Wow Your Customers

By Article Guy On February 8, 2010 Under Entrepreneur

Are you a small business owner who manages your own retail store? Whether your retail store is like a small convenience store or a specialty store, like one that sells collectible figurines or plus size clothing, you will likely have some type of competition. There is a good chance that most of your competition will come from businesses, like full size department stores; ones that are larger in size and have more financial resources at their fingertips. Although it may seem like your competition has the advantage, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are numerous different ways that you go about “wowing,” each and every one of your clients that walks through your door, to the point where they will be a frequent shopper.

When it comes to “wowing,” your customers, the “wowing,” process isn’t actually as hard as you may believe it to be. For example, the first step is to make sure that your store is totally clean and free of debris. If you have shopping carts, you will want to ensure that your customers can push a shopping cart down each of your isles, without hitting into merchandise or boxes on the floor. You will also want to make sure that your store shelves are organized in a nice, professional matter. The last thing that a consumer wants to do is shop at a retail store that leaves them feeling unclean or dirty. You want your customers to walk into your store and say “wow.”

Another way that you can go about “wowing,” your costumers is by just being nice to them. Yep, it really is as simple as it sounds. In today’s society, where everyone is in a rush to get things done, we often forget to be kind and polite to others. The best way to “wow,” your customers is to treat them with kindness. You will want to make sure that all of your employees greet your customers as soon as they walk into the door, ask them if they need any help finding anything, and thank for them for their business after being checked out. Just being kind and compassionate to your customers is a great way to “wow,” them and bring them back for more kindness, especially since that kindness is now missing from many big box retailers.

Another simple way that you can go about “wowing,” your customers, is by offering them free discounts or savings. You may want to think about making coupons that can be handed out to all of your customers, preferably those who end up spending a certain amount of money, like fifty dollars or more. Moneysaving coupons are actually used by many shoppers, but most have to actually go searching for them, as most retailers don’t hand them out free of charge. Giving your customers moneysaving coupons is a great way to give your business a good public perception and it also tends to up your chances of returning customers.

The above mentioned approaches are just a few of the many that you may want to take when looking to “wow,” your customers. In all honesty, what you need to do is look at it from the prospective of a customer. If you were to walk into your store, what would you want it to be like and how would you like to be treated?

Branding in a Troubled Economy

A good business brand is one that can withstand an ailing economy. In today’s times wherein majority of the world is suffering from financial crisis, small- to big-time businesses are feeling the impact of this downturn.

This is when your branding campaign will be put to the test. Indeed, when businesses are competing for what remains of the market, you have to double your efforts at making the brand enable your business to thrive. What is also essential in these times is to never discount the impact of quality and improving value statements. These are important factors that hold promise to deliver more to the clients and keep your business afloat.

Are You Recession-Proof?

Branding seems to lose its vigor during recession. People tend to buy base on logic and needs, rather than impulse or perceptions. Therefore, you have to keep or improve the kind of value, property, and benefits that your product promises its customers. This is something that you must not lose focus on in your branding and marketing efforts, but its significance become more evident during times of recession.

If you want to add more value to your brand to make it better able to withstand the challenges of a suffering economy, here are areas of your branding system that must be given focus on:

. During recession, most businesses would tend to cut back on their marketing efforts and investments. On the contrary, this is the time wherein you have to fortify your marketing efforts.

. Make more aggressive marketing programs to be able to get a bigger share of the market.

. Assert yourself on consumers largely affected by recession by offering better value on your products.

. Your advertising campaign must highlight quality, economic benefits, and real benefits as opposed to appeal to their superficial concerns.

Helping Your Brand Survive The Recession

When recession has hit the customers, buying becomes a less wanted practice. This will largely affect your business’ efforts and this is made worse by the intensity of competition amongst different similar businesses.

Try utilizing the following practices to keep your business thriving:

1.) Never change your brand identity. Doing so will reduce the trust you have built on the customers and will also ruin your reputation. Merely try to reorganize the messages you are trying to convey but make sure that it stays within the context of your basic brand identity.

2.) Use this time to appeal to your customer’s needs by performing a more complete market research. This will create an impression that you are concerned about their needs and are seeking for ways to convey that.

3.) If your business’ products are mostly high-end, do not simply revert to dropping prices. Instead, try improving the value and quality of your products so that customers will have a better quality spending habit.

4.) Be open to potential new customers. In times of recession, people are in the process of re-evaluating their spending habits. This is your opportunity to come into the picture and offer your business as a possible solution.

Ensuring Brand Stability

Customers change their buying patterns during recession, but business owners must continue committed with their branding strategies. However, you do have to make slight and right changes though, such as increased sensitivity to this new buying attitude exhibited by customers. During times of recession, you have to stay committed in helping your customers attain quality service and products that add more value to their money. This is your winning formula.

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