10 Ways to Increase Sales for Your Small Business and Make Big Dreams Come True

Whether you are a craftsperson selling your handmade goods, an expert promoting your course, or a tech solopreneur, there comes a time when you start wondering how to increase sales for your small business. 

With no budgets for flashy marketing campaigns, 91% of small businesses rely primarily on referrals and word-of-mouth for new customers. It's not a bad thing per se. People who come through those channels are more likely to trust you – and, therefore, make a purchase. But it also means that you have to pay special attention to your existing customers who will come back to you themselves and bring a friend. How to do it? Let's find out together! 

How to Boost Sales in a Small Business by Coddling Existing Customers: 10 Ways

There are different ways to increase sales in a small business. Providing good services or selling high-quality products is a baseline. But that’s often not enough to impress discerning customers and make them actively recommend you. So, how do you make a happy customer into a brand ambassador?

#1. Know Your Customers

If you've done your homework before starting a business, you've probably researched and segmented your audience during the discovery phase. From time to time, you should update your knowledge and make sure your efforts are aligned with your target audience.

Knowing your audience will help you in various ways:

• First of all, it allows for personalization. A McKinsey report shows that businesses that nail down personalization generate 40% more revenue than their competitors. 78% of people are more likely to make a repeat purchase from a company that personalizes – and they are also more likely to bring friends and family with them. 
• Understanding your customers allows you to tailor products or services to their specific needs and preferences. This can lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Knowing your customers' demographics, interests, and purchasing behavior enables you to target your marketing efforts more effectively. You can personalize your messages and choose the proper channels to reach them, increasing the chances of converting leads into customers.

The basics you need to know:

• What are your audience's demographics? How old are they, how educated are they, and what are their income levels? Maybe they belong to a specific community.
• What are their buying habits? Do they purchase your products or services online or offline? How much do they spend?

Knowing your users, constantly updating that knowledge, and putting it to work is fundamental to building all other best practices. 

How can you learn more about them?

• Use website analytics tools like Google Analytics to gather data on your website visitors. This can provide insights into their demographics, behavior on your site, popular content, and more.
• Keep an eye on social media conversations and platforms relevant to your industry. Tools like social media monitoring software can help you track mentions of your brand, industry trends, and sentiments of your audience.
• Study your competitors and their customer base. Identify what they're doing well, areas where they fall short, and opportunities for differentiation.
• Consolidate the insights gathered from your research into buyer personas – fictional representations of your ideal customers. Include details such as demographics, goals, challenges, preferred channels, and buying behavior.
• Continuously test your assumptions and hypotheses about your customers through A/B testing, pilot programs, and market experiments. Use the data collected to refine your understanding and strategies.

Claspo's pop-ups can help you collect data and fill in the customer's profiles: their name, birthday, shopping preferences, etc. Since we integrate with various CRMs and ESPs, you can seamlessly transfer the data to the chosen tool, segment the audience, build personalized communication, and integrate it into your marketing strategies.

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#2. Ask for Feedback and Listen to It

Customer needs and preferences change over time. Requesting customer feedback is a valuable strategy for staying current, increasing sales, and improving overall customer satisfaction as you make them feel valued. By actively seeking customer input about their experiences with your products or services, you can gain insights into areas for improvement and identify opportunities to meet customer needs better. 

Whether through post-purchase or exit-intent surveys, online review platforms, or direct communication channels, asking for feedback shows customers that their opinions are valued and encourages them to engage more deeply with your brand.

Using Claspo, you can gather customer feedback and send it to your CRM. From there, you can segment the answers and get in touch with customers, whether they are satisfied or not. Positive feedback can serve as powerful social proof, attracting new customers and boosting sales. With our help, you can also boast those 5-star reviews: just take a screenshot of text feedback or gather photo reviews from social media, place them on a slider or a pop-up, and be sure your users will not miss it. 

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#3. Keep Your Pricing Competitive

60% of e-commerce customers consider pricing their #1 priority when making a buying decision. So, keeping your prices realistic and affordable is crucial for attracting and retaining customers. If your niche is saturated, the customers can easily walk away from you. By offering competitive pricing, you appeal to price-sensitive consumers and position your business as a viable option. 

However, it's essential to strike a balance between keeping an affordable price and maintaining profitability.

• The lowest prices are not always the way to the highest sales. Focus on your business's value. This can include factors such as convenience, reliability, and overall experience, which can justify slightly higher prices.
• Highlight the unique value proposition of your products or services. Whether it's superior quality, exceptional customer service, or innovative features, emphasizing what sets you apart can justify slightly higher prices and maintain competitiveness.

Conduct market research to understand pricing trends and benchmarks in your industry and adjust your prices accordingly. If you run an online store, consider consulting with an ecommerce SEO agency to better understand how your pricing strategy impacts visibility on search engines. Small changes — like optimizing product page titles, descriptions, and structured data — can make a big difference in how your offers rank and attract potential buyers searching with price intent.

