As an online business, you want to consistently attract new customers and grow because relying on old customers might not cut it long-term. However, there are quite a few problems that stand in the way of a business’ growth. For starters, there are a lot of other brands that operate in the same niche.
Keeping up with online shopping trends is also an issue, especially when the ecommerce industry is advancing so fast. What you adopt might become obsolete before you know it. And brands that are the first to implement new things gain an edge over others.
With that said, gaining new customers still comes down to how a business presents itself and how much effort it puts into attracting new customers.
Ideal Customer Identification
Before you start attracting new customers, identify who they are. You do not want to waste resources on appealing to the wrong demographics.
Take a look at what has been working for you before and what the current customer base is like. Is it mostly men or women? What about their age, location, and age? Unless your business has changed, the metrics you have from your current customers should apply to potential new leads.
Once you have general categories, you can look to segment these categories. For example, your ideal customers might be the ones using smartphones and tablets rather than desktop computers? If so, your landing pages, emails, and other marketing content need to be mobile-friendly.
In case you want to target Gen-Z, your social media marketing strategy might revolve around TikTok and other marketing channels that cater to younger demographics.
The bottom line is that a business has to invest enough in identifying their ideal customer and capitalizing on the available information to appeal to the target.
Clear Customer Journey
A clear customer journey is also worth a shout. You want to ensure that a shopper has the best possible experience they can have from the moment they land on your page to the moment they complete the transaction and purchase goods or services.
Imagine someone visiting your site and being put off by a poor page layout, lack of product descriptions, no clear ways to contact customer support, etc. Such an experience will leave a negative impression, and the person you worked so hard to attract to your website will not bother coming here again.
On the other hand, a website visitor that encounters nothing but positivity while shopping will have a completely different reaction. Not only are they likely to become regular customers, but they might also recommend your business to their friends and family.
Giving new customers some incentive and showing appreciation could work in your favor as well. A brand could send a welcome email for people who register on the website, as well as a freebie, such as an exclusive discount for a first purchase.
Automating such welcoming emails should not be an issue. Show your customers that you care and make them feel special. Good ESPs will give you the tools to set triggers and conditions, create automated workflows and customer journeys.
Partnerships With Other Businesses
Do not think of partnerships with other businesses as a means to get friendly with your competition. No, the goal here is to find businesses that are not in direct competition with you but rather who share the same or similar demographic.
For example, if you have a custom merchandise store that sells t-shirts, hoodies, and other merch, you could partner with a local sports team to provide them with new uniforms with your logo on them.
Or what about beauty products? In case you offer lipsticks, skincare, and other similar items, you could reach local beauty salons and find out whether they would be interested in a partnership arrangement.
The possibilities depend on your niche and where you live. Ideally, you should target local establishments and various organizations to approach because it would be easier to make an arrangement with someone who lives nearby.
In case there are very few or no options locally, you could seek opportunities outside of where you live. It would require more effort, but new partnerships open new opportunities, and they are usually worth the trouble.
Different Marketing Channel Exploration
There are multiple marketing ideas to promote a business. Some brands pick only a couple of methods and focus on them, whereas other businesses try to cover as many different techniques with the hopes of attracting customers.
When it comes to new customer acquisition, putting all your eggs into one basket might not be the best approach. You cannot know which marketing method will bring you the customers. Therefore, try as many different ideas as you can. If you see that one thing is not working, you can move on to the next and repeat.
Some of the commonly used methods in a marketing strategy include:
- Social Media
- Influencer Marketing
- SEO
- Email Marketing
- Local Events
- Podcasts
- Guest-Blogging
- Radio and TV Ads
- Giant Billboard Rent
- Local Magazines and Newspapers
- Webinars
- Contests
- Exceptional Customer Service and Word of Mouth
- Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
Exit Popups
Exit popups have been around for a while, but they remain to be an effective way to increase conversions. An exit intent popup could be the difference maker between converting a lead and being left empty-handed.
These popups track mouse movement on a website and trigger when a visitor is about to leave the page.
As expected, there are different exit popup types, including ones for growing email subscriber lists, reducing cart abandonment, and even increasing SEO results. Moreover, modern exit popups are mobile-friendly, so you should not miss out on website visitors who use a smartphone or tablet.
When it comes to getting new customers, a popup should include a persuasive incentive. For instance, your popup could offer a discount code, free shipping, or related products a potential customer might be interested in checking out.
Creating the fear of missing out is also a common popup exit strategy. Urgency calls people to decide. If you inform them about an ongoing sale and how there are only a few items left, they are more likely to visit the product because of potentially regretting having missed out on a great opportunity.
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