It’s an undisputed fact that entrepreneurs dealing with plenty of chores have an especially hard time when it comes to advertising their businesses. It is no secret that business owners have to manage many responsibilities, including working with vendors, pleasing customers, creating a positive work environment for employees and keeping track of inventory- all while making sure the business is advancing in the right direction and staying profitable. Additionally, there are various laws that apply to their industries which must be adhered to. When it comes to it, advertising often gets forgotten about by many small business owners, although it is what can draw in new customers.
11 Small Business Marketing Challenges to Avoid in 2023
2022 has been an extraordinary demanding year, and it would be challenging to discover any articles from the corresponding point in 2021 that considered the struggles that small business owners encountered this year. Given some time and knowledge, we can provide you with a glimpse into what lies ahead. Here are 11 small business marketing challenges you should prepare to face in 2023 (in no particular order):
1. Lack of Resources
It is possible to exhaust one’s resources, be it finances, personnel, or the length of day.
Construct a spending plan on the basis of your past accomplishment and aspire for feasible results to meet your objectives in 2021.
Put money into creating an organization atmosphere that brings in the most talented individuals. Take your time in the hiring process to make sure you find the ideal person to fit the needs of your already established, great culture, and don’t be tempted to quickly fill up any open positions.
Be sure to get more out of the time you spend on online marketing by using an all-in-one local marketing platform to bring efficiency to all aspects.
2. Lack of Leads and Pipeline
In order to create steady and consistent earnings, it’s important to have a steady flow of qualified leads. That’s a no brainer. If you’re not adding new contacts and filling your sales funnel, your income will soon diminish. The ideal moment to construct your pipeline is when your pipeline already has a lot of content.
To confront this difficulty: Initiate paid publicity on Google, Bing, Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, and elsewhere that it is sensible to draw in capable leads. Think about implementing a live messaging system and an automated reservation platform to your website in order to help prospective buyers obtain the data they need in a timely manner. Be certain to arrange your prospects and material in the distant future with the intention of being able to plan your postings and launch your advertisements at the appropriate times for your viewers. Making your online presence as far-reaching as possible will ensure customers are able to find you regardless of where they are looking.
3. Lack of Visibility into Activities and Results
Are you aware of the effectiveness of your marketing strategies without keeping track of their progress and looking at the data generated? You need to have a distinct route to follow in order to achieve the goals of your projects and to understand the impact of your actions. Without clear visibility, your results will be lost.
To surmount this obstacle: Search for an instrument that gives an overview of all your efforts in one spot, for either a single channel (e.g. social media) or for marketing overall. Employing spreadsheets to oversee your advertising (or enclosing procedure) will not promote the improvement of your industry. Seek out tools that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to accomplish tasks that are beyond a human’s capacity to handle alone.
4. Building an Online Presence
What exactly is an online presence? Is it having a website? Well, sure, that’s part of it. But, these days, it’s so much more. To begin with, it is necessary to be active on the right social media platforms, create new material, and place advertisements in the most effective spots. If you don’t have a strong presence on the web, you’re missing out on innumerable prospects.
In order to address this issue: Implement a regional marketing plan which covers all the necessary components of an effective online reputation. Search for applications that will assist you in mechanizing the majority of your promotional requirements so that you can make more time available to focus on developing your enterprise.
5. An Increasing Demand for Data Protection and Cybersecurity
“Security equals credibility and trust”
Building consumer confidence is essential to succeeding in the digital realm, thus strong protection of private information and robust cyber protection must be in place for customers to feel comfortable purchasing from your site. The reason why your online store will be unsuccessful is because customers won’t feel safe if the security is not up to standard, so they won’t trust their information to make a purchase.
Securing dependable cyber protection for businesses is still considered to be one of the main e-commerce issues businesses are facing at present. In the worst situation, your business website might become vulnerable to loss of data like emails, contact numbers, and credit card details. Additionally, internet safety is a very significant factor as any one incident of infiltration can put your web business in danger and destroy the results of great effort over a period of time. It is essential to create a robust security system for your online activity, and here are some tips to help you.
- Purchase the right SSL certificate from your hosting company, and make sure it’s always up-to-date.
- Use updated protocols such as HTTPS because they’re essential to rank high on search engines, and they also guarantee that your website is secure and trusted by search engines and users.
- Use a CMS that is renowned for data protection and is very trustworthy. It has to be mentioned that Drupal’s security levels are incomparable and it’s one of the least vulnerable platforms ever, so if you were thinking about choosing a secure CMS, you should check it out!
- Improve your servers and admin panel security. In other words, you need to change your web store default password if it can be easily predicted by AI tools. Instead, use complex passwords, and make sure you update them regularly. You can even use security software that warns you when an unknown IP address attempts to access your web store.
- Use secure payment gateway methods that protect your users’ confidential data and ensure a safe transaction experience.
- Use anti-virus and anti-malware software to prevent hackers from hijacking credit card data from your site because they are very handy at spotting suspicious transactions and activities that can threaten your security.
- – Use e-commerce security plugins to empower your web store security against potential attacks and back up your data to prevent data loss.
By applying these strategies, your business website will be well-protected, however, to insure optimal cover for yourself and potential customers, you must consistently upkeep and enhance it.
