Congratulations on starting your own business! Most people dream of owning a business, but very few people will take the necessary steps to do so. Starting up your LLC puts you in a great position to make your dreams a reality. So where do you go from here? Attracting new clients should be at the top of your list. Let's go over how to gain clients using some key strategies.
Attracting New Clients with a Website
According to Statista, 72.2% of online users in the United States access the internet for shopping and other customer-related services. Taking into consideration that 85% of all Americans have access to the internet, it is safe to say that over 300 million Americans are surfing the web daily. That’s a lot of people and it can add up when considering how online shopping has expanded since the coronavirus started in March 2020.
Factoring the above information would lead to a clear conclusion: one of the first steps you should take as a small business owner is to build a website. Having a presence online will help customers looking for your type of service or product find you. Creating a website for your business will allow you to have your own online store and will provide potential shoppers with product information and customer support. Other benefits of having a website include:
- It will help promote your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- It’s cost-effective and there are a number of online tools that can help support the creation of a professional website, including Wix, WordPress and Squarespace.
- You will be able to showcase and promote specific products or services as you see fit.
- You can offer flash sales and discounts and even promote specific products through an email marketing and advertising campaign.
- You will have the ability to update the site with new information and connect with your customers through blogs and product reviews.
- You can create targeted, valuable content that will show up in online search results, provided you have a strong SEO strategy. This will position you as an expert in your industry and draw in new clients.
Make sure you create an inviting website that is easy to navigate. If you are a product-based business, take high-quality photos and post them on your website and social media platforms to create appealing visuals of what you have to offer. Using a website builder for small businesses will make the process easy.
You’ll also want to engage with your customers. Look at your competitors on social media and start interacting with their followers. Talk about services and brands and give out helpful information. This will stir their curiosity and hopefully drive them over to your page. If they have a way to directly message an individual on the platform, consider introducing yourself and explain that you noticed they were engaging with a certain brand on the platform and you wanted to reach out and introduce yourself and explain your business. Tell them you would love an opportunity to earn their business and see what you get back as a response.
Networking to Gain New Customers
The Chamber of Commerce in your city is a great place to start with networking. Many cities also have other small business groups. These organizations are a great way to get together with other businesses and could ultimately help you grow through their contacts or even be a customer/client themselves. At such an event, make sure you have plenty of business cards on you as that will be your way of networking with so many people at once. Again, your business website will be crucial to provide a way for others to connect with you and learn more about your company.
Although going to in-person events may still be difficult during a pandemic, you can also connect online through professional networking sites like LinkedIn or other industry groups that use online forums. Many of these groups communicate online via Zoom, GoToMeeting and other video conferencing tools. In addition to hosting virtual events, they may also organize other meeting events and conferences. Attending networking events, whether virtually or in person, will help you make new connections that will support your business and bring in new clients.
Marketing and Advertising to Get New Clients
In the past decade, there has been a significant shift in spending from traditional to digital marketing and advertising. If you have some funds available to invest in marketing and advertising, it can be a great way to get many eyeballs on your business immediately. Facebook and other social media platforms also allow you to promote or boost posts. For instance, if you have a post that showcases one of your products, you can boost that post and get it in front of more people than you would with only using the followers on your platform.
If you go the route of social media ads, such as Facebook ads, try to specifically target your audience. You don’t want to blast out an ad that will go in front of people who have zero interest in your business. Choose your demographics carefully and be sure to analyze all the data you get from your campaigns so you know how successful they were. If the ad performed well, consider doing it again or fine-tuning a little. If the ad performed poorly, then you need to go back to the drawing board and fine-tune your demographics and who you want to see your ads.
The advertising/marketing game on social media can have you pulling your hair out if you aren’t sure what you’re doing. Rather than throwing money into campaigns, consider hiring someone who is a professional in that area and work with them to create a campaign for your business. Once you get good at running ads and campaigns, you might be able to take back your advertising and do it yourself. However, working with a marketing group within your financial parameters can be a smart way to do marketing right.
Attracting New Clients and Expanding Your Business
Finding clients doesn’t have to be difficult. Don’t be afraid to go out there and network and prospect on your own, whether online or in person.
If you need help growing and managing your LLC, Incfile can help make sure you’re heading in the right direction. We can manage company changes, compliance, IRS filings, accounting needs and many other key pieces of your business. Take advantage of our experience and allow us to help take your business to the next level.
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Peter Mavrikis
Peter Mavrikis is an author and editor with over 25 years of experience in publishing. He has worked as the Editorial Director for Barron’s Educational Series, as well as Kaplan Test Prep, where he ran the test prep, foreign language, and study guide divisions. Peter has also written several books on history, exploration, science, and technology.
