All companies know that the ultimate holy grail of their business operations is their customers. Whatever industry and whatever business model a company has, their revenues are generated from their customers.
The same concept goes for a barbershop, and it’s only reasonable if you’re out there trying to find some practical tips on how to expand your customer base.
Some entrepreneurs might agree that it’s pretty challenging to earn new clients in their barbershop since many men may already have their favourite barbers and are close-minded in trying out new ones. There’s also fierce competition in the industry. However, with some tips and tricks, you can get the upper hand from your competitors. It’s time to apply the following techniques and methods so you can reach out more to your target market:
1. Invest In A Barbershop Software
With almost everyone on mobile nearly 24/7 these days, your clients will appreciate the option to book your barber services online. Booking barber services online and in advance has become very popular. There’s a good chance that this advantage can gain you new customers, especially for busy men who are particular with plotting their weekly schedules in advance.
By allowing your customers to book their own seats, you’ll assure them of your availability and that they can get their services promptly. This also means no long queues for them, which boosts their overall customer experience. Additionally, you’ll get more appointments since they’ll be able to see your availability in real-time. Check out more of the benefits of a dedicated barbershop software for your shop to help you decide if you should invest in it today:
- Convenient Booking Reservation: Almost all the younger generation prefers online booking. With the reliance on technology and gadgets, young adults want to maximize convenience, and the software offers precisely that. In addition to increasing bookings, barbershop appointment software gives you an edge over businesses that only take appointments during regular business hours. While they have customers waiting in the line, getting impatient and annoyed, you’ll have a smoother workflow with no time wasted on both parties.
- Easier To Upsell And Cross-Sell: Good scheduling software can also maximize profits. The software can inform your customers of the comprehensive services you offer, so there are more chances of them availing of more than just a haircut. After all, if they can sit comfortably on a barber chair, they might just add in a good shave or some other service while they’re in your shop.
- Allows You To Maintain Relationships: One creative and unique aspect of this software is the personalized services you can give to your customers. You can gain access to their information like birthdays so you can greet them and offer special birthday promotions and other discounts. Such a connection allows you to build and maintain customer relationships.
2. Utilize Social Media
Historically, if you wanted more customers, you’d create ads in newspapers or get listed on yellow pages. Fast forward to today where everything in the world can be found pretty much online, you can now maximize your marketing and promotional efforts through digital platforms. Nothing beats the exposure that social media platforms offer, as the role of social media in digital marketing ballooned in the past decade.
As far as marketing goods and businesses is concerned, social media has revolutionized almost every aspect of the online world and how people perceive information. Almost everyone is active in at least one platform. People can connect with their favourite brands through it, and brand awareness increases significantly. You can create your company profile, posts picture and offers regularly and communicate with your customers.
3. Launch A Loyalty Program
Another golden strategy to attract customers or retain them is through loyalty programs. Although this strategy involves some investment and efforts, they’re all worth it. And there’s the alternative of foregoing printed loyalty cards and going ultimately digital instead. With a loyalty program on the internet, you no longer have to deal with additional marketing collateral expenses like loyalty cards, stickers, stamps, and so on.
There are many ideas on how to run your loyalty program, but the fundamental way is to provide a digital stamp for every customer visit. Once they reach a couple of visits, your company can then reward them with some discounts, freebies or even free service.
Conclusion
Attracting customers can be challenging and tricky since there are so many tactics available for you to try. But the ones mentioned in this article are sure-fire ways to gain more customers and keep your repeat ones. Also, keep in mind that these strategies will need to take time for your business to experience benefits. The key is to keep lunging forward and stay open-minded to positive changes for your business.
