Running your business as a bootstrapped venture can be challenging. You don’t have access to the financial resources of a large corporation, so you need to be smart with every dollar. But challenges don’t mean you need to give up on your business venture. In this article, we’ll cover four great tips for bootstrappers who want their businesses to succeed.
Set SMART goals
Before you can figure out how to reach your business’s goals, you need to know what those goals are. A goal can be anything from “increase revenue by 10% this month” to “find a new customer.” Every goal has its own unique set of benchmarks and metrics. Successful businesses have goals that are clearly defined, realistic, and measurable. Simply having goals doesn’t mean they’re good goals.
Before you set a goal, SMART it.
- A goal should be measurable. What do you want to measure? How will you know when you’ve reached it?
- A goal should be achievable. What will it take to reach it?
- A goal should be relevant to your business. What is it good for?
- A goal should be in line with your business’s purpose. What does it accomplish?
Develop a solid content strategy
A solid content strategy is essential for any business that wants to generate leads and convert those leads into customers. No matter what type of business you’re running, it’s critical to have a strategy in place. Strategies involve planning, organizing, and setting priorities. You can’t just throw together a strategy and hope it works. You have to put thought into it and experiment. Every business is different, so what works well for one business might not work well for another. So, experiment with your strategy to find what works best for your business. Think about your content strategy as the roadmap for your marketing journey. Your strategy should include where you’re heading (content types targeted), what you’re doing along the way (content creation), and who you’re doing it with (partners).
Stay on top of SEO fundamentals
A straightforward but often overlooked SEO tip for bootstrappers is to stay on top of the fundamental SEO fundamentals. These include making sure your website is accessible, using keywords and relevant phrases throughout your website, and making sure your site loads quickly. If your website isn’t accessible, it’s useless. It won’t generate leads, attract customers, or convert any of those leads into sales. The same goes for slow-loading websites. If your website is too fast or too slow, you won’t be able to compete with your competitors. So, stay on top of SEO fundamentals to ensure your website is as SEO-friendly as possible.
Communicate with your customers
Businesses that don’t communicate with their customers are missing an opportunity. How can you expect to have new customers if you’re not talking to the ones you already have? Communication is the key to building relationships with your customers. You can communicate with your customers in many different ways. There are many different communication channels, such as email marketing and social media. Which channels you choose to use will depend on your target audience and your business’s unique needs. Whether you communicate through email marketing or social media, make sure you’re sending emails that are relevant to your customers. Your customers expect you to know what questions to ask and what topics to discuss with them. You can’t create value for your customers if you don’t first understand them.
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback
Bootstrappers can be afraid to ask for feedback. They might be worried about sounding like they’re “asking for a freebie.” In reality, though, you want to ask for feedback respectfully. It’s important to remember that you’re not asking your customers for something for free. You’re asking for their feedback on your products and services, and you want to be as respectful as possible when you ask for feedback. You can ask for feedback in many different ways. You can send out surveys, write blog posts with questions, or leave comments on your customers’ social media posts. Whatever way you choose to ask for feedback, make sure you’re using respectful language.
Bottom line
SEO is a challenging field that requires a lot of time and effort from both the business owner and their team. It’s important to remember that the only way to succeed is to work hard. With perseverance, you can improve your SEO performance.
