Generating new business and building your customer base takes effective planning, strategy & creativity, and is important to your success. Check out these proven ideas on how to help your business prosper:

1. Know your customers
Identify your target market and engage with your customer base:

  • Ask customers for feedback through surveys, reviews, direct communication and use those responses to launch new features, make internal adjustments, etc.
  • Pay attention to the market and your competitors – conduct a market analysis to ensure that you’re aware of any competitive moves.

2. Focus on customer retention
To help limit customer churn – when clients stop using a product/service – it is important to focus on retention:

  • It is less expensive to retain a customer than to acquire a new one.
  • Happy customers are more likely to leave positive reviews, recommend you to friends, and purchase from you again.

3. Extend value from current customers
Explore opportunities to broaden the value of your customers:

  • Add a new product line that compliments previous purchases.
  • Test increasing prices in exchange for additional features, hands-on direction or other additions.

4. Expand your reach
Look beyond your current scope:

  • Explore a new customer base, geographic territory, business model, etc.
  • Do your research, test as much as possible, and expand slowly.

5. Showcase your expertise
Share what you know and present it as an opportunity to learn and grow:

  • Provide resources, host webinars, conduct research studies, run Q&A’s through social media, etc.
  • Follow up and provide valuable insight, and you can turn it into consistent growth.

6. Leverage social media
Social media can help to identify customer trends and insights:

  • Start by opening a business profile and begin to grow a community of customers.
  • Establish a schedule your customers can expect: engage with followers, read comments, answer messages, and build your social brand.

Continue to look for new growth opportunities and be creative. Revisit/update your business plan and forecasts – it can help determine if your initiative is viable.

Source:  bplans.com, reported by Kody Wirth-SEO specialist for Palo Alto Software