Sophie had been running her bespoke clothing business for a few years, serving customers all over the UK. With an annual turnover of £1.8 million, her business was thriving, but lately, things had slowed down. She couldn’t quite figure out why new customers weren’t finding her business, despite all her efforts in digital marketing. She was doing what she thought was necessary—posting on social media, sending out emails, and updating her website—but it wasn’t leading to the customer growth she expected.
After some reflection, Sophie realised that she had been making some common digital marketing mistakes that were quietly holding her back. These mistakes are easy to make, and they can significantly impact customer growth. Here are five mistakes she uncovered and what you can do to avoid them.
1. Not Having a Clear Customer Journey on Your Website
One of the biggest digital marketing mistakes Sophie made was assuming that her website was “good enough.” It looked professional, but it didn’t guide visitors on what to do next. Potential customers would browse her beautiful clothing designs but weren’t sure how to proceed from there.
After reviewing her website, Sophie realised she hadn’t made it easy for visitors to contact her or make a purchase. There were no clear calls to action, and her contact information was buried at the bottom of the page.
Sophie made a simple change by adding clear, clickable buttons on every page that said things like “Get a Free Consultation” and “Shop Now.” These guided her visitors to take the next step, whether that was getting in touch with her or making a purchase.
For small business owners, it’s crucial to guide your potential customers on what to do next. A well-designed website with clear calls to action can make all the difference when it comes to customer growth.
2. Focusing Too Much on Social Media
Sophie was pouring her energy into social media, posting multiple times a day and hoping to attract new customers. But after months of this effort, the results were minimal. She had a decent number of followers, but very few were converting into paying customers.
Sophie learned that relying too heavily on social media is a common mistake. While it’s a useful tool for building brand awareness, it’s not always the best for direct customer conversion. She shifted her focus to other digital marketing strategies, such as email marketing and optimising her website for search engines, which had a far greater impact on her customer growth.
Social media can be great for visibility, but it shouldn’t be your only tool. Diversify your digital marketing efforts to reach your audience more effectively.
3. Neglecting the Power of Email Marketing
Sophie had collected hundreds of customer email addresses over the years but had never used them for anything more than sending order confirmations. She didn’t realise how powerful email marketing could be for nurturing relationships with past customers and encouraging repeat business.
She decided to launch a monthly newsletter, offering fashion tips, exclusive discounts, and sneak peeks of new collections. Within weeks, she saw an increase in customer engagement, with many customers returning to her site to make a purchase after receiving her emails.
Email marketing is one of the most effective tools for customer growth. It allows you to stay in touch with your existing customers, keep them engaged, and bring them back to your business.
4. Ignoring SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
When Sophie first built her website, she didn’t pay much attention to SEO. She thought it was too technical and complex for her to handle, so she ignored it. However, as her business grew, she realised that her website wasn’t ranking well on Google, and potential customers weren’t finding her.
After a bit of research, Sophie made a few simple changes to her website, such as adding relevant keywords to her product descriptions and blog posts. She also improved her site’s loading speed and made sure it was mobile-friendly. These small changes led to a big increase in traffic, as her website started appearing in search results when people looked for bespoke clothing in the UK.
SEO doesn’t have to be complicated. Even small changes can help your website rank higher on search engines, making it easier for potential customers to find your business.
5. Not Tracking Marketing Results
Sophie had been running various digital marketing campaigns for a while, but she wasn’t tracking her results. She didn’t know which efforts were actually bringing in new customers or driving sales. As a result, she was spending time and money on strategies that weren’t effective.
After implementing tracking tools like Google Analytics and email marketing software, Sophie was able to see exactly where her customers were coming from and which marketing efforts were working best. This allowed her to focus her time and resources on the strategies that actually grew her customer base.
For small business owners, it’s crucial to track the effectiveness of your digital marketing efforts. Knowing what works—and what doesn’t—will help you optimise your marketing strategies for better customer growth.
Take the Next Step in Growing Your Business
Sophie’s experience highlights how easily small businesses can fall into common digital marketing traps. By making small adjustments—like improving your website’s user experience, diversifying your marketing channels, and paying attention to SEO—you can avoid these mistakes and drive real customer growth.
If you’re ready to take the next step in growing your small business, Mark A Preston, Customer Growth Coach & Speaker, can help. Mark specialises in helping businesses create simple, effective strategies for sustainable customer growth. Whether you’re looking to attract new customers or retain existing ones, Mark can guide you through the process.
Contact Mark A Preston today to learn how to grow your customer base and take your business to the next level.
