Your Business With James Caan 2017 - 158

MAKE TO MEASURE

Marketing automation software such
as HubSpot and Marketo can be
tailored to send out loyalty offers for
birthdays or special occasions, or
up-sell after a first purchase.
If you're unsure how to further
streamline, ask a friend to assess the
usability of your site and consider
hiring someone to restructure the
checkout process.
Up to 51% of orders fall through
because people don't feel safe entering
card details, so link to a trustworthy
party such as PayPal.
Equally important is formatting
your site to fit mobile browsers and
tablets. Check each device and ensure
that each page loads promptly to
minimise the risk of the consumer
becoming distracted or irritated.

RESPECT YOUR CUSTOMERS

The key to effective use of social media
in your marketing strategy is to
respect your consumers. They're

158

online to socialise, not shop, and your
task is to keep your advertising from
intruding on that experience.
Your first step should be to find a
space to include a social media widget
on your website that is unobtrusive
but visible. An example of effective
placement might be after checkout, so
the customer can share a link on social
media while still basking in the glow of
their purchase. This kind of organic
enthusiasm can permeate social media
in a more personable way.
That isn't to say you shouldn't have
a static presence on social media. A
Facebook page can make a fine
business card when correctly
maintained, and interacting with
inquisitive users communicates that
you care about customer input.
Facebook has made great strides in
tackling nearly-made purchases: if a
visitor to your site adds a product to
their basket but fails to purchase,
Facebook Exchange attaches a cookie
to the user's browser so the item
appears in its right-hand advertising
column the next time they visit
Facebook. With an 89% success rate
compared to regular Facebook ads,
this is retargeting at its most effective.
It also pays to be aware of the
demographic of your target audience
- Pinterest reaches women (85%)

much more than men (15%), while the
bulk of Instagram users are under 35.

PLAN WELL

In order to secure high customer
retention, you have to keep your
customers consistently engaged. If you
provide a niche service, keep an eye
out for copycats stealing your ideas.
Remaining relevant is crucial too,
and may mean continuously creating
unique, informative or entertaining
content, or serving your customer base
with regular discounts. It is advisable
to automate or delegate what you can,
leaving you to build partnerships with
your customers.

CONSIDER PAYING PER CLICK

The principle behind pay-per-click
(PPC) advertising is simple: you write
a text advertisement and if it's clicked
on, you pay the host website. In this
way, you only pay when traffic is
headed towards your site. This form of
advertising can be effective if you're
on a budget, and it allows you to test
which messages resonate with your
target audience and which don't.
Before committing to a PPC
campaign, figure out your conversion
rate from lead to customer, decide the
individual worth of each click and
whether the system will work for you. □

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

coming to you from a blog, contact
the owner and offer an exchange of
services - perhaps a write-up of your
product in exchange for a sample.
New visitors to your site are likely to
stay longer if they trust the person
referring them.
Your Business With James Caan 2017

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