A new business can have an excellent plan, useful products or services, a strong network, dedicated employees, and adequate capital to help run operations, but if there are not enough customers for its products and services, then all of that would be to no avail. That is why continuous business development is necessary for an enterprise, but more so at the time of inception.
In today’s digital world, business development would necessarily need to incorporate elements of digital marketing because the internet is where most people spend their time. In the USA, more than 70% of small businesses have their own websites. Let us look at five simple ways in which a small business can be successful in business development using the internet.
Build a website
As mentioned above, most prospective customers search online for products or services. If they are unable to find what they are looking for on the internet, it is unlikely that they will take the trouble of going to the physical store and find out. The potential customer would just find a competitor’s details and move on. A website is almost mandatory for today’s businesses. There are several web hosting services and content management systems that help business owners to create sites.
Those who lack the basic web design and development skills can get the job done by professionals. The experts in the field are technically adept, and some may even have Business Development Training to serve your needs adequately. A business website should be clean and crisp, instead of being overloaded with details, and it should have all details of the different products and services, and how and where to get them. For websites that have the feature of online purchase, an SSL certification is mandatory so that the visitors to the site can be assured of the security of their data and personal details.
Have a presence on social media
Almost everyone today has at least one social media account on one of the many popular social media channels. Having a robust social media presence not only establishes your brand, but it also helps people to know you better. For optimum business development, you must invest in social media promotions. Depending on the profile of your company and the types of products or services you offer, you can choose to focus on some particular social media channels instead of trying them all. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are usually suitable for any variety of businesses out there.
Use email marketing
It is another useful aspect of digital marketing because each one of us accesses emails sometime or the other during the day. Some people are continually logged in to their emails through their mobiles, some stay logged in throughout the day at their work computers or laptops, while others check their emails once at the end of the day after returning home. So, a well-directed email campaign is sure to reveal the interest of the target recipient provided the content is crafted well.
Be responsive
Digital Marketing with the use of a website, email marketing or social media profiles can only be successful in generating new business if you are responsive to customer queries and complaints. In fact, social media can be excellent for not only to handle dissatisfied customers but also to build great conversations with happy customers and leverage them to gain traction for the brands. For that to work, your responses should be immediate. You should respond to every email, call, tweet or Facebook post promptly even if a solution is not immediately available.
Keep things fresh
In the pre-digital era, it was enough to have one print advertisement and then continue to use it for months or even years. However, today people have a low attention span, and if your content does not provide instant gratification or if it is not engaging enough, the visitors will move on. That is why you need to keep bringing in new and fresh content on all the platforms including the websites or social media profiles, and even in the emails.
The way to generate leads for a new business is not an easy path, and the above five methods are not the complete solution. In fact, these are just the start. As a business owner in the 21st century, you would need to incorporate several other things like search engine optimization, engaging blogs, link building, social media contests, influencer marketing, affiliate marketing and so many other. All of these should come together for generating new business and keeping existing customers happy.
Author Bio: Rebecca Chandler had been a marketing manager for a decade before making a move to digital marketing, and since then has become a respected voice in this field. She also provides Business Development Training to corporate personalities and small business owners.
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