A small business is supposed to support and promote local businesses. That being said, it’s hard for small businesses to get head to head with big companies. They’ve got more staff and more resources. That means, it is more possible for them to have fresh, unique ideas for marketing. Especially during the holiday season, all businesses try to do something different and offer more than others. In that case, big shots take the lead. But, it doesn’t mean you have to resort to little and old fashioned campaigns. Make use of your loyal customers and join forces with other small businesses.
First of all, ensure that your web site is fully functioned and no errors will be made. You need to completely examine the site from a customer’s perspective. That’s how you can get a proper understanding of what needs to be changed or improved. As a small business, you would not be able to afford a high-quality service and customer experience. But you can optimise the site based on what actually your customers expect from you and how you can provide them. Whether the promotional banners are being displayed right, whether you have provided contact information and enough content. If these things are okay, you are off to a good start.
No matter how easy it is to shop online, it cannot beat in-store shopping. Many people find it more reliable and credible. So, try to extend open hours on weekends during the holiday season. Busy shoppers will definitely come to your store. Encourage them to register for your customer loyalty program, offer them incentives in return for following you or sharing their experience on social media. That way, you can get help from your customers to make aware of your business and you have the social proof.
Prioritise the customer service
For any business, customers take the upper hand. You can call it customer advocacy. If your customers spread bad things about your store, it will hurt your image and only your competitors will benefit from it. So, give priority to your customers and always think about how to improve your customer service.
Make sure your staff fully understand the importance of customers and treat them accordingly. You need to respond to customers’ emails and try to solve their problems. Being available whenever your customers need your assistance is one of your responsibilities. You can establish an automated chat system to answer frequent questions.
Offering incentives
You can offer incentives, hold a raffle event during the holiday season. It will be like killing two birds with one stone. In simple words, you can make your customers happy and you can collect information from customers and visitors. That information can be used to find look-alike audiences.
Don’t try to level with big companies
Big companies have steady funding and it will not be a problem for them to lower the prices during holidays. But it will be different for you. No need to change prices. Your ideal market is different. The purpose of your business is to support local businesses.
Join forces with other small businesses
You can provide freebies and vice versa if you collaborate with others. You can offer a discount if someone buys from both you and your partner. Shop at their stores and share on social media. They will do the same for you. This will help not only your business but all local small businesses.
Collaborating with an influential person can be helpful to promote your store. Getting online communities to help promote and participate in forums and discussions related to your products and services will gain you attention from people who have the same interests as you. Taking part of local charities will be a good approach to make aware of your brand and build credibility and reputation.
Addition to utilizing your social media, making your online store mobile friendly and updating your advertising also important for a small business. Create a specific hashtag for your store and tell your customers to use it to share their experience with you. Unlike big companies, small businesses have a little customer base but the possibility of them being lifelong customers is high.
Don’t try to level with big companies
Big companies have steady funding and it will not be a problem for them to lower the prices during holidays. But it will be different for you. No need to change prices. Your ideal market is different. The purpose of your business is to support local businesses.
Join forces with other small businesses
You can provide freebies and vice versa if you collaborate with others. You can offer a discount if someone buys from both you and your partner. Shop at their stores and share on social media. They will do the same for you. This will help not only your business but all local small businesses.
Collaborating with an influential person can be helpful to promote your store. Getting online communities to help promote and participate in forums and discussions related to your products and services will gain you attention from people who have the same interests as you. Taking part of local charities will be a good approach to make aware of your brand and build credibility and reputation.
Addition to utilizing your social media, making your online store mobile friendly and updating your advertising also important for a small business. Create a specific hashtag for your store and tell your customers to use it to share their experience with you. Unlike big companies, small businesses have a little customer base but the possibility of them being lifelong customers is high.
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