As a new startup, you are probably brimming with ideas for reaching your target market. Finding customers in your target demographic has never been easier with the popularity of social media. You can release communications free of charge and wait for customers to find you, or you can try something a little more focussed and targeted by paying for your advertising. However you choose to reach them, you need to make sure they are the right customers, and you are not becoming inundated with traffic to your website that never converts.
Marketing is an activity that is ongoing for the life of your business. You want to get traffic to your website, but most importantly, you want that traffic to convert into sales. Once customers have landed on the page you have directed them to, how easy is it for them to buy what they want from you? An effective strategy is needed if you want to sell successfully online. Once you have your customer at the checkout, you need to start collecting their data securely.
Take online security seriously
Online security is hot in the press right now. It seems to be getting easier and easier for fraudulent customers to dupe merchants. It doesn’t seem to matter whether you are an online retailer, or you own a store in a mall. Every small business seems to be vulnerable to fraud. You need to be certain the customer you are transacting with is the genuine card holder. You can use services like knowledge based authentication to help ensure you are not the victim of this kind of fraud.
It Pays to secure your website
Your website must also be secure enough that customer data is locked away tight and not used and abused by hackers. When you set up your website, you must check with your service provider you have the maximum security. This will help genuine customers trust you as a business and help deter those attempting to use details illegally. Without this security in place, you may leave yourself vulnerable and liable for losses.
Once you have completed a transaction, it is a good idea to stay in contact with your customer. If they are happy with their experience as your customer, they are highly likely to come back to you again. Offer them preferential rates as a returning customer, or keep them up to date with special offers and sales news. Make sure they are happy with the product or service they received. They may even leave you positive feedback you can use to encourage new customers to transact with you!
Protect your customers
Looking after your customers is essential if you wish them to return. Keep your promises and fulfill the expectations you create through your advertising and marketing. This is essential if you want to make a sale at all. Big, booming messages as part of your marketing campaign may draw attention, but are they attracting the right kind of customer to your website? Empty click throughs do little to increase your profits. Look after your customers and their data well, and you could be their first choice for future purchases.