Nailing the first impression online

5/20/2011

For many small business owners, online marketing can be intimidating at first glance as there are a huge number of different communication channels that can be leveraged - for example, there is email, social media, search and a variety of other tools that can be used in different ways to promote a product or service.

However, as the American Express OPEN Forum suggests, the underlying basics are still the same. As the old adage goes, the key is to make a great first impression, regardless of which marketing strategy is used. Whether consumers first hear of a company through a Facebook Page or by clicking on a paid search ad that links to a home page, entrepreneurs should always be striving to be at top form.

Three ways to make the best first impression

The best way companies can leave a favorable impression on prospective customers is to know precisely who their audience is and serve them explicitly. By catering to people who are the most likely to make a purchase, businesses are able to weed out bad customers and focus their efforts on appeasing the ones who will actually spend money. This saves time for both shoppers and the company itself.

"Profitable customer relationships are those that are established over time when business owners engage their regular customers on a more personal level. The more the business owner knows about a customer, the more tailored the experience will be," notes the source. "And the more that a customer feels connected to a business and appreciated, the more likely he [or she] is to favor that business."

Another key step to leaving a mark on customers is to be valuable rather than promotional. Due to the number of promotional messages consumers get every day through every channel imaginable, they have become proficient at separating valuable information from commercial copy.

"Focus on writing copy that’s informative and is based on your customers’ interests and needs as opposed to pushing a hard sell or using industry jargon. To do this, think like a customer or a potential customer that plugged a few words into a search engine to find you," explains the American Express OPEN Forum.

Consumers rely a lot on their friends and family for advice and recommendations. Therefore, having a good relationship with existing customers is one of the best ways to influence new shoppers. If someone is visiting a website for the first time but has already heard good things about the company, then it's likely the first impression has already been formed for them.

This is why it's critical that companies pay particular attention to social review sites - they can greatly impact how new customers perceive a brand.

"Why not gently ask one of these steady customers if [they] wouldn't mind writing an online review or posting a comment on your company website, your Facebook Page, Yelp or another online destination?" asks the source. "Of course, a customer's desire to champion your business needs to come with no strings or incentives attached. If you have established good rapport with your customers, then they won't mind sharing their experiences with others."

Hiring the right people to handle marketing

Of course, not all business owners are well versed in the area of online marketing. To help minimize risk and maximize effect, entrepreneurs should consider leveraging commercial loans to either bring an expert in-house or pass off their marketing campaigns to a third-party contractor. This will help owners focus on managing their businesses while specialists handle marketing initiatives.