if yours is like any other small (possibly one-person) sign shop, then you’re always on the lookout for new customers. And not only that, once you have them, you have to figure out how to make them want to keep coming back.
Angelyn Cubacub of Roland DGA recently posted an article on starting up a small print shop. One of the topics she addressed was finding and keeping new customers. She offered her five preferred ways to find new customers which I’ll list below but I first want to caution you that one person’s preferred way of doing things may not suit everyone. For instance, networking events are often suggested as a way to meet potential new customers but an introvert who hates that kind of thing shouldn’t feel that they’re somehow handicapped but not attending them. There are other ways and other places to find new customers—ways and places that suit your personality and comfort zone better. Remember that business should be fun in addition to being profitable.
Here are five suggested ways to find new customers:
- Word of mouth .
- Business to business
- Social media marketing
- Online, i.e., an e-commerce website one or more platforms such as Etsy and Amazon.
- Getting on he map, i.e., Yelp or Google maps.
Here are a few suggested ways to keep customers coming back:
- Provide a great customer experience every time.
- Operate in a professional manner all the time.
- Stay in touch with your customers via email, phone, mail etc.
With some thought you’ll be able to add to these lists or substitute items that feel more comfortable for you. However, you must have a plan because you can’t sit on your haunches and expect customers to come looking for you; you have to find them.