The Most Important Milestone for Small Business Marketing

Heard of Manta? They're one of the largest online communities dedicated to small business marketing. Just recently, they teamed up with computer/tech company Dell to conduct a research study aimed at small business owners. Over 3,000 members of the community were surveyed on their thoughts regarding personal achievement versus financial success. Some interesting thoughts were gathered, but what struck us the most was reading this:

When it comes to small business marketing, nearly four in ten (37 percent) of entrepreneurs say their first repeat customer was the most important milestone for their business.

In other words, more and more small business owners are starting to see that customer retention is critical for their growth! Your goal as an entrepreneur is to attract customers with an amazing product or service. Once they've purchased, however, do you have a strategy in place for keeping those same customers coming back to you? This is where great content comes into play, and helps to separate you from your competition. Your business needs:
1. A website that is visually appealing and easy to navigate.
2. Consistent content in the form of social media and blog posts.
3. Messaging that helps answer your customer's questions and compels them to contact you.
While many elements go into the buying process for a potential customer, your highest chance of success is during that small window of opportunity when they first click to your site. If it's well designed with effective copy, you're likely to earn your customer's trust. According to a Nielsen study on brand messaging, 67% of those polled take action on branded websites if they perceive the site to be trustworthy.
Overall, small business marketing is most effective when you think of each of your customers as relationships. The key to success is to build the sort of long lasting partnership that keeps your customer engaged and thinking of you first when it comes to their needs. This can make the difference between a one-time buyer, and an advocate who refers you to their friends, family, and social networks.
Looking for some tips on what goes into a stellar website? Check out this post, or shoot us an email if you have questions on what we can do to help your small business!