Building momentum for customers to return

A top concern for businesses in the new normal is having enough customers to profitably operate after opening. One-third of small and midsized businesses (SMBs) in a recent Paychex® survey cite “not enough customers” as the No. 1 worry as they open back up. Meeting this challenge requires a combination of traditional marketing blocking and tackling, combined with plenty of innovation. Six in 10 SMBs in the Paychex survey believe the worst is behind them — and most are optimistic about bouncing back.

Use these tips to find the right mix of rebuilding tactics to bring customers back to your company.

Customers are out of the habit of visiting companies in person. As you reopen or offer new options for people to buy from you, it’s essential to frequently connect with prospects and customers. The best way to promote your status depends on your type of business. For instance, a professional services company could run an email campaign and LinkedIn posts highlighting industry insights and recent project successes to remind people they’re up and running. A dentist, on the other hand, might have success posting patient testimonials about how clean and comfortable a recent office visit was on social sites where patients and parents of patients spend a lot of time, such as Facebook.

If your location has visibility thanks to local foot traffic, take advantage of things like banners, window posters, and A-frame signs to catch the attention of people passing by and create buzz. Car decals, vehicle wraps, and magnets can also help spread the word when you’re out and about.

It’s also a great time to use your professional expertise to raise your profile. Social media posts containing useful tips related to your area of specialty can remind people of the value of your business. It takes a lot of messages to rise above the noise, so don't be afraid to promote yourself frequently. For example, 73% of email marketers send emails at least once a week.

Update your online profile to be sure you’re showing up when people search. For example, make sure your listing in business directories includes your new hours, updated offerings, and details about safety protocols. Also, consider whether search terms might need to be modified to attract business — for example, words like “clean” and “safety” are top of mind right now. According to Google, 83% of shoppers who visited a store in early 2019 say they searched online before they went — and you need to reach them.

Many businesses will need to evolve their business model or “pivot” to find enough customers. Stories abound of distilleries using their machinery to make hand sanitizer and bakeries creating at-home bread-baking kits to keep sales happening. If you’re still looking for ways to pivot your business, consider:

• Your assets: Reviewing the expertise, machinery, supplies, relationships, or other resources you have can help you see new ways to use your assets. Marketing agencies and law firms with expert resources can focus on providing planning support while companies are waiting for daily life to pick up pace. A retail florist with delivery vehicles can begin picking up flowers from farms and acting as a distributor to keep vehicles and drivers busy.
• Your digital opportunities: Many businesses have searched for a way to shift to online. To generate ideas for what you might offer, focus on the essence of what people buy from you. Is it entertainment, education, support for their busy lives, or a pleasant respite from daily stresses? Next, consider how else you can deliver that experience. For example, an educational services company specializing in exam prep could offer tutoring via video calls, or a high-end food store can ship kits with wine and cheese to customers who sign up for a virtual pairing class. Ideas can come from those who understand your business, so connect with others in your industry to see what creative ideas they may have. Also, ask suppliers what they’ve seen, since they have a vested interest in your success.

To maximize the likelihood of people shopping with you again, it’s essential to promote your commitment to keeping them safe. For customers to feel confident about visiting your company or receiving shipments, they’ll need to know what specific steps you’re taking to keep everyone healthy.

For example, a healthcare provider could create and post videos about cleaning and safety protocols, where to wait for appointments, and contactless handling of health insurance cards and payment. These steps encourage visits and make things run more smoothly when patients do return. A restaurant could promote that it’s going above and beyond local, state, and federal requirements by detailing all the steps it’s taking, including contactless payments, virtual menus, and outdoor dining.

These changes are emerging as an important way to keep pace with the competition. A recent survey of trends in Asia — one of the places where the pandemic first took hold — finds that contactless transactions grew twice as fast as non-contactless transactions in grocery and drug stores. Seventy-four percent of consumers say they’ll continue to use this type of payment after the pandemic.

While many of these changes are necessary just to attract customers, some can also help increase customer spending. University of Illinois research shows that transaction frequency increases by more than 23% when people buy with mobile wallets versus cash or cards. They also spend 2.4% more per transaction. Talk to your bank to learn more about contactless payments.

A safety brand should be promoted online, in store, and on social media. Consider a frequently asked question (FAQ) format to give customers a quick and easy way to get the information they need to feel comfortable doing business with you.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommendations for keeping staff safe. If you’re complying with or exceeding these steps, sharing this information can pay off in two ways. One, the protocols you use to keep employees safe can reassure people that it’s safe to visit your company. If you’re taking temperatures, staggering work hours, social distancing in the workspace, handing out Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), or taking other steps, detail this on your website or at your physical location. Second, this safety reassurance shows you care about keeping staff safe. People want to do business with responsible organizations that treat their employees right. A recent survey finds nine out of 10 of consumers say that how well a company treats employees — in good times and bad — is important to them.

Check out all the ways Citizens is supporting local businesses and our communities during the pandemic.