Sage proffers solutions to top-five challenges before SMEs

ITREALMS:

The Sage Group has proffered some solutions for top-five challenges confronting small business and entrepreneurs on the continent, reports ITRealms.

According to ITRealms reports, Sage Advisors listed some of the challenges to include “collecting customer emails; Admin management; Finding the marketing avenue that works best for my business; Finding and winning clients who pay a premium; and Keeping up to date on best practices and new technology.

In response, the Sage Advisors said that first challenge is on collecting customers emails, that entrepreneurs could grow their database of customers or potential customers by providing great way to keep their business on front of mind.

Quality, they told ITRealms, is key, which paves the way through well-crafted e-Newsletters.

“Practice these simple tips and you’ll be able to build a list of highly engaged, and welcoming, customers,” official said.

They also divided the businesses into offline and online by offering solutions to suit each.

For brick and mortar entrepreneurs, Sage Advisor, said, it is “likely you have a sign-up sheet already sitting on the counter, so customers can opt-in when they pay for their items. Instead, catch your browsers at an earlier stage of their decision-making process. They’ll be looking around your store, so position your email sign-up sheets around the aisles. A catchy headline works a treat, and you can choose to include an incentive for their email, which will both encourage them to sign-up, and also to buy that item they have in their hands,“ suggesting a phrase “Join our mailing list for 10 per cent off your purchase today.”

For the online inclined entrepreneurs, Sage Advisor said they could optimise their website with an embed newsletter sign-up box on the homepage, or as a pop-up.

“However, online business specialist Ramsay of Blog Tyrant suggests you move your email collection invite to your ‘About’ page. He saw a huge increase in his sign-up rate when he moved his, it seems, according to Ramsay, that people want to subscribe to you while they are reading about your business."

On social media, they enjoined that “If social media is part of your marketing strategy, make sure you post a call-to-action and link to your online sign-up form, pin it so it always features at the top of your profile, and doesn’t get lost in daily posts.”

Noting that Facebook have created a specific advert format called Lead Ads which allows users to collect email addresses. Read up on what works well, and invest a small test budget to trial some contests. You can include an incentive for customer emails, such as a free quote, or a discount code.

Entrepreneurs, they advised should make out time to do admin jobs, saying time is better spent whilst making money.

For keeping up with new technologies, Sage Advisors pointed out that in one corner there's Artificial Intelligence (AI), on the other hand, there's personalisation, coupled with need to keep a tab on new social media platform popping up every few weeks.

Nonye Dom/GEE

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