It’s that time of year again. Holiday shoppers have come and gone, presents have been exchanged, and the holly jolly is giving way to winter.
For some of us, there’s a lull until the new year. For a lot of us in business though, there’s not. If you ever found yourself thinking “things will slow down after the holidays,” this week’s often a wake-up call that they won’t. That’s because you’re probably scrambling to knock a few tasks off your to-do before the end of the year.
And these tasks aren’t necessarily small. As the last two years have shown us, the business world is unpredictable. Now more than ever, businesses are fortifying their savings and looking to invest in products that will bolster their bottom line.
If you’re looking for a new year’s makeover for your small business, or want to take some work off your plate, we have a few suggestions:
Invest in a website makeover
The landscape of web design is always changing, and customers are more likely to schedule an appointment or click “buy” when you have an intuitive, easy-to-navigate site. This includes a site with responsive design, meaning the layout is formatted to fit a desktop, tablet, or mobile phone.
Responsive design has been around for a while now. However, like everything else online, the standards are constantly upgrading and changing. If you were on top a few years ago, chances are you might be lagging behind now.
Keep your customers happy
The best way to build your customer base is by keeping the ones you already have happy. Since you already provide excellent customer service and engage your customers online (we’ll talk more about that later), why not let your happy customers market for you in the form of positive reviews?
Curating positive reviews can be a chore though. Plus, the dreaded negative review can always crop up. Thankfully, there are ways to resolve negative reviews and bolster positive ones that can establish your business and boost your bottom line.
Spread the word online
You’re already engaging with your customers on social media. But are you doing enough to tell them about your promotions? Are you prompting them to engage by responding to comments and posting share-worthy content?
Like websites, social media is also changing. Granted, that doesn’t mean you need a presence on every platform. That said, are you going where your audience is? Are you familiarizing yourself with new social media features and trends, like Instagram reels, Facebook stories, or new Facebook post threads? Is your business following relevant trends or part of relevant groups?
Reach your community
However, there are more ways to reach your local community than just social media or curating a stellar online reputation. Did you know you can also optimize your web pages for your business’s hometown? You can also extend your reach to neighboring locations, or cities where you want to attract more customers.
Pump Up Your Content
Right now, content is king. If you create engaging content that your customers can devour, you’ll keep them coming back for more. The first step is always knowing your audience, and then positioning yourself as the expert. Then, give your customers engaging, informative nuggets of knowledge that lead to your solutions.
This solution is broader, and can be applied to our first four suggestions, from social media posts to replies to reviews.
Can I really do it all?
But, you say, writing content is hard, and coming up with different content to write every day, week, or month sounds daunting!
What if we told you that you can have it all without doing it all? We pride ourselves on years of experience curating great web design, reputation management, social media presences, targeting local searches, and branded content. If there’s a marketing tactic you want to try, but don’t have the time or energy to tackle it, give us a call! Then, go back to doing what you do best: taking care of your customers!
Want to get a jump start on your business New Year’s resolutions? See if your local reach could use a boost with our free local scan!