Not long ago I wrote an article about The First Five Common Assumptions That Often Hurt Small Businesses. In this article, I am going to discuss another 5 assumptions that small business owners should avoid that can unintentionally hurt their business. Let’s continue.
The Second 5 Assumptions Business Owners Should Avoid:
6th: “I currently have enough work, so I don’t need to do any additional marketing.”
While it’s good for you to have more work than you can handle, there is no guarantee that you will always have this amount of work in the future. What happens if the economy changes or new market trends make it tougher for your business to gain new leads? One good example is brick and mortar book stores like Borders, and Barn & Nobles, who are struggling to compete with Amazon as more consumers read their books on their computers and mobile devices.
Investing in online marketing for your business is a wise move, especially when you are in a position to afford it. Building a good brand name online for any business takes time and hard work; you should not wait until your business sales shrink before beginning your online marketing campaign. If you do, it might be too late. Your competitions may be light-years ahead of you.
7th: “I heard that one of my competitors did not get much of a return on their SEO marketing investment, so I don’t think it will work for my business.”
There are many web design providers who claim they are experts in Internet marketing and SEO, but only a small percentage of those really know what they are doing and have the ability to deliver on their promises. Do not let negative stories prevent you from tapping into new potential online markets with the help of an excellent internet marketing firm. What you should do is look for online marketing firms that guarantee their work for you, with an official contract. These are the ones who are intent on delivering on their promises.
Besides, if an internet marketing campaign was working well for your competitors; do you think they would spread the “right words” to let you know about it? I doubt it. To gain market share and maintain a strong position among your competitors online, you should hire a qualified SEO firm. Remember; only go for SEO companies that are willing to guarantee their work with a contract up front.
8th: “My new customers always come to me through customers’ word-of-mouth, so I don’t think I need social media or website marketing.”
Today, when a person refers one provider to another, the receiver will most likely do a Google or ChatGPT search to learn more about the provider before making the call or stopping in. Today people expect virtually every business to have a website; if that customer searches for you and discovers your business does not have a website, it may hurt your credibility with them.
In addition, if while searching for your business online that person sees your competitor’s website, they may decide to use your competitor before you, despite the referral. In addition you’ll want to consider this question: What if, for some reason, the clients who often send you referrals move far away? How would this impact your stream of referrals? It’s smart to diversify your lead generating channels so you’re not too dependent on any one source.
9th: “My business is seasonal; I don’t think having a year-round website would be worth my investment.”
Many times, consumers search for providers to compare services, prices, etc. before making their purchasing decisions. This process can take days, weeks, or even months. If your business is seasonal, having your business online year-round will allow your potential customers to learn about your business ahead of time. Wouldn’t it be better if your business was booked for the whole season, before it even arrives?
Having your business website up year-round helps to remind your current customers that your business is still around and also lets potential new customers know about your business, so when your season comes (when they need your services/products the most), they already familiar with you. A year-round website will help you more than you may realize.
10th: “I am going to retire soon, so I don’t think I need to invest any more in my business because I am going pass it on to my children.”
If you want your children to have a better chance of succeeding among the competition after inheriting your business, investing in a professional website is likely essential. In the past, it may have been okay to just rely on word-of-mouth from existing customers to generate the sales you need. Today, it’s a whole different ball game. Like I mentioned above, people today search online for providers and compare services before making phone calls or stopping by the store. If your business doesn’t have a website, then to many customers, you simply don’t exist – this is especially true when it comes to younger customers. Establishing a professional website for any business in today’s environment is a must.
Conclusion: We, as small business owners are often so busy with our day-to-day operations that we don’t have the time to review our marketing plans. We tend to put these off until a “future day” when we will have more time, but that day rarely comes unless our sales take a noticeable dip and begin impacting our bottom line. Then we scramble to find solutions to problems that should have been addressed a long time ago. In this article and the previous one, my intention is to remind small business owners of some assumptions (which I see often in my line of work) that might hurt their businesses. I hope you find this information helpful, and I wish you all the best.
