With the development of the internet and social media, businesses can now greatly expand their reach to customers.

The challenge, however, is retaining these customers. After all, it’s extremely difficult to convince a prospect to become a customer when there are so many competitors out there and when the product or service is seemingly available everywhere.

While it’s true that online marketing isn’t exactly the same as in-person marketing, there are some tactics that can be used to attract and retain customers. Below, we’ll discuss five tips that can help you maximize your ROI (return on investment) when pursuing online marketing strategies:

1. Create detailed, step-by-step guides that help customers solve problems

Customers have a difficult time finding the information they need when solving a problem. For example, if you help a customer with a television issue, but you don’t have an expert in your call center available to take the call, you’re going to lose that customer forever. Creating detailed guides that answer customers’ questions and walk them through the process of resolving their issues is the best way to retain them. Furthermore, if your guides are well-written and easy to follow, you’ll gain credibility with customers and make them more inclined to do business with you.

2. Offer special deals and discounts to current customers

Giving special deals and discounts to existing customers is a great way to show them that you value their business and that you appreciate the opportunity to earn their trust. A lot of businesses don’t do this, but those that do notice a great increase in sales. It doesn’t have to be expensive stuff; a discount for a product they already use is probably the simplest and most effective way to go. The key is to find something that’s relevant to what they’re already doing.

3. Use surveys to learn more about your customers

Giving your customers the opportunity to fill out a short survey about your products or services is a great way to learn more about what they want and need. In the past, businesses would leave their contact details in a request for information form and then wait for customers to call them back. While this is still a common way to gain valuable customer feedback, thanks to the internet and social media, businesses can now get much more detail in their feedback.

With tools like SurveyMonkey, customers can fill out short, customized surveys about your products or services, and you can follow up via email to get more information. This is a fantastic way to learn what users think about your products and to determine what changes you need to make to improve service.

4. Use multiple marketing channels

A lot of businesses think that concentrating on one type of marketing channel is enough. However, trying to reach the largest audience possible and ensuring that your products are known across many channels means that you can increase your sales dramatically. YouTube creators and Instagrammers are often referred to as “influencers,” and the reason is because their audiences tend to be highly engaged with your brand. They may also choose to tell their followers about your product or service, increasing the odds that they’ll become customers. If you want to learn more, check out influencer marketing.

5. Measure the results of your marketing efforts

If you’re new to marketing or don’t have a lot of experience, it’s hard to know exactly what’s working and what isn’t. To really improve your results, you need to set up automated systems to track the metrics that matter. This could be something as simple as setting up Google Analytics and creating customized email campaigns that track the results of your marketing activities. By taking the time to set up these systems now, you’ll be able to track the results of your efforts with much more precision in the future.

The internet and social media have made it possible for businesses to greatly expand their reach. With just a few clicks of the mouse or taps of the keyboard, customers can find what they’re looking for and connect with businesses that provide what they need. In order to retain these customers and make them prefer your business to others, you need to take the time to become an expert in online marketing.