Getting a business off the ground requires a great deal of time and effort. When you launch a brand new venture, it’s natural to have grand plans and to dream of seeing your brand name up in lights. The trouble is that turning ideas into viable concepts isn’t always easy. It’s no secret that the majority of new companies fail, and there are myriad obstacles out there to try and avoid. If you’re struggling to achieve success, and your business isn’t fulfilling its potential, here are some common pitfalls and some tips to help you turn your fortunes around.
Improving your website
If you’re struggling to attract new clients, your existing customers seem to be drifting away, or your website isn’t getting much attention, creating a better website and investing in online marketing could have a dramatic impact. Start with your website. Open the homepage, take a look around, and see what you think. Are there problems with broken links, are pages slow to load, or does every page look the same? Is your homepage inviting, or is it drab? Can you find the information you’re looking for easily? Is there a call to action on every landing page? Can you find contact details without trawling the site for hours? Is your site mobile-friendly? If there are problems, or you’re not bowled over, it’s wise to consider sprucing up your website and increasing its functionality and usability. Competition is so tough now, and if your website isn’t up to scratch, a web user won’t think twice about clicking on another link.
Your website should look the business, but it also needs to deliver an enjoyable, seamless, stress-free customer experience. It should take a matter of seconds to locate a product, add it to your basket and pay for it, to find a phone number to call, or to book a table or reserve a room. Work with experienced web designers to create pages that will appeal to your target buyer, and use research methods like card sorting to ensure your site is user-friendly. If you’ve got products located all over the place, or your pages don’t seem to link together properly, this makes it more difficult to access information and find what you’re looking for. If a buyer finds the process frustrating or time-consuming, they may start shopping elsewhere. Focus on creating a positive experience for your customers, and think about features you can add to appeal to your ideal buyer. Use research to analyze how people spend their time online, and look at what kinds of add-ons other sites are using to attract and impress customers.
Enhancing your online presence
The Internet plays an increasingly influential role in modern-day business. Studies suggest that the average adult in the US now spends the equivalent to an entire day online every week. More and more of us are shopping and buying online, and we’re also increasingly reliant on the web to source products and services. Google processes more than 40,000 searches per second, and 88% of local searches conducted on a mobile device result in either a call or visit within 24 hours. Even if you don’t have an online store, or you don’t sell products or offer services online, you can still benefit from having a presence on the web.
If you have a brilliant website, you might be wondering why you’re not getting the traffic you need to drive your business forward. Having a website is essential in this day and age, but it’s not enough to succeed. You need to ensure that your site and your brand are visible online. There are various ways you can do this. One of the best techniques is SEO, or search engine optimization. Most of us now open Google or another search engine when we’re looking for information or we want to find a retailer or a business that provides specific services. To benefit from the popularity of search engines, you need to be on page 1. If you can improve your search ranking and climb the results page, you should notice a substantial increase in traffic. Optimize the content on your website, make sure the content you produce is interesting, engaging, useful, and original, and use keywords naturally and subtly. Link your website to your social media accounts. This will encourage more people to visit your main site and your social profiles, and it should improve your SEO.
Satisfying your customers
Customer service is crucial for business success. We live in an age where anything can go viral in a matter of seconds and where reviews and ratings are increasingly influential. If your service is poor, it doesn’t matter how fantastic or ground-breaking the product is. A customer who visits a restaurant may not go back even if the food is exceptional if the service is sub-standard. Go out of your way to please your customers, and use customer service as a means of standing out from the crowd. Personalize the service you provide, take good care of loyal clients, and recognize what your customer wants. Adapt the way you work to suit your ideal buyer, and focus on delivering on the promises you make. If you run a busy coffee shop, providing a fresh brew within a couple of minutes, taking hassle-free, speedy contactless payment, and ensuring that cup comes with a smile will set the right tone. If you’re offering luxurious treatments at an exclusive spa, offering a welcome drink, taking your client’s coat, and asking if there’s anything you can to make them feel at home while they wait will create the right impression. Insist upon high standards of customer service, and make sure your employees have access to training.
When you launch a business, it’s natural to have high expectations and to be optimistic about the years to come. In reality, it can be challenging to fulfill your potential. If you’re not quite where you want to be at the moment, and you’re falling short of your targets, hopefully, this guide will point you in the right direction.
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