Building A Customer Base

Drawing in new customers and sharing your products with a wide audience is often a goal of eCommerce companies. However, one of the best things you can do to have a successful company is to build a solid customer base. Gaining the attention and loyalties of a group can be difficult, but is very achievable with some research and planning.

Identify Your Target Audience:

This is an obvious first step to success. Figure out who needs your product, who wants it, who can afford it, etc. Knowing who is going to be interacting with your company will allow you to create a buyer persona and focus your marketing efforts on pleasing them. When creating your buyer persona, consider things such as age, gender, financial status, goals and challenges, what jobs they hold, and where they live. You might have more than one buyer persona, and that’s OK! Being aware of every type of buyer will ensure your success and their happiness. Glossier sets a great example of a more specific buyer persona. A cult favorite for millennial women, Glossier offers affordable prices, quality products, and a distinct look targeted towards young professional women. A larger company, such as Walmart, as a much wider variety of customers, so they have to expand their marketing efforts to include all of their demographics.

Create Brand Awareness:

You put hard work into creating a logo, color scheme, and overall brand personality, now it is time to get people to recognize you! Creating a physical and emotional impact will encourage your audience to remember you. Keeping consistency through all of your channels will allow customers to recognize you easily. Brand recognition is the first step, which is when customers will know who you are and what you do when they see your logo or product. This moves into brand awareness, which is when customers can recall details about your company without any prompts. For example, most people would be able to recognize the famous Coca-Cola logo or McDonald’s golden arches without having to see the full name.

Take Advantage of User-Generated Content:

You can brag on your company all you want, but hearing how great you are from other customers is a great way to bring in new business. Word of mouth marketing is incredibly valuable- especially in the age of the internet. Many customers are hesitant about trying new products or switching from their current ones, so much so that 90% of customers rely on reviews to see what others are saying about the products they are interested in. Studies show that 81% of online shoppers will research a product before making a purchase. Great ways to utilize this are through social media contests, brand ambassadors, and reviews. Listen to the good and bad that your customers have to say so that you can make improvements to give them exactly what they want in the future. In addition to pleasing your customers, having them leave reviews is a great way to boost your SEO and create higher engagement rates.

Building a customer base can be a challenge, but it is very valuable in setting your brand apart from your competitors. Doing your research and listening to customers will help you get the most out of your time and money. The above tips will help you get started, but don’t be afraid to get creative with reaching your customers!