There is more to marketing than just selling a product. You need to sell an idea. Who your customer can be if they buy your products. What solution you can offer that no one else can. Marketing needs to hit directly, which means that you need to use your marketing to build a relationship with each and every customer.
One loyal customer is worth it. They will bring in repeat sales. They are the ones that advertise your store to their friends and family. You don’t need to pay to keep targeting ads towards them, and instead can instead use quality customer service to keep them coming back again and again.
With that definition of marketing in mind, try out these top ideas to help you boost sales now and in the long term:
1. Invest in Demographic Research.
It is a good idea to understand the behavior behind a one-time purchase and the behavior of loyal customers. How you get this information will differ in both cases. A loyal customer is likely to complete a quiz either for free or for a small discount. A one-off customer will need to be understood through analytics.
2. Improve Your Message.
With this demographic research in mind you can better target your message. Understanding why people buy from you can help you focus on your strengths and better improve your weaknesses.
3. Be Real with Your Marketing Materials.
People want authenticity. Models that have been airbrushed beyond recognition do not offer this. Try to represent a real version of your brand or product in the most beautiful way possible – it will better convey how your product or service can genuinely benefit their life.
4. Be Fun With Store Marketing.
Store marketing is typically used to entice people inside your store, but nowadays it can do so much more. They can be used as clever billboard signs that advertise your store from the road. They can also be used indoors to entice people throughout your store, rather than just near the checkout. Retail signs can be instrumental to boosting your customers’ mood and bringing in sales to your store.
5. Make Your Website Fun to Spend Time on.
A typical business site has a home page and product pages, but if you really want customers to spend more time online and be more likely to buy then you need to give them a reason to stay. Consider making quizzes, tutorials, how-to guides, and so on, all of which can all do wonders for your brand. You want visitors to return again and again, because each time they return they are more likely to buy.
6. Make Your Product or Packaging ‘Instagramable’.
Unboxings are very popular, and you can encourage them from your customer base by improving the package marketing for your products (both items they buy in-store and items that are shipped to them). A beautiful box and unwrapping experience can instantly improve the experience of buying with you, and many customers will want to repeat that experience again.
Matching your product to the packaging is a great way to help customers see a consistent brand image. Using branded packaging is also a good way for customers to differentiate between products when many brands carry the same product. Try to think about the type of image that you want to portray for your store. Custom packaging will give your customers the feeling of having their own little gift specially packaged for them. This gives the customer a stronger sense of ownership over their purchase.
