Can Your Customers Find You?

If You're Not Online, Will Your Business Flat-line?

A recent survey from New Zealand telecommunications giant Spark found around half of Kiwi SME’s have no online presence. No website, no social media, no digital platform customers can use to find you. 

That’s a problem! How can you fix it?

Losing Business

If your business isn’t online, you’re losing customers to those who are.
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The old Yellow Pages slogan told us to “Let your fingers do the walking.” When was the last time you turned to a phone book? Now when you’re looking for products, services, or the answer to your issue, letting your fingers do the walking means typing your search into Google. 

People are looking for businesses like yours all over Christchurch. They want to know if you can help them, where you are, how to contact you and perhaps how much you charge. If your business isn’t online, you’re not even making the shortlist of the businesses that person is going to contact!

Credibility and Trust

Back in the day, shopping was a much more personal activity. You had to visit a store, talk to the shopkeeper, and physically see them as you handed over your money.

Today, people can compare products from multiple stores, pay for their goods, and receive them without ever leaving the house! That takes an element of trust.

In business you may meet a potential customer or client, create a great first impression and promise to follow up with a proposal or quote. You can be sure that in the interim, that person will be searching online to find out more about you. Can they see examples of previous work? Have you had experience in similar circumstances? How established are you? What other products and services do you provide?

Websites and social media posts that showcase your Christchurch business, tell people about your team, and display other projects you have worked on show potential customers you’re credible and trustworthy. They help build confidence in your company, making people who haven’t done business with you before more likely to contact you.

Targeted Marketing

Traditional forms of marketing like radio, newspaper and TV ads are like megaphones. They go out to everyone, whether they are interested in your Christchurch business or not. 

In contrast, social media is like a conversation. It’s a two-way-street that allows you to create a community of people who are already familiar with your brand, have bought from you before, and continue to market to them. 

It’s ten times easier to sell to someone who has used your products or services before than it is to find a new customer. Social media is a cost-effective way to do exactly that.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn also have paid advertising features. You can refine search categories to target people within a particular area. Do you service customers across all of Canterbury, Greater Christchurch, or just one city suburb? It’s much more cost-effective than advertising on radio, TV or the newspaper!
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Target customers by age, gender, interests so you only reach people your business is relevant to. 

How Do I Get Started?

Check out the highlights in this video from TV3’s Story. In it, ARA Institute marketing lecturer Paula Arbouw says “Don’t wait! Because if you wait the technology will have changed even more.” 

ARA Institute Marketing Lecturer Paula Arbouw

The internet is changing every day, as more people move their lives and businesses online. If your customers can’t find you online, will your business flat-line?

Inform PR doesn’t build websites, but we can recommend some great Christchurch businesses who do. Inform PR creates engaging web content that gives your customers the best first impression of your business. Inform PR also creates social media marketing strategies to help you build an online community and engage with your customers. 
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If you’re looking to gain more business, build trust and credibility and target your audience, contact Inform PR.