5 best ways to attract new and existing customers post- covid - 19

The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone and on what we know as normality. The good news is certain restrictions have been lifted and most businesses have been allowed to re-open. The issue small businesses are facing now is how to attract new and existing customers back to their businesses. Below, I have listed a shortlist on the 5 best ways to attract new and existing business!

Re-contact Old Customers

Old customers were the heart and soul of your business before the pandemic threw everything haywire, it's naturally sensible that in your efforts to restart your business you contact them and let them know you're open. I hope that even during the break you managed to check on your customers, if you didn't don't worry, you can still save face:)

Simply call, text or send an email whatever works best for you, and let them know that you are open for business. It's a good idea to offer them incentives to come back as detailed in the next point.

Also, try to personalize the message/email/text to the customer as this goes a long way to make them feel valued. Take the two examples of text messages below and decide which one would be best to send;

" Good Morning, This is a quick message to inform you that we will be re-opening on 01/08/2020 and you're welcome to visit us in-store. Our opening hours are 9 AM - 5 PM Monday to Friday."

The second example is:

" Good Morning Mrs Asare, We hope you are your family are doing well. We are delighted to inform you that we will be re-opening our store on 01/08/2020 and will have the juicy apples you like in stock. Pop in anytime between 9 AM - 5 PM Monday to Friday for an unbeatable discount. We look forward to seeing you!"

I think we can both agree that the second message works better in terms of making the customer feel wanted and valued.

It's a good idea to set up reminders to follow up on customers you were unable to reach (please don't stalk them LOL) and hopefully, one of your messages would get to them.

Offer discounts and incentives

Offering enticing discounts, vouchers & loyalty cards can sometimes be all it takes to turn a lapsed customer back into an active buyer and even give you a new one! We all love bargains and have all fallen for that sweet buy-one-get-one-free deal but do you notice that 9 times out of 10, those bargains are bought on impulse? This is due to the reduced risk involved. It's a tried and tested way of getting new customers to try out your product /service quickly and if you have done your homework, you will be able to turn these new one-time customers into regulars.

In a bid to get your old customers back, it's a good idea to offer them these discounts & incentives as well. This can push reluctant customers to come back and patronize your business.

Improve you website

I can't emphasize this enough especially now that the internet has become the best means & source of information. I wonder if you have heard of fact that the average visitor to your website spends seven seconds or less. This means that your website has to be engaging and the information on there must be a direct solution to the visitor's needs, else they would bounce.

This is why you always have to ensure that your website is up to date and the information about the products/services you offer is current.

Advertise what's new in the business, let them know you've made process or product changes and make it clear all on your website. Also, try to use keywords and other techniques to make your site appear on the first page of listings on search engines. This is a form of art as it involves mastering the ever-changing algorithm the search engines use to keep it all competitive.

You can hire an SEO engineer to help you from time to time if you have the budget to do so.

Advertise

Typically businesses are encouraged to spend 3 to 5 per cent of their revenue on advertising, but a small business needs to make sure that advertising is effective.

Depending on where your target market is, advertise accordingly and you will be sure to see an increase in customer enquiries and sales. A small business that sells shoes would benefit from an Instagram page to showcase their stock and hence paying Instagram would be a great idea for reaching more customers. Google & Facebook ads are also great if that's where your target audience is but keep an eye out as the cost can add up pretty quickly.

Improve your customer service delivery

If before the pandemic your customer service was 'ok' or 'good', it's time you make sure it's FANTASTIC. The market has always been competitive but never like in recent times. Customers today will only spend their hard-earned cash on a business that truly makes them feel valued and you need to be ready to be that kind of business if you want to retain your existing loyal customers and win some new ones.

Simple things that you can do to buff up your customer service delivery are:

• Be friendly

• Know your product/service inside out.

• Respond to enquries,comments & complaints very promptly and politely.

• Fix past mistakes- Be honest and accept them

• Always think long term when it comes to customers

A positive relationship with your customers will help you to ensure their return business. Showing that you care about them may inspire their loyalty and appreciation. You could offer personalized service, greet them by name and make notes of previous conversations so you can reference that information the next time you meet. This will, in turn, create return customers that are loyal to you and your business.

Just in case you are overwhelmed and need help bringing your business back to life,hiring a Virtual Assistant like salma-va would be profitable to yourself and your business.Contact us today to 07955703405 or info@salam-va.co.uk to get a personalized quote on how we can support your business.

Heba Salma is a skilled administrative support professional and founder of Salma-VA, a virtual assistance firm. With solid administrative support experience from working with top executives, She decided to start her firm to support small business owners and provide a helpful, friendly service that makes all the difference. When not immersed in the small business world, Salma loves trying new recipes and spending time with her lovely family.

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