#4. Implement Personalized Email Follow-Ups

59% of customers claim email marketing influences their buying decisions – and 50% have bought something from an email in the last month. Email follow-ups are an effective way to prompt an existing customer to make a repeat purchase. Automated email campaigns can be segmented based on past purchases, browsing history, or engagement level, allowing you to deliver targeted messages that resonate with your audience. 

Keep in mind that segmented emails lead to 30% more opens and 50% clickthroughs! Whether it's a personalized recommendation based on a previous order or a special discount on the next purchase, personalized follow-ups demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Claspo can help you make the most of email marketing. Our site widgets can help you collect emails to grow your list and personal data to ensure efficient segmentation. Personalization doesn't end here, though. With Claspo's capabilities, you can set a pop-up to show only to customers who visited your website after opening a link in a specific email campaign. This way, you can customize the offers your customers see on your website.

#5. Automate Your Processes

Over 80% of small businesses in the US don't have any employees, which means you are the one answering Instagram's DMs, wrapping up and sending the packages, or conducting those lead magnet consultation sessions. When you try to increase your sales and scale, you can hire employees to perform the labor-intensive and time-consuming tasks. Or you can automate. It allows you to free your time, reduce labor costs, increase marketing ROI, and adapt more effectively to the changing market landscape. 

50% of businesses plan to automate all repetitive tasks – including 69% of all managerial work! So, one of the answers to how to increase small business sales is by automating anything and everything you can.

And what is it that you can automate?

• Marketing and eCommerce. Use tools to collect and process customer data to help you deliver targeted messages at the right time and place while providing timely support to enhance customer acquisition and retention. Examples include email marketing software, CRM systems, and chatbots.
• AI chatbots can help you answer common questions and queries. This is a win-win situation, as it frees you some time and increases the speed of communication from the customer's viewpoint. 
• Business process automation (BPA). Implement technology to execute recurring tasks, reducing manual effort, streamlining workflows, and increasing efficiency. Examples include automating employee onboarding processes, invoicing, time-off request forms, and travel authorization procedures—freeing up valuable time and improving project time management across departments.
• Robotic process automation (RPA). Automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks that offer little value to the business, such as data copying, file transfers, and mechanical tasks. RPA solutions streamline operations, freeing up employees to focus on higher-value activities.
• If you run an eCommerce website, integrate inventory management systems with supplier systems to automate product information updates. Real-time updates on product availability minimize backorders and canceled orders, improving customers' overall shopping experience.

#6. Create a Referral Program

This is a big one. A well-designed referral program rewards loyal customers for their advocacy and makes new customers want to try your products or services. 92% of consumers trust referrals from friends and family over other forms of advertising. Referred customers have a 16% higher lifetime value than those acquired through other channels, bringing 25% higher profit margins. Impressive statistics! However, asking your customers to invite their friends is not enough.

To ensure the success of your referral program, it's essential to make the process simple and transparent for both referrers and referees.

• First, clearly outline the terms and conditions of your referral program, including the rewards for both the referrer and the referee. For example, Dropbox's referral program offered additional storage space to users who referred friends to sign up for the service using their unique referral link. 
• Next, provide clear instructions on how customers can refer others and claim their rewards. This could involve sharing a unique referral link or code via email, social media, or word-of-mouth. By making it easy for customers to share and track their referrals, you remove barriers to participation and encourage more people to get involved.
• Consider implementing a tiered reward system to incentivize more referrals and encourage ongoing participation. For example, you could offer increasingly valuable rewards for reaching certain milestones, such as referring three friends, five friends, and so on. This would motivate customers to continue referring others and foster a sense of friendly competition among participants.
• Finally, regularly communicate with participants to keep them informed about the status of their referrals and remind them of the rewards they can earn. Send personalized emails or notifications to acknowledge successful referrals, congratulate customers on reaching milestones, and encourage them to continue spreading the word about your business. 

You can use Claspo to inform website visitors about your referral program, list its benefits, and redirect them to the registration page – whatever works best for you.

#7. Offer Product/Service Bundles

Another answer to the question of how to boost sales in a small business is by offering product or service bundles. Studies show they increase profit margins and the value of the individual products in the bundle. By combining related products or services into a bundled package, you not only streamline the purchasing process for customers but also encourage them to buy more items at once. 

• For example, a small digital marketing agency could offer a bundled package that includes website design, social media management, and content creation services at a discounted rate.
• A software company could offer a bundled package that includes multiple software tools or services for a specific business need, such as marketing automation software, CRM software, and email marketing services.
• An online course provider could create a bundled package that includes access to multiple courses on a related topic, offering learners a comprehensive learning experience at a discounted rate.
• A gym – or even a fitness app – could offer a bundled package that includes personal training sessions, nutrition coaching, and access to group fitness classes at a discounted rate.

