Getting more from Existing Customers and Clients
Becoming an authority on any subject or within an industry offers huge benefits at every level of your business. Why would you want your customers or clients going elsewhere? Just as importantly, why wouldn’t you want them to recommend your services?
Sometimes though, even your most loyal affiliates won’t quite know how best to recommend your services; therefore they may need a little cajoling. This can be achieved in a number of ways and can result in a wide range of benefits.
Newsletters
If you are in a changeable industry or you are constantly updating your offers, make sure you provide a newsletter. This can be a weekly, fortnightly or monthly email reminder to all you visitors to keep them coming back for more. You can also incentivise them to share it with friends through promotions and competitions.
Social media
If you have a Twitter profile or Facebook fan page, make sure they’re accessible from your site (and cross promoted in all other literature, including newsletters). This is the perfect platform for quick updates and to point your customers to the latest offers and blog posts.
As a result of this promotion you can seriously increase your visits, as well as the general targeting. It can also help to increase brand awareness, deliver an improved ROI on existing marketing campaigns and develop essential back links.
Promotions and Discounts
To incentivise your visitors, you need to give them something to work with. Why should I use your services or buy a particular item when I can get it elsewhere? Well how about providing vouchers and money off promotions for regular visitors or those who sign up for your newsletter? It might be low level bribery, but it can be hugely beneficial in building and strengthening your core customer base.
As already mentioned, an increase in interaction and the regularity with which people visit your site or social media profiles has a number of benefits. Although extremely indirect, SEO can be one area that benefits. Whilst you’re reaping the rewards of online buzz and increased sales or conversions, your site is far more likely to be hit with more links from blogs and other interested parties.
For instance, if you create a fantastic promotion that is highly original, it won’t be worth a thing if nobody hears about it. However, if you’ve built up a following on Twitter, have developed an engaging newsletter and generally created a buzz, then people will automatically blog about it, retweet it and generally share the news. This can only be good for your business and search engine visibility.
