ONE QUESTION you should be asking yourself when it comes to why you need more customers is the one question you refuse to consider — what are you doing wrong? You spend more time trying to find ways to pin the blame on something, or someone, else that you fail to realize you haven’t done enough to see if you’ve made some bonehead moves. What kind of marketing campaigns have you put together? Are you investing enough, if anything, in media buying? Have you established some KPIs to help you assess short-term & long-term success?
If you’ve answered, “No” to most, if not all, of these questions, now’s the time to acknowledge your shortcomings & start doing something about it. This starts with reaching out to a marketing firm that can help you figure out where things need a tweak or two & get you moving in the right direction.
Whether you need more customers in Austin or anywhere for that matter, click here to connect with our team & get your business back on track.