Statistics suggest that the vast majority of all Australian businesses are small businesses. They are prominent contributors to the country’s economy, and if you are an Australian small business owner, you are in luck. There has never been a better time to be a small business owner in the country, and you can give your business a big boost by tweaking various elements.
In this post, you will learn how you can make some subtle changes to your small business to improve its profitability. So, if your small business in Australia is still not making much headway in terms of profits and customer retention, read on.
- Delegate tasks
Small businesses often have to work around tight budgets. This often leads to situations where business owners are unwilling to delegate tasks and take every responsibility on their shoulders. However, the fact is that there’s only so much you can do on your own.
The worst part about trying to manage everything is that you will eventually burn out. So, start delegating tasks and hire people if you need to. This may require more money in the short run, but in the long run, you will be boosting your business’s chances of success.
- Invest in branding
If you are competing in a market with bigger brands, you have to make your business stand out. The best way for doing this for small businesses is to invest in branding. For instance, a memorable logo can help your audience remember you ahead of your competitors.
You should also focus on establishing a specific brand identity. Think of your business’ brand identity as its human manifestation. Ideally, brand identity should align with the general personality of your target audience.
- Make your business smartphone-friendly
Small businesses in Australia tend to shy away from developing their own mobile apps. However, if you want to remain competitive in today’s digital era, you simply can’t afford to shy away anymore.
Reach out to an application development agency near you. These days, it doesn’t cost a lot of money for businesses to get their very own smartphone apps. You should also consider cheap business insurance for giving your business financial coverage. Find out more here.
- Leverage social media
There was a time when businesses had to spend fortunes on marketing their products and services. However, those times are long gone, primarily due to the immense popularity of social media platforms.
So, if your small business is still not very active on social media, it’s about time you started posting. Needless to say, platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram should be your priorities.
- Ask customers to do their share
One of the best things about business going digital is that your customers can promote your business as well. Of course, your business should focus on perfecting its products and/or services for that to happen.
If customers are satisfied with what they get from your business, encourage them to leave online reviews. If the majority of your business’ online reviews are positive, there’s no doubt that prospective customers will feel motivated to purchase from you.
- Provide incentives to customers and employees
For small businesses, word-of-mouth marketing is still quite relevant in making a solid impression on target audiences. Make the most of this by asking your employees and customers to engage in word-of-mouth marketing.
Don’t expect them to do it for free. Instead, give them incentives. For instance, if an existing customer brings a new customer to your business, provide an attractive discount to the former.
- Take advantage of Google Ads and Facebook Ads
Google Ads and Facebook Ads are two of the most prominent platforms right now for creating targeted ad campaigns. Through these platforms, you can decide your ad spend along with the people you want to target.
So, what are you waiting for? Explore these two platforms and expand your business’s digital footprint.
- Stay connected through newsletters
Email newsletters continue to be heavily used by businesses both big and small. These newsletters can keep your customers (both old and existing) in the loop regarding your latest business developments.
The best part is that email marketing is one of the cheapest forms of digital marketing. If you do it well, it can go a long way toward helping you retain customers and keep them engaged.
- Optimize your online content using SEO best practices
Your business’ online content may be compelling. However, compelling alone is not enough nowadays. The content also has to be search engine friendly.
This is where search engine optimization (SEO) can play a beneficial role. Through the implementation of SEO best practices, your website and social media profiles will become more visible.
- Be dynamic
Last but not least, it’s important to remain dynamic. After all, it’s a changing world. Your audience’s preferences are likely to keep changing as the days pass.
In such a scenario, if your business becomes stagnant, it’s going to get left behind. So, keep yourself updated regarding the latest trends in your industry and see how you can make your business align with them.