Many businesses go through busy and quiet periods. If your sales have stalled and you’re stuck in a rut, it pays to take action. There are several steps you can take to encourage customers to buy and boost sales figures. In this handy guide, we’ll outline some effective strategies to get your tills ringing again. 
Prioritise loyal customers
Static or declining sales figures often prompt business owners to go all-out to impress new customers and bring new buyers in. There’s nothing wrong with trying to attract new clients, but it’s crucial not to overlook loyal customers. Prioritising existing customers is an effective way to encourage brand loyalty and maximise ROI. Studies show that repeat customers spend an average of 67% more than new clients.
Creative ways to boost sales among loyal customers include setting up a rewards scheme, offering access to exclusive offers and sales and promoting repeat product purchases or subscriptions. Personalised marketing can also help you impress target customers with tailored incentives and offers.
Run promotions
We live in a world where it’s virtually impossible to get through a day without being bombarded by marketing emails, ads and social media posts featuring offers and deals. Today, it’s increasingly common for customers to wait for discounts and sales to buy. Studies show that almost 30% of buyers will only purchase products on promotion.
Running promotions is a great way to generate interest in products and push buyers down the sales funnel. Sales, discount codes, multi-buy offers, vouchers and freebies can all enhance value for buyers and make them feel like they’re getting a fantastic deal. If you’re competing against retailers or other brands that host sales frequently, it’s tough to keep hold of customers and bring new clients in if you offer the same products or services at a higher price. Offering discounts and deals will help you compete or gain a competitive advantage and persuade shoppers to complete the checkout process.
One of the most important things to get right when planning promotional campaigns is choosing the best offers. It’s crucial to think about your ideal customer and what kinds of deals they prefer. You can use market research, online polls and customer feedback to gather information. It’s also beneficial to analyse data linked to previous promotions and track competitor activities. 
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Tailor your marketing strategy to reach target audiences and boost lead quality
Your marketing strategy should focus on targeting your ideal customers and maximising lead quality to boost conversion rates and ROI. Before you draw up a plan, define your target customer and build a detailed buyer profile. Get to know your target audience through market research. The more useful information you can gather, the higher the chances of drawing up and delivering an effective, tailored marketing strategy.
Deciding which marketing techniques and channels to use is a crucial aspect of creating marketing strategies. Some methods may be much more effective for your business than others. It’s wise to make decisions based on your target buyer. Find out how they like to shop, which promotions they respond to, how they find products and services and research businesses and what motivates them to choose certain retailers or brands over others.
In many cases, businesses can benefit from omnichannel marketing. This involves using a carefully selected bundle of marketing channels and methods to increase sales. If you run a clothing store, for example, you can utilise traditional marketing methods, such as print adverts, flyers and posters, alongside local SEO, social media marketing, PPC and email marketing. The goal is to persuade customers to buy through clicking on a link, visiting your store, subscribing to your mailing list, tapping on an interactive social media post or snapping up a special offer. To succeed, it’s critical to choose the right techniques. Focus on methods that are relevant to your target audience and business objectives. 
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Offer freebies, samples and trials
Offering freebies, samples and trials is an excellent way to introduce your brand to new customers, build trust and increase sales. By providing complimentary samples, you allow customers to try before they buy while accessing a freebie. You can offer samples via social media, email sign-ups, in-person events and in-store promotions.
If you’re attending events, it’s particularly beneficial to hand out samples and free promotional items. This will help you draw attention to your stand, booth or stall, build a crowd, and hopefully, encourage customers to spread the word. From trade shows and exhibitions to community festivals and fairs, you can use samples to entice visitors and upsell products.
Enhance your online presence
Shopping online has become more popular. This is great news for companies that sell products and services via websites, virtual marketplaces and apps, but any business can benefit from enhancing their online presence. People don’t just buy online. They use search engines, websites and social media to research products, find local businesses and service providers and find out more about different brands.
Even if customers can’t buy from your business online, investing in SEO, creating a fantastic website, appearing in listings and posting on social media can make a big difference. You can use the Internet to build a following, attract customers, advertise products and point them in the direction of a physical location.
Local SEO is increasingly influential due to the growing popularity of search engines. Google, the most dominant force, now processes over 16 billion searches per day. Almost 90% of users will contact or visit a business or store within 24 hours of doing a local online search on a smartphone.
Share reviews
Research suggests that over 90% of consumers use reviews to make decisions. As a business owner, you can encourage customers to buy by sharing reviews and achieving high scores. Positive feedback has a ripple effect. As well as for driving sales and bringing new customers in, you can also use client reviews to help you improve your service and address pain points. 
Are you stuck in a sales rut? If order numbers have dropped and your income has fallen, it’s important to be proactive in boosting sales and persuading customers to buy. Key steps include prioritising repeat customers, using tailored, targeted marketing strategies and running promotions. It’s also a great idea to share reviews, enhance your online presence and offer freebies, samples and trials.
