Finding new customers online doesn’t seem as easy as it sounds – until, of course, you try it. Many business owners think to themselves: I’ll create a website, run some ads, some social media postings to get the ball rolling. Then, silence. Or maybe a little interest trickles in. But as they stand still, they watch their other similar competitors light up with interest and new customers.
It’s not that they’ve found the magic pill; instead, they’ve just learned how to find new customers in places that most other people don’t consider.
Why People Go Big First
When most new businesses explore finding new customers online, they do what everyone else does – they go to the big players first. They think it’s where they’re supposed to be – Facebook ads, Google, Instagram to an extent, LinkedIn if B2B.
And yes, these channels work – as evidenced by how many companies use them. But it’s a vast playing field where thousands upon thousands of other businesses seek the same attention you are, especially at premium prices. Where it used to cost $2 for a click, it’s now $8. Where it used to convert at 3%, it barely gets 1%. It’s not in our minds; it’s gotten much harder and more expensive.
However, the companies who’ve found success consistently haven’t disregarded these channels; they’ve just learned how acquiring new customers works better when you’re not fighting the same fight as everyone else.
Where They Find Them Instead
Companies that find success acquire new customers based on a portfolio approach. They don’t put all their eggs in one basket and get expensive – they spread their wealth and assess where it’s best to double down.
Some channels are obvious – email marketing always works if done correctly, SEO works albeit slower yet compound over years, partnerships and affiliate opportunities reveal doors that didn’t exist until approached.
Yet there’s a whole category of customer generation that most companies never explore – alternative ad formats and networks. They aren’t household names, but neither is their price. These opportunities yield volume without premium-like pricing.
Take popunder advertising, for example. Most people haven’t thought of this ad format in years – but companies seeking high-volume opportunities at cheap costs use it all the time. A good pop ad network can yield thousands for a fraction of the cost anywhere else. Depending on the network, the success of your targeting, traffic quality can vary, but for lead gen, e-commerce, subscription-based entities – it’s one of the highest recommended resources to scale with cost-effectiveness.
But the companies who’ve succeeded aren’t dumping money at random – they’re making calculated tests and tracking conversion to build systems that work.
Testing First Before Scaling
Most companies fail at finding success because they test channels with a big enough budget too soon to assess its credibility or test it once with half-hearted results and drop it off immediately. However, the companies that like to grow find other means.
They test small – very small. They’ll attempt to explore something for a mere $100 just to see where it lands them – but they’re not looking to receive revenue on the back end; they’re looking for assessment.
What kind of traffic does this channel give? What’s the behavior of that traffic – bounce rate versus page view potential? Do they convert? If they convert, what’s the customer acquisition cost?
Only by knowing this information can they make educated determinations about the next steps. Maybe it’s cheaper but low quality – the offer or landing page needs adjustments. Maybe it converts well but at low volume – keep it but don’t scale aggressively. Maybe it’s a hidden treasure no one else knows about.
Only through data can growth occur. Meanwhile, most companies fail to acknowledge this process as critical and wonder why acquiring new customers digitally evades them.
Building Long Term Systems That Work
What separates growing businesses from those struggling is building systems. Consistently acquiring new customers isn’t an on-a-whim situation – it’s a monthly process.
They know their numbers like no other. They know what’s a customer worth to them over an extended period? What can they afford to acquire that customer and still make a profit? Where’s the best quality traffic – is it a volume play or not?
It’s not complicated; it just requires effort. You need to know where your customers are coming from; once you get them into your digital space, you need to see what they’ve done and assess how you’ve acquired them through spending.
Most companies run some ads to get additional traffic and make sales without even knowing if it’s working or not. That’s not a system; that’s a gamble.
One Channel Is Not Enough
They say don’t put all your eggs in one basket, but the reason why new companies find one channel that works and overuse it until it’s dead is that somewhere along the way – it worked! And then it dies – from increased pricing to increased competition – and finally, a change in standards.
However, companies who never focus their entire energy into one place survive when this happens because they’ve never put all their eggs in one basket. They’re constantly testing additional avenues when they’re doing well or poorly. They maintain relationships with multiple traffic sources and have audiences they own instead of renting out attention from platforms who might turn on them at any moment.
This isn’t to say they need to be everywhere at once; instead, avoid dependency on any one source of new customers because if something tanked today, you’d like to have something else already ready tomorrow.
What Works
Ultimately it’s about a few things when finding new customers online that successful businesses either subscribe to or believe:
They know their numbers better than anyone. If you don’t know what’s a customer worth and what you can afford to acquire before actually acquiring one – you’ll never have success.
They test more than competitors. The average company tests once and gets mediocre results to quit; those who win test until something makes sense.
They go beyond what’s obvious first. The best channels are often found in places where competition isn’t fierce yet – and costs haven’t inflated yet.
They build systems instead of campaigns – and systems compound over time while campaigns end.
They never keep all their resources in one place. Diversification isn’t just meant for investment portfolios – it’s how you create a solid customer acquisition engine.
The businesses that find success online aren’t doing anything out of left field; instead, they’re just utilizing better fundamentals applied more often because others are less willing.
They test what’s ignored. They track what’s missing. They build while others scramble. That’s the difference – and it’s not some secret platform or secret recipe; it’s plain old common sense.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
