More Sales with Four Simple & Cost-Effective Ways
My first brick-and-mortar nearly went south because I went in with a mindset that if I just opened the doors customers would just magically hear about my business and flock in. Boy, was I dead wrong. If I only knew what I know now, the road to breaking even would’ve been a smoother ride instead of taking out loans and begging for resources to keep the my ship afloat.
If you are planning to start your first brick-and-mortar and bootstrapping like I was, here are a few quick, free/cheap, and effective solutions for drawing attention to your business:
Google Business
Having a Google Business profile is a must for all businesses. With more than 5.6 billion searches daily, Google is a powerful and effective tool for a business to reach thousands of potential customers. Having a lackluster or improperly set up business profile will definitely cost your business potential sales.
Setting up your Business Profile is simple:
- Create a new Gmail account and select “To manage my business” when prompted or click here
- Follow the steps to create your Gmail account
- When your account has been successfully created, Google will prompt you to create your business profile
- Properly fill out your operational hours, description, type of service etc.
Yelp
Every business owner should have control over the access and maintenance of their Yelp Business Page. Consistently maintaining great reviews and communication with customers on the Yelp Business platform is critical for building rapport and checking on critical operational feedback. I know… you’re probably saying to yourself that Yelp reviews are sometimes fake and yes, you’ll be right to say so. However, with any other platform, there will always be a few bad eggs here and there.
With control, you as the business owner can ensure that your Yelp page is always in its prime. With sexy pictures, up-to-date postings, special business hours, you can be sure that According to online research, 45% of customers check Yelp for potential businesses to visit. If your business has poor ratings and sloppy 100 pixel pictures, rest assured not many customers would be paying your store a visit.
Prior to getting started, have your business contact number ready.
Getting started:
- Head over to Yelp Business
- Click on “Manage Listings” and follow the steps to creating your Yelp business profile
Social Media
Depending on your target market, having Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and SnapChat are always a great plus in this day and age. These platforms allow you to interact with customers, showcase your newest and latest products, record short and exciting clips to entice the world about your business.
Website & SEO
Having a website is a great and cost-effective way to add more coverage to your online presence. With it, your business is able to promote what other third-party platforms may have missed out. You have the chance to go more in-depth about the who, what, and why’s of your business.