Do You Seriously Think, Your Website Can Generate Business For You? Part 3

Janmashtami – Ganesh Festival – Navratri – Dusshera and culminating with the biggest of them all – DIWALI.

The manufacturing push in our country is unprecedented … consumers are driving the market big time.

8.2% GDP numbers, released recently, are a testimony to this consumer driven economy.

eCommerce is poised to shatter all previous records this season according to various business forums and research agencies.

What does all this mean for your business?

Is your business equipped to take advantage of this online economy?

This economy has something for every business – small pr big, manufacturer or service, individuals or institution – everyone can stand to benefit.

Businesses with the right vision, right direction and right application will win big-time.

e.g. if you are a retail manufacturer – do you have stores of etail giants? (Flipkart, Amazon, etc)

OR

If you are service provider – establish investment patterns of industries and individual customers in this season to position yourself online

OR

If you are an entrepreneur in general, there are a ton of online opportunities waiting for you this season.

We present 5 important tips for all online businesses this festival season

Note: You’d need to apply these tips to your business as you deem fit.

Tip 1: Digitally Connect With Your Existing Customer Base

Research shows that the most neglected community for businesses, is their own customers!

Shocking as it may sound, the fact is – we tend to ignore existing customers assuming they don’t need attention in this period.

Quite the contrary – they are your low hanging fruit.

You can approach them with your ideas/new products/services and get talking to them.

You will have a patient hearing unlike a new customer where you need to breakthrough a series of presentations.

Connect with them

a. PERSONALLY – phones and meetings are ideal

b. EMAIL – personalize emails for them or you can have group emailers to this select community. Make sure you are topical. This is one group of recipients who will open your emails.

c. SOCIAL MEDIA – depending on business – use this media smartly to build reach and connects.

d. SUBSCRIBERS – create subscribers by having offerings for the season. Give them reasons to sign-up and stay hooked onto your ideas.

Tip 2: Research Your Customer’s Purchase Pattern

Based on historic data and careful research with help of your business/sales teams, this information can help .

Build marketing and promotion campaigns based on these inputs – offline and online

Tip 3: Build Visibility In Your Niche With Paid Marketing

Take advantage of the huge reach of online media – search, social and mobile.

Create campaigns to reach out to potential customers across the web

Make sure you track and review your various online properties – some may work great, others may not.

Establish patterns and focus effort on winning ones.

Invest wisely but don’t cut corners. These investments will pay in the long run

Tip 4: Co-Branding, Cross-Selling And Influencers

Find partners with complementary products/services and create joint campaigns to increase your reach further

e.g. If you are an architectural consultant, tie up with manufacturers of architectural equipment and accessories.

That way you can promote complete solutions to customers instead of piece-meal ones.

Customers prefer one-stop solutions these days and this will help to increase your base immensely.

Influencers is another way. Tie up with consultants or people who have networks to reach out to your desired customer community.

Use their value to build yours.

Tip 5: Provide Lasting Value Addition, Not Price Discounts

Festival seasons are associated with discounts and rebate offerings on pricing.

Although, its a great sale tool – as a business your true growth will happen through your values – quality of product, benefits to customer over the long term, customer experience and service support.

Show your customers value in your proposition – innovation, technology, ease of use and problem solving ability.

Plug that with interesting pricing offerings to not just close sales but build long term customer associations.

So, how would you get your festival campaigns going?

Do write to us with your ideas, thoughts and experiences.

We would love to talk to you.

Thanks and Regards