In these trying times it is tempting to look at money as an intimidating factor in your life and consequently lose focus on what is really important in your business as a first fundamental.
Your first and primary focus having selected your business type, product and delivery model must be how to do the best job possible. No business can or even deserves to survive if it does not do a good job for it’s customers.
Ask any successful (legitimate) business man or woman why they enjoy the ongoing trust of their market and they will say without doubt that they do well because they do right by their clients.
They do what they say they will do in the specified time and manner that their business promises.
This is no different on the internet. The World Wide Web may have fundamentally changed business methodology in terms of communication and delivery but the fact remains as an internet marketer you still need to adhere to good business rules and principles namely
1. Be Ethical
Too many people overlook the fact that a quick buck is not always a good buck. If you want to survive and prosper a good reputation is essential. It’s easy to think “well working through the net I will never meet these people” particularly if you have a buy once product. But beware the internet is not only a great medium for doing quick profitable business, but, and it’s a big “but” it’s also the best way of conveying bad news fast.
2. Be Honest
You may think that this is the same as being ethical and to a certain extent it is but honesty has many other aspects which include Sincerity, Frankness, Openness. These are qualities that can only be to your advantage with customers, when demonstrated (and this is critical when you market repeat products or services)they inspire customer loyalty and trust which in many cases allows you to even beat cheaper competition or some new interloper that tries to take over your market.
3. Be Reliable
Nothing loses you customers faster than intermittent and unreliable services or products. Don’t get caught up in this. Do what you say you will do when you say you will do it and if for any reason you cannot then communicate this fact and explain why. Your customers will respect and trust you more because you pre-handled a problem. Always remember customers don’t want problems (they have enough of their own) they just want solutions and if you are the internet marketer that produces then you are the one who wins.
4. Be Available
Always, always capture your customers’ details and stay in touch, the easiest customers to sell to are the ones you have sold to before especially if you have adhered to the 3 previous rules of good internet marketing practice. So start a membership site or service, drop them a friendly line with news, tips and especially some sort of survey to find out what else turns them on.
(A word of caution here, do not constantly bombard them with products as all this will result in is de-selection due to customer fatigue).
If they complete your customer survey you have a whole new opportunity with someone who trusts you. Remember if you don’t supply the new opportunity they have told you about another marketer will.
Author Peter Holland
www.peterhollandmarketing.com