Of course, you should curate bundles based on customer preferences and purchasing patterns. This way, you cover different needs and pain points in one go, increasing their loyalty and satisfaction.

#8. Offer Gifts

This is an oldie but goodie. Adding a small gift to a purchase is a great way to make the customer feel appreciated and increase the chances they will choose you again over your competitors.

What to add?

• If it’s possible for your niche, product sampling has been proven effective in boosting sales over other types of incentives. Throw in a miniature version of a product related to one that customers already purchased – there's a high chance they will come back for the full version later!
• Add some nice merch if you're an artist, a content creator, or just commissioned it for your brand. Everyone loves a nice-looking sticker or postcard. Just make sure you don't send the same one every time for repeat customers.
• An additional item similar to the one purchased (of course, when it's financially viable for you) can also make a great gift. For example, if you sell vintage clothes, throwing in a handkerchief for a waistcoat purchase will make the customer feel appreciated. The same works with digital products: you can add hand-picked seamless textures to digital brush sets.

#9. Cross-Sell and Upsell

Cross-selling and upselling to existing customers is a great way to increase small business sales and enhance customer satisfaction by offering complementary or upgraded products or services.

• Cross-selling involves offering complementary products or services to customers based on their current purchase. It aims to enhance the customer's shopping experience by providing additional value or addressing related needs. For example, a fast-food restaurant may cross-sell fries and a drink with a burger purchase, or an online retailer may suggest a matching phone case when a customer buys a new smartphone. Businesses that use cross-selling techniques enjoy 20% more revenues.
• Upselling, on the other hand, involves persuading customers to purchase a higher-end or more expensive version of the product or service they are considering. It focuses on maximizing the value of the customer's purchase by highlighting premium features or benefits. 

For instance, a car dealership may upsell a customer from a standard model to a deluxe package with upgraded features, or a software company may encourage users to upgrade to a premium subscription for additional functionalities. Businesses that use upselling see a 20% increase in lifetime customer value. 

Practically speaking, a pop-up emerging during the checkout with an additional offer is a good way to arrange the upsell offer. You can use Claspo's capabilities to place a widget on a specific product's page or pages to show complementary goods or services and promote cross-selling. If everything's done right, you can increase average order value and deepen customer loyalty and engagement. The customers will perceive added value in their purchases. 

#10. Ensure Stellar Customer Service

Various surveys prove customer service matters. Improved customer experience boosts sales by 5-10%, and more than 60% of the customers are ready to pay more for a better customer experience. And it's not only about ROI. 80% of customers have a brand that's their favorite specifically because it provides a good customer experience. Even if your product or service is stellar, customers are ready to leave at the drop of a hat if they're not satisfied with the customer service – and more often than not, they won't say anything to help you fix it. But when they do, it's your chance. 

How do you make sure customer service is actually good?

• Ensure swift, polite, and informative communication. Make it easy for customers to reach you through multiple channels such as phone, email, social media, and live chat. Respond promptly to inquiries, provide helpful information, and use the customer's preferred communication channels. 
• Offer self-service options. If you're a small enough creator, you can get away with sending your bank details or PayPal to every customer. However, once you reach a certain point, using an automated payment system becomes a must. More than that, try to decrease the need for direct communication by adding FAQs, troubleshooting tips, etc.
• Invest in training your staff to deliver excellent customer service. Ensure they understand the importance of being attentive, empathetic, and knowledgeable about your products or services.
• Be transparent about what customers can expect from your products or services, including pricing, delivery times, and return policies. Avoid overpromising and underdelivering.
• No matter how hard you try, there will be times when things go wrong. When a customer complains, handle complaints gracefully. Listen attentively, apologize sincerely, and take steps to rectify the situation promptly. Turn negative experiences into opportunities to demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction.
• Consistency is key to building trust and loyalty with customers. Ensure that the quality of your products or services remains high across all interactions and transactions.

Claspo offers you a great opportunity to improve your customer service. With our pop-up, you can incite customers to contact you using different communication channels. For example, if they spend too long on a prices page, you can offer them timely help. Now, you can be confident that people will not hesitate to seek help or advice.

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Using Claspo to Bond with Your Customers

As you can see, there are various ways to increase sales in a small business while nurturing strong relationships with your existing customers. By prioritizing personalization, automating processes, and focusing on customer satisfaction, you can turn loyal customers into brand advocates, ultimately generating more sales.

Claspo can help you every step of the way. With more than 700 templates for pop-ups and widgets, Claspo's can help you collect user data for customer research, gather feedback, remind customers of those sweet promotion deals, and prompt them to invite a friend. If you’re not tech-savvy, don’t worry; Claspo allows creating widgets without code knowledge. 

We have affordable plans and even a free one, so it's a budget-friendly way to cover lots of your marketing and sales needs. Most importantly, we love our users and do our best to simplify their lives and improve their business results. Try Claspo and see for yourself!