Help Customers Appreciate the Good Things You Do

Posted: 03/16/17

By Richard Rutigliano, PriMedia Inc.

Many local companies are locked in vigorous, competitive struggles for market share, and they need to leverage every advantage available to them. Every buyer — whether buying for themselves or their business — makes individual choices about who to buy from based on their personal priorities. Some buyers value the product price above all else, while others are balancing multiple considerations that might include price, location, convenience, quality, reputation, service and more.

Every local company should use smart, creative messaging to communicate their value proposition. Let’s take a look at five strategies that local companies can use to satisfy buyers and grow their market share.

1. Publish a convenient, attractive website. Presenting your business elegantly online is always a great strategy. Whoever you are targeting, you can publish a great looking website with a responsive design that makes it easy for customers to do business with you on any device. Use an attractive, professional design and smart, succinct copy that crystallizes your value proposition. Build in important convenience features like account lookup, online ordering and payment, and management of options for payment and billing. Make it easy for customers to notice those conveniences, and provide easy access to customer reviews.
   
   
2. Promote Your Preferred Payment Mechanisms. To speed cash flow and minimize receivables, work proactively to shift customer payment choices by promoting automated payments by credit card and ACH. Increasing the rate of credit card payments means paying more credit card fees, but it can also accelerate cash flow in very helpful ways. Each company should identify its own priorities and support them accordingly. The best way to accelerate cash flow is to offer incentives for auto-payment.
   
   
3. Welcome All Payment Options. Millennials are fond of alternative payment options, such as digital wallets. It makes sense to set up your website to work with payment apps such as Venmo (part of PayPal) and Google Wallet. Once you are set up to take those options, market your payment flexibility on your website and in your ads so that customers who prefer alternative payment options can see that you are their kind of company.
   
   
4. Develop creative service bundles. A funny thing about marketing is that everyone says they don’t want companies marketing to them, and yet everyone responds to smart marketing. Companies should always be exploring ways to package products and services that will make sense to buyers.
   
   
5. Talk About Your Community. Use your social media feeds, your e-mails and other customer communications to talk about the community and remind customers what a good neighbor you are. Many companies are strong supporters of their communities, and there are a lot of customers who prefer to choose companies that give back.

Your business provides important products and/or services, and companies that perform well and care for their communities can garner affection and loyalty. Cast your company in the positive light it deserves, and you’ll see the results on your bottom line.

Great companies deserve great marketing. Please give me a call at 800-796-3342 or email me at rrutigliano@primediany.com to find out how PriMedia can help you attract more customers.