Are you still recovering from doing business this year? Well the new year is almost upon us, so it is time to take a long, deep breath and prepare for succeeding in 2016.

boosting-business-2016

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Here are 5 tips to boost your business in the coming year so you can achieve more than you did this year.

1. Brand Segmentation Matters

As discussed in an early post, brand segmentation matters because when dividing up different parts of the market it is possible to target customers with more accuracy. Products and services can be launched that speak directly to the needs of the targeted segment of the audience. This leads to a higher sales volume and different price points can be tested in the marketplace to obtain the highest profitability possible.

2. Master Social Media

Mastering social media is a necessity for any business to perform better in 2016. More than half of users use mobile devices. The majority of these use social media as one of their primary methods of communication, to share information, and talk about brand experiences. Don’t miss the conversation.

Different social channels are more applicable to certain industry sectors and niches. Live streaming using Periscope or Meerkat makes more sense for small and medium-sized enterprises than it does big brands. This is because followers identify strongly with the person holding the stream more than they do the company they work for. Pinterest is an image-focused, female-centric social channel that is effective for marketing images relating to a business or customer interests.

Pick the right channel to invest in, go heavily into adding content to this channel, and focus less on the social channels less relevant to your business.

3. Go Premium with WordPress

WordPress should be used to create a business presence online that stands out from the crowd. Most often, a premium theme is needed to look professional and ensure compatibility with various web browsers and platforms. Premium plug-ins are also an excellent idea to add new functionality like e-commerce, email opt-ins, advertising layouts, and special offer promotions.

4. Pick an Eco System

Whether you own a Macbook Pro and an iPhone, or you’re a hardened Windows veteran with an Android cell phone, you need to pick your ecosystem. Apple now has their iCloud for storing files in the cloud and a range of desktop, tablet and phone devices that all sync nicely together. They even have Microsoft Office running on the Mac and the iPad if you need it.

On the Google side of things, if you run the Google Chrome web browser and have any Android devices, then you’re already wired into the Google ecosystem. Leverage Google Drive to store files for each employee, Google Docs or Excel on Android and the PC, and Gmail for Business.

Get the most out of using either one of these respective ecosystems to improve access to important files, make it simpler to share work documents with co-workers, and increase the velocity of the business.

5. Improve Work Vehicles

For businesses that use 4X4 trucks and other robust work vehicles to get around and visit customers, using one of the useful truck bed liner kits to respray the interior of a vehicle will improve how it looks. Gone will be the scruffy interior doors and truck bed lining that existed before. This is a good thing if the customer asks you to drop them off at the nearest transportation hub and they’re impressed with the condition of your vehicle.

Improving businesses is an ongoing process, but if you just treat growth as being a natural extension of doing business, you’ll embrace it more easily. If a business isn’t growing, it’s contracting, which isn’t a good thing. Boost your business today!