Startups are the equivalent of tossing a coin in the air and catch a bag of cash as it comes back down. Or losing your coin forever. It all depends on how appealing you can manage to make your startup business. Indeed, to make a new business work with little financial backup, you need to be in a position where people want to buy from you, while others are excited by the idea of working with you and financing your revolutionary idea. So where do you find the magic wand to perform this miracle? Well, here’s a first hint for you: There’s no magic wand – bet you know that already – but only smart strategy and hard work. Indeed, before you embark on this seemingly impossible task, it’s essential to understand what your three audience groups need, as they all require something different from a relationship with your startup. Your customers want a product or service that can improve their lives. Your employees want a workplace that motivates them. And your investors want a business they are confident in. Let’s appeal to everyone!
The secrets to an appealing startup idea
Appeal to your customers
Most customers will come across your business online, and consequently, the best way to get a competitive edge is to stand out. In other words, with the attention span of web users being less than 8 seconds for a website, you know that you need to create a homepage that grabs the attention and rapidly presents your offering as the evidence that people need in their lives. Design and effective UX strategy are key to building a first impression that is eye-catching and quirky. But admittedly without a strong SEO presence, your website doesn’t attract any visitor to impress. More importantly, you need to think of your digital presence as a first introduction. Be visible to users on any device and search engines crawlers, but also be memorable with a narrative that hooks visitors from the start.
Appeal to your employees
Your employees won’t be fooled by a website. They need to know that your business is worth risking their career, which means that you need to offer a company culture that they can’t find anywhere else. It might seem immaterial, but the culture vision of your startup is what keeps your teams together before the business makes a name for itself. It reflects your values and your passions. However, a culture without a workplace can feel pointless. You can decide to hire offices in town if you find something suitable to welcome your new team. But, you can also decide to build your offices from scratch, using affordable and sturdy materials such as steel buildings from Armstrong Steel. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of the build. Keeping your costs low enables you to bring more comfort to the office furniture and decoration in the long term.
Appeal to investors
Last, but not least, there’s the matter of wowing capital investors at a pitch deck meeting. What works, what doesn’t? There’s no magic recipe, but as a rule of the thumb, you need to present your startup professionally – nobody can believe in your business if you don’t take it seriously yourself. Bring a passionate narrative, demo products and of course, a thorough market analysis. In other words, you need to analyze, show and tell at the same time.
So, are you ready to prep your startup’s appeal for all?
