Over the last year, many businesses have had to quickly adjust to an unrecognisable marketplace. It has become clearer than ever that in order to succeed, it’s essential to adapt to customer behaviour and provide the kind of experience they expect.
You have the know-how, the experience and the equipment, but have you considered your customer-focused approach in this ever-changing world?
Get ready for the next stage with this guide to bolstering your business.
1. EVALUATE YOUR SUCCESSES
It’s tempting to jump on every emerging trend as it appears, but do they actually work for your market? You probably have a good idea of the products that your customers are interested in but don’t just assume – collect the data and compare the results.
What does success mean to you? A new product might not sell lots of units or generate a lot of income on its own, but it might be innovative enough to attract new customers who later buy other products from you. Remember to consider the whole picture when deciding what works and what doesn’t.
2. LEVERAGE YOUR CUSTOMERS
A promotional message from a business isn’t as convincing as it used to be. People are more aware of the nature of marketing and they’re more likely to view promotional material with a certain degree of cynicism.
This is why customer feedback is more important than ever. A five-star review from a real person is much more powerful than any clever marketing slogan you can think of and what’s more, it costs nothing at all!
3. IMPROVE YOUR VISIBILITY
Your business can’t succeed if your customers can’t find you. In today’s digital world, you need to ensure that you appear wherever your customers are looking for your services.
Invest some time in your website, learn about SEO (search engine optimisation) and make sure you are speaking the same language as your target audience. Improve your presence on social media and introduce your customers to the people behind your business. These capabilities take time and effort to perfect, but the payoff is well worth it.
4. TEST YOUR EXPERIENCE
Would you buy something from your business? It’s easy to assume that your customer journey ‘just works’, but points of friction appear in unexpected places. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and test the journey out with a critical eye.
How many clicks does it take to make a purchase from your website? Is your phone number obvious enough? Are the important CTAs (calls to action) like shopping carts and quote requests clearly identifiable? No matter how refined your customer journey is, there is always room for improvement!
5. LOOK FOR INSPIRATION
Why work harder when you can work smarter? Your competitors are targeting the same customers you are, so take time to regularly investigate their activities and products.
Have they identified a customer need that you hadn’t noticed? Do they talk about services you already provide but hadn’t thought to mention? Also, look at other businesses outside of your industry. You might discover a whole new product line that you’re perfectly capable of producing.
6. INVEST IN NEW CAPABILITIES
The best way to stand out in a competitive market is to do something different and offer something unique. This could be anything from an innovative new product to a time-saving new service that can make your customer journey flow a little more smoothly.
For example, you could invest in a UV printer and add gloss effects to the stickers and labels you already produce. You could also introduce an online web-shop and give your customers a convenient way to order products. Or you could even source more renewable materials and differentiate your business as ‘the green choice’ – which is good for your profits and for the planet!
CONCLUSION
The world is changing every day and so are your customers’ tastes and demands. The best thing you can do for your business is to consider the kind of experience and service that your customers expect and delight them by exceeding that expectation.
You need to have a reliable set-up to make sure you can deliver a flawless service and build a better business. By investing in top-quality equipment from Roland DG you can leave your device to get on with what it does best whilst you can get on with running the rest of your business.
If you are inspired to offer your customers a new service, talk to us and we’ll help you find the ideal solution to make your dreams a reality.
