Sometimes it can be very difficult to pinpoint exactly why your business isn’t growing. Many people find that their business boomed at the start, only to plateau later. Others just can’t seem to grab that initial boom.
There are many reasons for these stalls, and you’d be surprised how many are extremely common no matter which industry you’re in. We talked with Joe Jedlowski, an accomplished CEO who has grown multiple businesses from the ground up.
We asked Joe about the most common mistakes he’s seen businesses make and how to fix those mistakes. Thankfully, he agreed, so let’s see what he had to say!
Poor Website
The first thing Joe Jedlowski pointed to was poor, outdated websites. There are many reasons to invest in your website. It’s the first point of contact for many customers.
They will judge your entire business based on your website. If it looks boring or outdated, they’ll believe that your business is outdated. If it doesn’t work on their device, whether it’s mobile or desktop, they’re just going to leave and take their business elsewhere.
There are so many platforms and services that make creating an excellent website extremely easy, so take advantage of them! If your website has a lot of intricacies, then consider outsourcing to save time and money.
Lack of Target Audience
Another issue that Joe Jedlowski pointed out is one we’ve heard from many other marketing and business experts; trying to sell to everyone. It just does not work nowadays, and it’s completely unnecessary with modern technology.
Thanks to analytics, business owners can figure out exactly who uses their product, how they use it, etc. They can also figure out how people spend their time on websites, which pages they click on, how long they stay, and much more.
Joe Jedlowski says that it is extremely important to take advantage of this technology, figure out who your target audience is, and aggressively target them.
No Branding
Joseph Jedlowski points out there there is a distinction between marketing and branding. Branding is your business’s personality. Is your business casual? Is it extremely formal and professional?
It’s important to establish these things so that you can create the rest of your marketing strategy with them in mind. If your business comes off as very professional and no-nonsense, it will not make sense if you post a meme on social media, for example.
Jedlowski recommends looking at companies like Discord and Wendy’s and watching how they market themselves. Everything from their Twitter account to their products fit with their business personality.
Poor Social Media Presence
Joseph Jedlowski says that it is shocking how many businesses are not using social media. He knows that you can’t be on every single social media platform 24/7, but it’s still important to use the platforms.
He recommends figuring out which platforms your audience uses the most and focusing most of your effort on those platforms. Whether they be Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, or Facebook. You also want to diversity how you use these platforms so that you fit in and don’t come off as a blowhorn advertising your business.
Isolation
Finally, Jedlowski recommends interacting with people in your target audience and the community that you market to. Most of this interaction will come from social media. Retweeting popular influencers in your market, having influencers talk about your product in a video, etc.
For example, if you sell gaming mice, you’ll want to interact with professional gamers and content creators. Maybe make a lighthearted joke about how your mouse can withstand the rage of someone known for their anger.