Economic Crisis: How to Succeed in Difficult Times

Recent economic scares have placed fear into the minds of all business owners, big and small. It’s important during these times to think positively and put your best foot forward.

The key element to keeping your business alive is focusing on marketing strategies and thinking in the most positive light. We’re all going through the same thing. No one is alone. If you want to punch up business during these times, create ways to focus even more on what your target market wants. This economic crisis could be a good way for you to lend more focus to your marketing strategies and further delve into the minds of your target market.

This is a great time to obtain feedback from customers and get personal. Customer feedback can help you to create marketing campaigns with a streamlined focus, sure to capture any client in your target market.

The best way to get customer feedback is through customer surveys. Provide a link on your website to take a survey or email the survey to frequent customers. Customers may not have the time to take your survey, so find a way to make it worth their time. Provide them with an incentive, such as 20% off their next purchase, a free product / service or a free consultation.

Here are some steps in creating customer surveys . . .

· Write a brief introduction to the survey, explaining to customers how their responses will help drive future company actions.

· Notify customers taking the survey of your company ethics. Some questions may be personal and customers like to know they can trust you with information they’re providing.

· Focus your survey to a specific goal. For example, if you want to know what views consumers think about your service, tailor your survey to ask questions based around that central idea.

· Create questions that are clear, easy to answer, and get to the point. Limit the amount of questions you ask customers. They don’t want to sit at a computer for 30 minutes answering questions.

Once you receive surveys from customers, identify patterns and similar responses. This should give you a greater idea of what your clients are looking for and allow you to provide it to them. You’ll see your sales go up and your business succeed in these times of economic struggle.

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