You're thinking about putting your business on line and doing
Internet commerce. You need to develop a business formula for success.
The first step to successful ventures is thoughtful planning and careful
strategizing. This page is designed to walk you through some basic
strategies that will help your Internet business become a success!
The Three-Step Approach to Marketing
To put it simply, Internet commerce is all about making money using
the Net. Rapid advances in technology have made the Internet accessible
to everyone. Taping into this reservoir of potential customers is the
key to your success. To do this and ensure a successful business, you
have to think about your target customer, know how to attract new
customers, and learn how to keep your buyers coming back.
Targeting Your Customers
Before you do anything, ask yourself who your primary target customer
is. Who is your product geared towards? Knowing your customers is the
first vital step in a successful business. Start by looking at some
basic characteristics of your target customer, like income, age, gender,
and interests. Say for example, that my business sold mountain bikes and
accessories. I would want to compile information that tells me what my
average customer is like. A simple way of doing this is to tactfully
encourage customers to complete online profiles or questionnaires.
Having this type of information will help you successfully approach step
2 (How to attract customers).
How to Attract Customers
The concept here is a simple one. You can't make money if you don't
have any customers. The key is learning how to attract customers to your
Web site. There are many methods available that will help you maximize
traffic and attract your targeted customers.
Here are a few basic approaches:
How to Appeal to Your Buyers so They'll Keep Coming Back
Repeat customers are the key to a stable and successful business.
Once you have established your business and have a customer base, you
must find ways to ensure that your customers will keep coming back and
hopefully bring their friends with them. Here are a few proven formulas
for success.
- Superior customer service. How can you improve
customer relations if you don't interact with them personally? It may
be impossible to exchange warm smiles and friendly handshakes between
the hard shell of computer screens. But, online interaction can result
in closer customer ties. Learn your customers needs and cater your web
site to meet those needs. Be reliable! Provide your customers with a
hassle-free money-back guarantee. And offer your customers good deals.
As they start to feel appreciated and taken care of, you will quickly
find that you have a loyal group of consumers.
- Site Design. Make sure that your website is
user-friendly. Have a consistent look. Make sure that your web page is
simple and easy to use. Having too much "stuff" clutter your pages can
cause consumers to quickly lose interest. Use pictures to sell your
products. Having a picture with a detailed description is much more
interesting than just reading about a product.
- Email promotionals. Take advantage of your
customers email addresses. Ask them if it would be ok to keep them
informed of upcoming specials and promotions. Staying in touch with
your customers via email will help to keep em coming back!