This chicken-and-egg analogy is so pertinent right now. Time and time again, we see companies throw wads of cash at radio advertising while neglecting to update their website and branding. Spending large sums of money in an effort to attract new customers, when their first impression of you consists of a cluttered old website with dodgy graphics and poorly written content, is the very definition of throwing money at nothing.
We’ve also lost count of the number of times we’ve delivered an ad campaign for a company, successfully attracting potential clients for them, only to hear that they’ve missed taking that all-important first call, or failed to get back to the customer with the quote they requested. More often than not, this is due to a reluctance to invest in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, and it can be quite frustrating.
Once that first opportunity for engagement is gone, it’s gone forever. No matter what industry we are in, we all have rival businesses waiting in the wings, ready to snap up a potential customer that isn’t feeling the love. It’s vital (prepare yourself for another avian reference here) that we have all our ducks in a row, beginning of course with a quality product.
Know your target market
For your product or service to be successful, it needs to solve a problem. You will have done the work to identify your target audience, and you’ll know their pain points. If you don’t know who your target market is and have simply thrown your net as wide as possible, it’s safe to say you are not spending your advertising dollars wisely. Your target market may well consist of several demographics, and each will have different needs and respond to different methods of communication, e.g. promom@ils vs. advertising on social media.
Ideally, your product will also fill a gap in the market, and it will do it in a way that is better than its competitors. However, the superiority of your product is irrelevant if nobody else knows about it!
Which comes first? The marketing or the mahi?
This is where the symbiotic nature of hard work and an effective marketing strategy comes into play. Like the chicken and the egg, it doesn’t matter which comes first, as each one is as important as the other. A strategic and well-thought-out advertising campaign is vital if you want to gain an edge over your competitors. You’ll need to sit down and define some clearly set goals and timelines in order to get the most bang for your marketing buck.
Remember that people have options. Make sure that option is you.
Impeccable customer service means that your potential clients’ questions are answered almost before they’ve thought to ask them. If they request a quote, you provide one as soon as practically possible – ideally on the same day. If they ring, somebody answers – ideally someone who can help them on the spot.
If you make it hard for people to use your business, they will go elsewhere. It’s as simple as that. CRM software is a game changer for businesses of all sizes, particularly for smaller owner-operators who can’t always get to the phone. We really do recommend investing in CRM if you’re looking for an edge over your competitors.
The final duck in the row for your business success is a crisp, clear, and up-to-date website that even your 98-year-old grandmother could navigate. Modern websites have plenty of white space, numerous Calls to Action, and a ‘less is more’ approach compared to what we might have seen a decade ago. Ideally, your photos will have been taken by a professional, and unless you happen to be an English major, it pays to hire a copywriter if you want your content to be truly readable. It doesn’t matter how high or lowbrow your particular industry is—people notice bad writing, and it really does put them off.
Breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence over the last 24 months have resulted in some extraordinarily innovative advancements in graphic design. Essentially, if you can imagine it, your designer can create it. So, if you’ve been mulling over the idea of a new website, the time is now. Phillippa and the team at Pinnacle&Co, a leading marketing agency in Christchurch, are the gurus of web creation in Canterbury. The cost of a new site is more affordable than you might think. Call us today on 03 3770 350 or email enquire@pinnacle.co.nz and we’ll have your ducks lined up in no time.