6. Differentiating Yourself From the Competition
Competition is intensifying in the e-commerce sector due to the promise it holds for success, leading more retailers to take part. In order to expand your e-commerce, it’s essential to set yourself apart from other businesses, even if it’s difficult to do so. No matter how you feel about it, there are plenty of businesses that provide the same products and services as yours. To increase your customer base and surpass your rivals, you must find a way to be distinguishable from other retailers within your desired consumer demographic.
You can easily gain a foothold in the industry by researching your target market and competitors, and creating an effective plan to achieve it. Take advantage of your competitors’ mistakes and create a distinct and advantageous brand identity that puts you on top. Construct an all-encompassing plan to promote your organization over a variety of platforms like online networking sites, web journals, advertisements, and others. By doing this, you will increase recognition of your brand and make customers more loyal.
You can also figure out which goods and services are in most demand; then make them the principal items your business provides. Ensure that the items are seen on the initial page of your website and conveniently available to guests. Therefore, you should make your e-site user-friendly and improve user experience. Do not attempt to be better than your competitors; just seek to stand out from the rest.
7. The Struggle of Pricing, Shipping, and Order Fulfillment
Determining an appropriate price for the goods and services you offer that will not decrease your profit margin can be difficult in the e-commerce sector. You should formulate pricing tactics appropriate for your target audience, niche, and the assumed worth of your goods. Various pricing systems exist, such as ‘Cost-Based Pricing’ and ‘Market/Competition-Based Pricing’; nevertheless, you ought to opt for the pricing plan that is the most appropriate for your e-commerce venture.
Small companies especially have difficulty managing shipping and meeting orders when it comes to e-commerce. For instance, difficulties can arise when sending items to patrons, such as expenses associated with packaging and transporting the goods. To counteract this, search out a distributor of materials used for packaging and test out distinct delivery services until you come across an economical one. Be sure to use strong packaging materials to make sure products are delivered without being damaged in any way.
A piece of advice: Don’t expect shoppers to pay for delivery charges as the majority of them dislike it and it’s one of the primary reasons for cart abandonment. Incorporate the shipping cost into the product cost and provide free shipping!
As a proprietor of an online business, you are well aware that your achievement is contingent upon whether customers are likely to return to your store for future purchases. The significance of order fulfillment can’t be underestimated, as it has an integral part in keeping customers happy and loyal. To be successful with executing orders, concentration should be on creating an effective inventory control system and prevent stock depletion. Have a sufficient number of items on hand to satisfy the needs of your target audience. This problem can be fixed by using programs to record orders, set up automatic stock control and prevent stock depletion.
8. Increasing Visibility in Local Searches
For small businesses, gaining visibility is difficult; however, having an impact on the local population is essential for being successful. Finding a place in which you belong is both an art and a skill.
To address this obstacle: Utilize specific Google Ads and Google Local Services Ads to be seen as the first option on Google searches for the zip codes you are targeting. Work hard to increase the number of reviews you receive and better tailor your Google My Business listing so Google understands your identity and purpose. It is essential to tailor your webpage using local schema and structured information which is used by Google’s algorithmic system.
9. Managing Workflow
Pay too much attention to every single detail and not using updated systems can really make being a business owner stressful if you’re relying on pieces of paper and outmoded methods.
To tackle this issue: Seek out a device that registers all of your assignments in one area so you can evaluate the advancement you have made on all projects and jobs instantaneously. This allows you to be at ease, assured that no report has been neglected; there has been an answer to each and every review.
10. Dealing With Product Refunds and Returns
Even if you provide excellent goods, you will still sometimes have to address refunds and returns. Many customers take a look at the refunds and returns policies offered by your e-commerce store before making a purchase, which implies there is a high likelihood that they will send back the product if it turns out to be defective or if they simply don’t like it.
When people bring back products, your business incurs an enormous amount of money for shipping as well as damage to its reputation. Nevertheless, having accessible and uncomplicated refund and return guidelines is vital for giving and sustaining high-quality customer service. You should create easy-to-understand policies that don’t complicate your business operations and discourage customers.
Here’s how to do it:
- Write clear and straightforward policies that can be easily followed by customers
- Make sure your return policies are easily found on your site’s homepage
- Set your refund method; meaning how are you going to return money to customers
- Set returns conditions to protect your business and products
- Clarify your return period window, which means you need to have a limited time frame in which buyers can return products
11. Consistent Execution of Marketing Campaigns
Creating a unified brand voice requires uniformity throughout your communication. It may not be as straightforward as it appears, especially when you have your day-to-day activities blocking the way.
Begin by making a plan of action so that you understand what needs to be achieved, and then budget your time carefully to ensure that your marketing remains on track. Always automate tasks whenever possible. Not only will this save you precious time, but it can also help reduce the chance of making mistakes.
Turn These E-Commerce Challenges Into Opportunities:
It is obvious that tackling these online business problems can be difficult and irritating; however, if you look at every difficulty with an optimistic attitude, you will notice that with each barrier you triumph over, your company will expand. By taking part in this endeavor, you will be exposed to methods that can give people an exemplary customer service and experience, while also differentiating yourself from your rivals. So, never lose heart! Look for creative ways to address issues, viewing them as an opportunity for growth and success, allowing you to surpass competitors in the digital age.
