Essential Tips For A Business Owner Entering 2022

Your Store Experience is Key

First off, we want to shout out all you small business owners who’ve stayed open through these tough times of COVID-19 in 2021. We know there aren’t many words to describe how difficult things may have gotten. This includes online stores, too; we haven’t left you out! In both cases, it’s essential to ensure your customers fully benefit from your store.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll continue to say it, the ideal experience for your customers will always be convenience. They will always look at what is efficient and smooth. Customers want more personalized services, with the pandemic directly affecting how people shop and spend their money. For example, addressing your clients/customers by their first name through emails or on social media with DM’s, having personalized ads or sales for loyal customers, to name a few.

As most shopping is now online, ensuring your website is personalized for them will make a difference. A staggering 15% of all retail sales are attributed to online shopping as we end the year. The new year brings three options: it drops, goes up, or stays the same. Check out the strategies below; they will help you grow your sales in 2022!

Share development ideas with customers and key business partners

One of the best ways your customers can feel a part of you & your business is by letting them in on some essential things you’re looking to pursue. Send an email to your most loyal customers and say you have something special just for them. Then jump on social media so they can feel included & have their opinions highlighted. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and let’s face it; your business is your baby!

Use the environment around you

Become more interactive with your customers by playing on what’s around you. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of the seasons and changes in the world.

And, of course, your customer service should be top-tier this coming year. We’ll get into it further below, but you want your customers to give nothing but positive experiences with your CSR’s. They should be solving their issues and keeping them educated on your business.

Keep Customers At Your Highest Priority

Don’t forget about customer service reps. Behind every great business owner are amazing CSR’s. If you haven’t already, take a look at “Holiday eCommerce Trends That You Need To Know in 2021”, where we give some ways you can optimize your customer service.

Of course, your customers should always be first above all for your business. Without them, your business isn’t much, if we’re being honest. As we gear up for the new year, it’s essential to focus on the trends and common remarks your customers make on your websites & or social media. Take heed to what they say often and then do something about it.

For example, if your customers have been complaining about your website loading time being too slow all year, don’t go into the new year with this same issue. Take some time and resolve as many problems as you can to ensure your customer’s experience with your business is smooth at best.

These last days of the year, roll out a poll, ask your customers to honestly tell you what they love about your business and the things they could do without. Some feedback might be hard to take, but remember, those that answer you are the customers you should nurture.

Not sure if your website has kept your customers at the forefront? No problem, connect with Bookmark.com today, and we’ll make sure you ring in the new year with a transformed website!

Focus on Building The Right Team

Every couple of months, you should have something in place to look at your team’s performance. It’s imperative just as you set up ways to change your website and game plan that you do the same with your team and every department connected to your business. For the new year, here are a couple of creative strategies & tips you can implement into your business:

Talk about the culture you want to build

Every morning or before starting the shifts, take time to speak positively of your business and what you envision for it through the members. It’ll become second nature for your teams to perform in it by talking about this every day. Get them excited about being part of the team and the environment.

Give them tasks right away

Let them see from the very beginning that they will always play a role in your business. Start from the very first day you bring them on. Get them engaged right from the beginning.

Challenge them

Help your employees to push themselves. Set up realistic goals with them and ensure you or some senior members follow up with them. This shows you care about their growth. Though you’re running a business, it should also be a place where individuals can come and create a growing community! 

Remember, there is no “I” in team, no matter how big or small. Consider the words you use daily. Try your best to use ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ when talking about your business this new year. If not, it shows that you’re only using them for your own benefits. It’s a common startup mistake to associate yourself with your business because it was your idea. Still, if you want your employees to feel part of a team, you’ll need to include them in all ways you can and intentionally how you speak about it. Lastly, remember they are there for a reason, don’t be afraid to lean on your team and learn from them!

Set attainable goals

Believe it or not, many business owners forget to do this and rush to make a sale or run to do a half-thought-out launch that crashes in their face. This new year is coming, don’t be that business owner. 

The saying, “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” couldn’t be more of a lie. Every year, your business should be seeing a positive difference. One of the most common issues with small businesses is that they get left behind and only realize it when it is too late. So don’t be afraid to change any parts that need to be changed.

This year, decide to use this tip:

Plan the new year in the current year; many future-forward people believe that you should already be in the year to come about six months into one year. In short, we’re saying, plan ahead of time, ahead of time.

As January approaches, look back at what you were doing this past January and see what worked and what didn’t. Try a tracking hack as well! Every year you should have folders for the month, and if those folders, you should have a list of sales, what worked and what your customers didn’t like. Nothing too complicated, but just something you can go back to and reflect or compare.

Don’t neglect your social media presence 

Social media is your best bet to make it happen if you’re looking to grow your business in 2022. Statistics show that at least 52% of the brands discovered every day occur on social media. This is important for a couple of reasons; you could be among those businesses or not…

Social media has taken the world for the ride of its life, and it’s imperative that you join it now rather than later. Try the below tips with social media for this new year:

• Have more IGTV/Facebook Livestreams
• Make sure you’ve integrated your online store with your social media for quick access to your products
• Set up more ways your customers can reach you through social media
• Consider setting up Live Chat support on your website 

Remember, social media is there for you also to have fun! Jump on the latest trend and implement your business in a way you’re educating your audience and participating/showing them you’re a part of their community!

Create quality content that’s personalized

2022 Will be an excellent year for any business paying attention to its customers. A fantastic tip we can give you would be giving your customers your time in unique ways & showing them who you are as a business owner.

There’s a 73% rate of personal stories being more impacted to an audience versus a marketing post or email. Why is that? Your customers love your business-yes, but they will also want to know that they can relate to you. You’re human and face similar if not exact problems as they do. This new year, find ways to be more relatable to your audience by sharing moments with them, being on camera-showing your face. 

It’s also vital that you keep your marketing content top-tier. Use the below tips:

Make sure any title, headings or subheadings are compelling

They should provide a little information about the content, and it’s better if they contain instructional phrases such as “why you should,” “you need to know,” etc.

Make sure the content represents your brand’s voice

You always want to ensure your brand is being portrayed through all your content and provides essential knowledge to readers. And make sure you have CTA’s that will convert into sales!

For more tips on quality content, check out our blogs on business tips and how to make sure your websites are hitting your targeted audience, and you’d need them to!

In conclusion…

We hope that your business had the best year it could have had, and we are glad to have been by your side all year to support you with our advice, tips, strategies and more. We are proud to be in the position where we can help small business owners and startup founders achieve the success that they deserve. Make sure you go into the new year with a business that reflects your customers in the best way possible. Building your teams, setting realistic goals, and utilizing your social media presence is essential!

At Bookmark, we have everything you need to get on top of every single issue we covered with our blogs this year. From creating a beautiful website and online store, efficiently implementing SEO, marketing campaigns, boosting conversions, and more. Taking the stress off your shoulders is what we do. Check us next week for more tips as we end off this year!