2020 was, in a nutshell, Pandora’s Box; it introduced a new world order. 2021 is here, and for businesses, a new year is a time to re-strategise, put a goal in focus and start on a clean slate. After juggling with ways to keep your business afloat amidst lockdowns, quarantines, and social distancing, you'd certainly want to significantly grow your business in 2021. Here are 4 practical business growth ideas for this New Year.
By Team Savant
Image: Christiann Koepke
1. Build A More Solid Rapport With Your Customers, Especially With Old Ones
A good and reliable rapport between you and your customer ensures trust and increases sales - which is the fundamental goal of every business. When customers trust your product and services, they automatically recommend you to friends, and those friends pass on the good news. Business growth and customer relationships have a positive correlation; this means that as the business grows, the customer database also grows. But eventually, if care is not taken, it can become more challenging to centralize and streamline your communications with customers.
According to Info entrepreneurs, a company becomes more successful when it masters its customer relationship management process. Integrating CRM tools help maintain and even improve rapport with your customers.
2. Offer Excellent Customer Service
According to a 2017 Microsoft survey conducted, 96% of consumers consider customer service in terms of their loyalty to a particular brand. So, set a standard this year. Right from now ask questions about your products and services, are there any complaints? Do customers need something changed? How do they feel about your current services? Try to remember the little things like their birthdays, and give them discounts to celebrate their loyalty and fidelity. Create an online suggestion box where customers can anonymously rate your employees to help keep them on their toes.
3. Build Brand Awareness
Brand awareness is a consumer's ability to recognise your product or business. Consumers are more susceptible to buy a familiar brand product than an unfamiliar one when confronted with choices. It is not enough to have a normal traditional brand, as a brand without an online presence these days is like a bird without its wings. Today businesses need the two; analog branding and digital branding. Employing the services of a digital branding agency can help you gain a strategic advantage to penetrate the market more easily. Social media has also become an important new tool in brand awareness marketing. You can hire influencers who have a large following to try out your product or use your services for their audience. However, ensure you are monitoring your analytics to see which strategies are working or otherwise so that you do not waste resources.
4. Have a Working From Home Plan
While we are not hoping for the worst, it is only safe to plan if the worst happens and have a plan B that includes a work from home option in your annual plan. Should the government have enough reason to implement another lockdown, you shouldn't have to halt all work activities. You and your employees could learn a few tips and tricks to work from home. This way, you and your team can realise most, if not all, initial annual work goals even under a lockdown.