If you’re a business owner, then you’ll be doing plenty of things that you believe will help to bring customers on board. However, it’s also possible that you’re doing some things that push customers away, too. In many cases, it’s equally important to think about what you’re not doing just as much as it is to think about what you are doing. Many businesses inadvertently end up losing customers because of entirely preventable actions.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at some of the overlooked touches that you’ll want to address. They might just have a big impact on your bottom line!
Failing to Change Storefront
Your storefront (whether digital or real) may have looked great once upon a time. But if things begin to look and feel a little dated, then it can’t be all too surprising if your customers begin to lose interest. For one thing, your storefront is a reflection of your business, and one that looks past its sell-by date will not impress newcomers. Second, if your store never gets a refresh, then people may just walk past because there’s nothing to catch their attention — this only applies to real-world stores, however.
Complicated Payment Options
If you’ve gone through all the hard work of getting a customer on the hook, then the last thing you’ll want is to lose them because of payment issues. If a customer wants to give you their money, then let them! It’s best to offer as many options as possible. Small business credit card processing is much more simple than many business owners realize. Just by accepting cards, you’ll help to attract the interest of people who no longer carry cash. If you have an online business, then offer a variety of options, including credit cards, Paypal, and bank transfers for more expensive items.
Only Targeting New Customers
Most companies spend the majority of their marketing budget on attracting new customers. But this isn’t necessarily the right move. It’s much cheaper — and often more effective — to target your existing customers. After all, you already know that they have an interest in your business since they’ve bought from you before. What’s to say they won’t buy again? A business’s long-term success is built on repeat customers, not new customers.
Non-Existent Onboarding
You may be the most important person in your business. But if you have employees, then you won’t be the only important person. It’s really important to ensure that your employees have the knowledge and product understanding to help customers. You might have the best products or services in the world, but if you have under-informed staff, then you could find that you’re losing out on some customers. The best way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to have an onboarding process for new employees. This will help to bring your employees quickly up to speed. In the process, they’ll be able to offer a higher level of customer service, which will certainly help to get more sales and retain customers.
