What Pigeons Can Teach Us About Business Awareness
What Pigeons Can Teach Us About Business Awareness – Always Keep An Eye On The Market
Earlier, I noticed a pigeon couple (Doris and Deano) sitting on my garden fence (I know they were a couple because they have lived in my garden together for years – pigeons are generally monogamous and pair for life. Once they find a mate, they stick together, sharing parenting duties like incubating eggs and feeding their young. They love to preen each other and always stay close. Anyway, I digress…). This couple were sitting about a metre apart, snoozing away, living the dream, however every so often, in perfect unison, they’d wake up, have a quick scan of the area, preen themselves (got to look good in the hood), and then promptly doze off again.
Watching them made my heart happy but also, I thought to myself, that’s a decent business strategy.
Pigeon Wisdom: Why Businesses Need to Stay Alert
In the madness of running a business, it’s tempting to keep your head down and power through - answering emails, tweaking your website, panicking over why your latest Instagram post only got three likes (one of which was your mum). But, much like my feathery garden lodgers, you need to strike a balance between running your business and keeping an eye on what’s happening around you.
Because if you don’t? Well, the market changes, competitors shake things up, and suddenly, you’re like a pigeon who’s just realised someone’s scattered bread on the other side of the park or worse, a fox in creeping up behind you ready to make you, their dinner!
How to Stay Sharp Without Losing Your Feathers
Here’s how you can keep an eye on the market without completely exhausting yourself:
Check Your Data – Google Analytics, Shopify insights, and Squarespace reports are your friends. Are people bouncing off your website faster than you would like? Time to dig into what’s going on.
Spy (Research) on Your Competitors – Competitor analysis is key and it is why we always incorporate it in to what we do at Growth Keys. What’s working for them? What’s not doing as well? Learn from it!
Actually Listen to Your Customers – They’re probably dropping hints all the time. Read reviews, check social media comments, or even better, ask them directly what they want.
Tweak, Don’t Panic – If something isn’t working, adjust it. If something is working, double down on it. Where you can, conduct A|B tests which can allow you to rapidly compare different versions of a webpage, ad, or email to identify what resonates best with customers, leading to faster optimisations, improved conversion rates, and better decision-making with minimal risk.
Anticipate Changes – Trends shift, platforms evolve, and what worked six months ago might already be outdated. Stay ahead by reading industry reports (or follow Growth Keys for bite size updates!)
How Growth Keys Can Help You Stay Ahead
At Growth Keys, we help small and independent businesses keep their eyes on the prize (and their competitors). From website audits and conversion wizardry to omni-channel strategy and knowing what your customers actually want, we make sure you’re not just winging it (no pun intended!).
So, instead of feeling like a flustered pigeon in the middle of a busy high street, let’s work together to help your business glide smoothly towards growth.
Next article on what we can learn from our pigeon friends…. Focus on building long term loyalty, just like Doris and Deano 😊
Let Growth Keys help you build the future of your business. Get in touch today!
Doris and Deano