Every business owner asks this question, whether they run a corner shop or a national brand: how do I get more customers? Marketing has changed in tools, but the logic hasn't. Customers come from three places: people who already know you, people who are searching for what you sell, and people who haven't yet realized they need it. Strong businesses work all three. Here are twelve ways, grouped that way.
A principle that has outlasted every new platform: know exactly who you serve, make a clear promise, and make it easy to say yes.
Part 1: People who already know you
1. Ask for referrals
Satisfied customers are your cheapest source of new business, but most never get asked. Ask right after a good experience, make it easy (a short link or a message they can forward) and thank people every time. Any reward should be small and follow platform and local rules.
2. Bring past customers back
Customers who've bought once are more likely to buy again than strangers are to buy at all. Use email or SMS, with clear consent, for welcome messages, reminders, seasonal offers and win-back campaigns. See our email and SMS service.
3. Collect and show reviews
Most people check reviews before choosing. Ask every happy customer, reply to every review and never buy or fake them. Our reputation service covers a compliant process.
Part 2: People who are searching for you
4. Complete your Google Business Profile
If you serve a local area, this is often your best free lead source. Use our Google Business Profile checklist.
5. Build pages for what people search
Create a clear page for each main service and location, in plain language, answering real questions. That is the core of SEO and local SEO.
6. Run Google Ads for high-intent searches
When someone searches "plumber near me" or "buy running shoes," they're ready to act. Paid search puts you in front of them now. Read SEO vs Google Ads to decide when to use each.
7. Sell where shoppers already are
If you sell products, marketplaces such as Amazon, Walmart and TikTok Shop have built-in audiences. Compare them in where to start.
Part 3: People who haven't met you yet
8. Show your work in short video
Short videos of your product in use, your team and your process build trust faster than text. Keep it real and consistent. See content and video.
9. Use paid social to reach new audiences
Meta ads (Facebook and Instagram) can introduce you to people who match your best customers. Start with a clear offer and a small test budget. See Google and Meta Ads.
10. Partner with complementary businesses
A wedding photographer and a florist, an accountant and a bookkeeper: local partners can share audiences and send each other referrals. Offer something useful first.
Part 4: Turning interest into customers
11. Fix your offer and website
Traffic is wasted if visitors don't understand what you do or how to buy. Make your headline, offer and next step obvious. Read why websites don't get customers.
12. Follow up fast
When someone enquires, reply quickly and helpfully. Many leads go to whoever responds first. Set up instant confirmations, a clear phone number and a simple process.
Pick three, not twelve
You don't need everything. Choose one channel from each of the first three parts, do it well for 90 days, and measure results before adding more.
A 30-day starter plan
- Week 1: ask ten past customers for a review or referral; complete your Google Business Profile
- Week 2: fix your main page's headline, offer and call to action
- Week 3: set up tracking for calls, forms and orders; start a simple email list
- Week 4: launch one small paid test or publish your first service page; review what happened
How to know it's working
Track new enquiries, cost per customer and where each customer came from. If you can't answer "where did that customer come from?" fix tracking first. Our guide to marketing ROI, ROAS, CAC and LTV explains the numbers.
Which ways fit which business (illustrative)
- Local service business: start with your Google Business Profile, reviews, referrals and a clear service page, then add Google Ads for urgent searches
- Restaurant or shop: focus on Maps visibility, photos, local social content, email offers and events
- Online store: combine search and shopping ads, email flows, marketplaces and short video
- B2B or professional firm: build clear service pages, publish useful guides, use targeted outreach and track enquiries carefully
How to track where customers come from
- Ask every new customer how they heard about you and record the answer
- Use separate tracking phone numbers or links for ads and listings
- Add UTM tags to links in emails, ads and social profiles
- Use a unique offer code for each channel
- Review the results monthly and move effort toward the winners
Questions owners ask
What is the cheapest way to get customers?
Referrals, reviews and past-customer messages cost the least in cash, though they need your time and a good experience.
How fast can I expect results?
Ads and outreach can bring enquiries within days. SEO and content take months. Use faster channels for quick wins and slower ones to build lasting visibility.
Do I need to run ads?
Not always, but ads help when you need leads soon, when people are actively searching or when you want to test an offer. Make sure the website and tracking are ready first.
Is social media or Google better?
Google captures people already searching. Social helps people discover you. Many businesses need both, in the right proportion for their customers.
Next step
Tell us what you sell and who you want to reach, and we'll suggest the first three moves. Contact us.