Would you ever guess that this building is a great source of party supplies?
No?
Neither did anyone else, so the company is going out of business.
A nondescript, brick office suite with small windows and a sign that's barely visible from the road does not scream "Come inside and get your fun!"
The company didn't clearly communicate its value. Maybe they thought that, simply by opening a store, customers would come. It rarely works that way.
As a marketer, a big part of your job is making it easy for people to find you and then buy from you. If potential customers can't see what you do as they drive by, you're losing business. If they can't find your website with a Google search of your product category, you're losing business. If you don't consistently remind even long-time customers about all the ways you can serve them, you're losing business.
One of our best clients is Mountain View Tire, a 30-store chain in southern California. And you guessed it, they sell tires. But 63% of their revenue comes from automotive service. So, with our encouragement, they recently adjusted the public name of their company to Mountain View Tire and Auto Service.
Earth shattering?
Not exactly. But soon, their signs, website, radio spots, On Hold Marketing, and all of their other visual and audible touchpoints will deliver even more value, letting people know - maybe for the first time -that Mountain View provides automotive service, as well as tires.
Consumers are too busy to guess about what you do. And they have plenty of other choices if you're too hard to find. Make it as easy as possible for potential customers to choose you.
