How To Get Customers When You Have None: A Guide To Building Momentum

How to Get Customers When You Have Just One: A Guide to Building Momentum

Getting your first customer is exciting, but it’s just the beginning. Growing your customer base requires the right strategy, focus, and effort. Below, we’ll dive into actionable steps to help you go from one customer to many, using online and offline methods effectively.

1. Have a Fast and Attractive Website

Your website is your digital storefront. It’s often the first interaction potential customers have with your business, so making a strong impression is crucial. A fast and appealing website can make or break your conversion rates. Use Google Lighthouse to evaluate your site’s performance. Lighthouse provides scores for various aspects like performance, accessibility, and SEO, and ideally, your score should be above 90 to ensure an optimal experience.

Here are some tips to improve site speed:

• Compress images and reduce their sizes.
• Use browser caching and a content delivery network (CDN).
• Minimise code and leverage clean, lightweight templates.

Attractive design is equally important. A modern, clean, and mobile-responsive design invites visitors to explore more and builds trust in your brand.

2. Clearly Communicate with Persuasive Language

Your website copy should answer the visitor’s question: “Why should I choose you?” Use persuasive and clear language that highlights your unique value proposition and benefits. Instead of focusing on what you do, focus on how your product or service solves the customer's problem. Use strong headlines, concise descriptions, and make sure your messaging is tailored to your target audience's needs.

A few strategies to make your copy more compelling:

• Use customer testimonials and social proof to establish credibility.
• Highlight your unique selling points (USPs).
• Address common objections to overcome purchase hesitations.

3. Have Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

Your visitors should never be left wondering what to do next. Every page on your site should have a clear call-to-action (CTA) that aligns with your goals—whether it's signing up for a newsletter, booking a call, or purchasing a product. Make sure your CTAs are visible, enticing, and create a sense of urgency or value.

Some best practices for CTAs include:

• Use contrasting colors that stand out from the background.
• Write CTA buttons with actionable words like “Get Started Now” or “Book Your Free Consultation.”
• Position CTAs above the fold and throughout the content in natural places.

4. Become a Known Expert in Your Niche

To stand out in your market, position yourself as an expert. Engage with local groups and communities, both online and offline, but remember to focus on providing value, not selling. When you establish yourself as someone knowledgeable and helpful, you'll naturally attract customers.

Here’s how to effectively network:

• Join local business or industry groups.
• Offer to speak at local events or workshops.
• Help others by answering questions or providing insights, and build genuine relationships.

When you assist others without expecting something in return, you build trust and become the go-to expert in your field.

5. Post on Relevant Social Networks

Social media is a powerful tool for engaging with your target audience and building your brand’s personality. Choose the right platforms based on where your audience spends their time. If you cater to consumers, Instagram and TikTok are great for sharing visuals and stories. For businesses, LinkedIn and Facebook are ideal for networking and community building.

Here’s how to make the most of social media:

• Join and actively participate in Facebook and LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your industry.
• Share valuable content, insights, and experiences instead of pushing sales.
• Engage with others' posts to establish connections and be seen as an active, helpful member of the community.

6. Make Your Online Presence Personal

People connect with people, not brands. By adding a personal touch to your online presence, you can humanize your brand and build stronger relationships with your audience. Share your journey, experiences, and the faces behind your business. Use real photos, write in your voice, and show the people behind the brand.

Things you can do to make your presence more personal:

• Share behind-the-scenes content or day-in-the-life stories.
• Feature team member profiles or customer success stories.
• Use video content to speak directly to your audience.

7. Paid Advertising vs. Organic Growth

There are two main approaches to attracting new customers—fast and expensive (paid advertising), and slower but cost-effective (organic growth like SEO and networking). Paid ads, such as Google Ads, can bring immediate results and are great for short-term campaigns or launching a new product. However, the costs can quickly add up.

On the other hand, SEO and organic rankings take time to develop but provide sustainable growth over time. At Revised, we understand that balancing these strategies is key. While you build up your organic presence, running targeted ad campaigns can be a great way to drive initial traffic and test market demand.

8. SEO Services as a Long-Term Strategy

SEO is a long-term investment that pays dividends over time by helping your site rank higher in search results for relevant keywords. While ads stop working when you stop paying, SEO builds a foundation for steady traffic growth. At Revised, our SEO services are designed to help you achieve long-term success by boosting your organic visibility and making sure your site is optimised for search engines.

9. Run Short-Term Ad Campaigns on Google Ads

While you're building your SEO and organic rankings, running short-term ad campaigns is a practical way to generate leads quickly. Google Ads can help you target specific keywords, demographics, and locations to reach the right audience. The key is to start small, test your campaigns, and monitor performance.

Here’s how to get the most out of your ad campaigns:

• Start with a manageable budget and adjust based on results.
• Use targeted keywords that match your audience’s search intent.
• Track conversions and optimise your campaigns based on what works.

10. Start Small and Track Your Ad Performance

You don’t need to spend a fortune to see results from online ads. In fact, it’s best to start with a small budget and track key statistics such as cost per visitor, lead, and customer. Use analytics tools to determine how much you’re spending per conversion and whether your campaigns are profitable before increasing your ad spend.

Key metrics to track include:

• Click-through rate (CTR).
• Cost per click (CPC).
• Conversion rate (percentage of visitors who take action).

11. Learn to Cold Email Effectively

Cold emailing can be a powerful way to reach potential customers if done correctly. The key is to personalise your approach and genuinely understand the recipient’s needs. Instead of sending out bulk messages, take the time to research each prospect, understand their pain points, and offer solutions.

Effective cold emailing strategies include:

• Start with a friendly introduction and find common ground.
• Focus on what value you can provide and how you can help solve their problems.
• Keep your emails concise, and make your CTA clear.

12. Get Familiar with Essential Tools

To market effectively, you’ll need to rely on some essential tools to measure, track, and improve your efforts. Here are some tools you should become familiar with:

• Google Analytics: Track user behavior, traffic sources, and conversions.
• Google Tag Manager: Easily add and manage tracking codes for your website.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems: Keep track of leads, customers, and sales.
• Lead Generation Tools: Tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator or Hunter.io can help you identify and connect with potential leads.

Being comfortable with these tools allows you to measure the success of your marketing efforts and make data-driven decisions to improve performance.

Bringing It All Together

By focusing on the essentials—having a fast, attractive, and clearly communicative website, engaging in social networks, building relationships, leveraging paid advertising for quick wins, and optimising for long-term growth through SEO—you can effectively go from one customer to many. At Revised, we're here to support your SEO journey and help you attract more customers organically.