Tuesday, July 15, 2008

You Can Work online on a 24-7-365 basis.

Most businesses are not open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. Most websites, however, are available on a 24/7/365 basis. Many people, especially those with busy lifestyles, tend to use the Internet during non-business hours. To give a few examples: business owners will often check their emails and visit suppliers' websites later in the evening; and consumers looking to make a high-value purchase, such as a car or house, will often research their purchases online in advance well into the wee hours of the night. Some of these techniques will also generate new clients as well; the possibility exists that you will attract a client whom you have had no prior dealings with. If you employ some of the offline marketing techniques listed below, it could very well be your site and company that they deal with first!
Surveys: To find out what your customer thinks of your site try using a survey. A little constructive criticism can go a long way in helping you build a quality site that people are eager to visit and refer others to visit. There are very few other ways to find out what your customer really thinks, wants and needs besides a survey. If you're concerned that people won't take the time to complete a survey you can always entice them with something for free in exchange for completing the survey or even adding their name to a pool for a giveaway.
Guestbook: Members of your target audience that are skeptical by nature want some reassurance that you're who you say you are and that your product or service really delivers. Adding a guestbook to your site can help to reassure your customer by providing comments from others who visited your site, found something useful and were satisfied. If you are concerned that you might end up with rude or vulgar comments that hurt your reputation more than help, it is very easy to add a guestbook that allows you to preview any comments before they are posted. With this type of guestbook you have the control over whether to delete a comment or allow it to be inserted on your site. One bad apple doesn't have to spoil the basket.
Coupons: There is a significant portion of your target audience that are coupon clippers. No matter who they are, you can bet some of them can't wait to get the newspaper and start clipping away. While this ploy won't work for everyone, there are some people who can't resist the lure of a bargain; saving a percentage off the regular price of a product or service. They will be more than happy to visit your site once a week to find out how much money they can save with the coupons you offer. If you're concerned about taking a piece out of your profit try combining offers. Two for one or 10% with a minimum purchase gives you the flexibility of still offering a valuable coupon to the customer while making sure your profits don't take a dip.

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