As a professional marketer working in the SMB space, I am astounded by how many of my clients do not have a well-developed customer list or any customer list at all.

With the popularity of websites like HomeAdvisor and Angie’s List increasing in popularity, the cost of acquiring new customers is drastically increasing. The cost of leads can range anywhere from $15 to $50 on average, depending on the quality of the lead and work involved.

What’s worse, is that despite paying for the lead, there is no guarantee that you will secure the job and whatever revenue is associated with it. There is no doubt that lead gen services can be extremely valuable to a business looking to grow, but what many business owners don’t realize is that they are sitting on a proverbial gold mine of potential leads.

Repeat customers are anywhere from 4 to 10 times more profitable than one-time customers. By simply tapping into your existing customer base you can grow your business more rapidly and become more profitable while spending less.

So, what makes a good customer list?

Customer lists vary greatly from company to company and what information you track about your customers will be different depending on your priorities.

With that said, there are at least 4 types of data that every customer list should contain.

  1. Your Customer’s Name
  2. Your Customer’s Address
  3. Your Customer’s Mobile Number
  4. Your Customer’s Email Address

Make the time to collect this complete set of data and watch your business grow exponentially as you create life-time customers. With three new ways to interact and engage with your customer base, you are more likely to encourage repeat business and customer referrals.

With the average adult user of internet connected devices spending upwards of 5 hours a day online, the opportunity to reach your target audience is huge and your potential to grow in 2016 is within your reach!

For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, subscribe to the FreshLime Newsletter here. Connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. And last of all, if any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!