05 Jan A Cheap & Effective Way to Market Your Business
There are so many marketing strategies available and if you’ve been in business for two or more years, chances are you’ve been approached by numerous marketing firms, all promising you an improved online presence with SEM or SEO programs. You may have already placed ads in the local paper and you have considered exhibiting in the next trade show. The local sports team is hoping you’ll sponsor them and then you hear a radio ad from one of your competitors. Now you’re thinking radio may be the route to go but you also need to renew your BBB and chamber of commerce memberships. Your marketing options are endless, and there is no shortage of companies willing to relieve you of your marketing dollars. Some strategies are more effective than others but which ones? Marketing can be overwhelming and you may in the end, dismiss the importance of it and do nothing. BIG MISTAKE!
Concentrate on differentiating yourself from the competition using your word-of-mouth REPUTATION. This will cost you NOTHING to nurture and it’s extremely effective.
It’s not difficult to contact a customer after a job to get an approval rating and feedback details. It can be as simple as a 1-to-5 score card on a 4 question survey covering professionalism, punctuality, cleanliness, quality, and value of the work or service performed. If a questionnaire seems too daunting, simply ask your customer to take a few minutes to rate your work on Home Stars, BBB, Facebook or whatever on-line rating service providers are popular in your region. There are two huge benefits:
First, the feedback in fact can improve your business.
Second, the act of asking for the customer’s opinion means you care about your work.
Those two things alone will help you build a better business and improve your word-of-mouth reputation!
Don’t be afraid to ask your customers to rate your service! If there were problems with your work, immediate action is required to rectify it anyway.