Like Bees To Flowers: Keeping Up With A Constant Client InfluxNovember 16, 2019A strong client base is like nutrition for a business. Every businessperson dreams for their business to be like a flower among a swarm of bees. But with cut-throat competition prevailing in the industry, most businesses die out before they ever fully blossom. On average, most small American businesses lose around 10 to 15% of their clients every year! This could easily aggregate to a loss of up to half a business’s customer base in 2-3 years. For a budding business, this isn’t enough time to even grow out of infancy! There has to be a solid explanation to account for the considerable number of clients small businesses lose annually. One reason could be that the bees have found other flowers with better nectar than yours. But this is an inevitable consequence of operating in an industry. You cannot hold your counterparts accountable for every loss you sustain. When in a game, you need to play by the rules and make your own strategies to combat other players. Without buyers willing to pay for services, the market will disappear. In order to create a market, there needs to be a confluence of demand for and supply of services. Even though a business might experience a booming influx of customers during the early phase of development, this might reduce to a thin trail of just one or two clients walking in through your salon’s doors after a few months. This shift could be due to a number of things; from the petering out of an aggressive marketing and promotional campaigns after the inauguration, or some shortcomings in the services that are being offered. Here are a few things that will help with restoring consumer confidence and boost sales. Referral Systems This is the single most important feature that can easily bring throngs of customers to your doorstep. It also has a domino effect because every client is more than interested in availing attractive discount deals and rewards for referring your salon to another person and this process keeps going. Companies and businesses worldwide are rewarding their employees for bringing in credible references. The same technique can be applied to beauty salons, where regular customers who display a leaning towards your services can be requested to distribute a few brochures, share your details in social circles, and do word of mouth publicity. Referral systems are great for adding a personal touch to your marketing because potential clients value human interaction more than an impersonal text printed on brochures and flyers. Loyalty Programs Remind yourself of the principals your salon is based on: to serve those who seek your expertise. The purpose should always be to satisfy customers to ensure they keep coming back to you. But what is needed is an incentive to reward them for responding to your services positively. They deserve a token of gratitude that shows them how much you value their support. In order to secure more and more regular customers and turn them into a loyal client base, a loyalty program must be introduced. This would mean granting concessions or complimentary services to clients who have completed a certain length of time with you. Start this program by allotting loyalty cards to clients with their name printed on it. This makes them seem like a personalized and notable gesture on behalf of the salon. Free haircuts, facials, manicures, or pedicures are excellent incentives to motivate loyalty amongst clients. Networking Networking is what powers modern businesses and fuels business activity in the industry. Without a strong and dependable network system, a business is literally worth peanuts. Likewise, with valuable connections, it could reach new heights of success overnight! However networking requires an immense amount of effort and drive. You have to meet people, interact with groups, and befriend new contacts. Wasting physical and mental resources on the wrong people can be an unfortunate loss to the salon. Here are some target groups that you should target for networking: Businesses with a similar customer base People with influential social circles Ventures complementary to your own Groups willing to advertise your services Individuals easily seduced by your services and attracted by incentives A florist, restaurant, or a clothing line could benefit you and benefit from your services. Once target groups see mutual incentives in proceeding with a deal, they will eagerly grab the opportunity to reciprocate your efforts and take business on from there. Higher Ranking On Search Engines A salon with a website not only appears more professional, but also makes delivery of information more convenient. Since a website contains all the relevant information that potential clients might want to go through before opting for your services, it is of utmost importance that your webpage ranking is considerably high to prevent a competitor from stealing potential clients. Google monopolizes 80.5% of the market share among all search engines. Not only that, 33% of online traffic is concentrated on the top-ranked search. These statistics are enough to stress upon the gravity of quality SEO. The driving force behind higher rankings is your content. If you have not begun already, start blogging on your website immediately. This not only shows your clients that you are an active service-provider, but also gives the impression that you are a master of your trade and know what you are doing. Make sure to keep updating your web content with catch phrases and buzzwords that users are attracted to. This improves your ranking on Google. Since 88% of customers trust online data as much as personal recommendations, the importance of a higher ranking on Google is equivalent to that of networking and referral systems. Lure Clients By Offering Easier Alternatives To Calling Make sure your website has a contact form where potential customers can seek assistance without having to call. This saves them the hassle of dialing numbers and you the risk of losing a client due to an inconvenient contact system. Make Them Linger A Little Longer Try to retain the attention of a user visiting your website by advertising complementary services for first-time clients like FREE consultation, FREE nail grooming, or FREE vouchers. This four-letter word works like magic when it comes to luring clients to your business. Make Information A Click Away A simple yet classy interface is what users look for when they are runny a hasty Google search for salons in their area. A jumble of words and excessive pictures can muddle important information that needs to be conveyed. Make sure all your services and relevant details are just a click way and not much navigation is required. Social Media Management Being active on social media helps your salon because it is good for SEO, enhanced networking, and stronger referral base. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Instagram are flooded with pictures, posts, and videos. Learn the ins and outs of each first and then advertise accordingly. For instance, Instagram can be extremely useful in publicizing the interiors of your salon, displaying treatments, and promoting new products or equipment that you may have invested in. Salon Income Booster is an online website offering expert advice on how to retain a strong client base for more profitable salon businesses in the long run. They excel in providing tools for salon income generation and marketing solutions to boost revenues. They also assist businesses with management challenges, and make suggestions on optimizing retail displays, merchandising, and sales. If you want to have a wide base of loyal customers, we are your golden ticket to success!