Three Cost-Effective Ways to Attract New Customers Online

attract new customers

When a business is struggling or has failed completely, it’s often not due to the marketplace not wanting to buy its products or services but because prospects don’t even know they exist at all.

For many businesses, advertising and marketing remain a huge concern.

Here, we look at successful and cost-effective strategies for businesses to market their products and attract new customers.

Offer deals and discounts

People often view deals and discounts as a great way to save money, while enjoying their preferred product or service for much less.

In fact, these deals can often influence customers to buy more than they planned. They’re keen to buy at the moment because those very products may be back at their original price tomorrow. Deals and discounts are also a great way to generate publicity.

There are numerous deal websites, such as Groupon, for example, that promote great deals on a daily basis to attract new customers. The site advertises businesses and their offers in a number of cities throughout the UK and beyond.

Related: 30 Places to Find Prospects & Leads for Your Business

Provide incentives to attract new customers

You may wish to consider offering an incentive to customers who are buying from you for the very first time. There are numerous ways to do this. One would be to offer a small discount. In order for this to be effective, you would need to make it blatantly clear what the customer will receive should they purchase right there and then. Another way would be to offer a bonus with the first purchase.

Online casinos effectively use this strategy. Many of them offer a $500 bonus to new players. The site also offers free spins for customers who continue to play with them, along with a loyalty program.

This site covers every new site listed for casinos in the UK.

Some companies opt to provide free shipping as a way of incentivizing customers. This could lead to them buying more, as they know that it will ultimately cost them more to ship should they decide to make further purchases later on.

Start a contest to attract new customers

Who doesn’t love to win prizes? It isn’t even just about the prize itself but the excitement relating to being lucky. A business can spread the word about the contest through word of mouth, as well as on social media sites such as Facebook. Those taking part will talk about the offer and contest, creating a buzz and free attention for the business.

One company that used this tactic to great effect was Birchbox France. Using the hashtag #contresoireefoot, it asked first-time visitors who weren’t that interested in the World Cup, “What are you doing instead of watching soccer?”. Thousands shared the hashtag in response in a bid to win a €200 shopping spree.

attract new customers with contest

While some methods are not right for every business, it’s a case of trying and testing to find which works best for you. It may be that one offer unleashes a horde of prospects to your website. Or you may find that a combination of two or even all three of these methods will work far more effectively. Each strategy has proven to be effective for many businesses, however, in attracting customers. More customers, of course, results in more sales, which is always good for business.