How Foolish Marketers Lose Their Most Profitable Asset

Time and again I see other marketers doing what I consider to be the cardinal sin of not only online marketing, but also business in general. These marketers ignore their customers and treat them as nothing more than a mere annoyance.

You would think it is well known that eighty percent of your business will come from your customers (if you treat them well). However, the way some online marketers act, it is very likely they are oblivious to the incredible benefits to treating your customers like gold.

The benefits to good customer relations means more repeat sales, less refund requests and in many cases more sales through referral marketing. After ten years of marketing online, I have discovered that the following rules make for a very happy and satisfied customer:

Get back to your customer within 24 hours of first contact

Online, 24 hours can seem like an eternity to your customer. Many times they want reassurance that their purchase wasn’t a mistake. If you allow that doubt to linger, buyer’s regret can creep in and a refund request could possibly be just around the corner.

Give your customers unexpected bonuses

Always over deliver and give your customers bonuses not included in your sales letter either directly after the sale or several days later as a “thank you”. Be sure to collect the emails of your customers so you can randomly send them free bonuses, which will build their loyalty and keep you and your business fresh in their minds.

Be prompt with refunds

It is always hard to refund a customer, but failure to do so can lead to chargebacks and other potential headaches. Many times a customer has a legit reason for requesting a refund and will make several purchases from you later on.

Create quality products and services

No matter what you are offering to your customer, make sure that the quality is always extremely high. When developing a product, I always ask myself, “Would I be happy if I bought this?” before I offer it for sale. If I can’t honestly answer yes, then I go back to the drawing board.

Your customer has put their faith in you and handed over their hard earned money for one of your products or services. You need to reward this loyalty with fast customer service, unexpected bonuses and most importantly, quality products. If you are one of those marketers looking for a fast money grab and trying to squeeze out every last dime from your customers, you won’t last long in any business, period.

Source by Jason Tarasi