Ideas to increase customer numbers are endlessly sought after information in business, and pretty much always has been. Strategies for increasing customer base have been tried in numerous forms since modern business and marketing systems emerged in the late 19th century. Many successes have been enjoyed over the past century and a half, but unfortunately, as business, society and markets change, so must strategies and the criteria for formulating them.

This is an entire field of research, and we’re going to look at three ideas to increase customer numbers in the new digital marketplace, and maybe learn a little but about how much things have truly changed over the past 150 years.

1 – Passive Advertising

Internet advertising is one of the most polarizing topics in user experience dynamics as well as marketing sciences. Advertising is key in hooking new customers and obtaining a presence and identity in any field or demographic.

Unfortunately, there is a fine line between memorable advertising and downright annoying advertising. In recent years, there has been a true series of experimental tactics to actually deliberately annoy potential customers and therefore instill memorability in the minds of potential customers.

A prime example of this annoying memorability are the body spray commercials prevalent from 2009-2011. Unfortunately, they proved there is in fact such a thing as bad PR.

A better choice, especially in modern digital environments, is to passively advertise through non-overt product placement and unobtrusive ads. This means, basically, to not be in the customer’s face about it. This was not possible before the digital age, where interruptions and repetitious signage were the only way to actually reach customers.

2 – Induction Incentives

When an existing customer base reaches a certain level, then you in fact have an on-hand platform to reach more customers. This is not one of the newer ideas to increase customer numbers, but it will forever remain key. Offering incentives to recommend a service to friends and family is a powerful tactic, if executed tastefully.

This is accomplished by offering discounts on services or products, or other such bonuses for recommending a friend or relative. It’s shockingly compelling, and has been proven since the dawn of modern marketing to work.

It’s important to be tasteful with this, offering only reasonable compensation for bringing in new customers, and offering some smaller incentive for even trying. This way if their referral doesn’t actually gain a customer, it does not breed contempt between the customer and this lost potential customer.

3 – Diversification

There’s always been some level of resistance to diversification tactics in many businesses, and often this is due to a misunderstanding of what truly defines the term. Diversification is often mistaken for delving into completely foreign industries outside the range of normal fields of service a company renders.

This is in fact not the sole definition of diversification. Rather, diversification can entail multiple subsets of designs of an existing service or product to meet varying demographics.

A prime example of this definition of diversification can be found in candy and soft drink companies, in which variations on a core concept are released to pique the interests of potential customers and meet tastes and interests of costumers who are less interested in the original core concept.

This is a powerful tactic where applicable and is almost guaranteed to lure in new customers, and is therefore one of the strongest ideas.

We see how attitudes have changed in marketing and user experience over the years and while advertising is the one mainly affected by the digital movement, we see the overall shift in attitude from aggressive competition and advertising to subliminal approaches that are more organic.

Never be afraid to try out your own unique ideas to increase customer number.