Automation - Repeated Business
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I wrote one a while ago about how automating your business can lead to better ROI and better results (and of course more free time).
Now, if you run a website (sales pages, affiliate program, or online store) or the traditional brick and mortar type of deal, you definetely want returning customers (or in the case you run a blog, you want readers, commenters and visitors, returning that is!)
Say you sell a product online, or are involved with a network marketing company, you certainly don’t want to worry every month about your customers (meaning, having to “win” them again every month), you probably wanna focus on getting new customers and working on your retention and making sure the customers you already have will stay! Repeated Business!
Make sure every customer that signs up to your website or purchases something from you, will have the option to either say “yes” or “no” to monthly rebilling. If you own a membership site, you want your customers to rebill every month until they cancel (that’s where you need to work on your retention).
If you want returning customers, repeated business, try to apply one or many of the followings (please feel free to add to this list in the form of a comment):
I used to work in a retention department for a telecom company here in Montreal, and seriously, customers’ retention is so important for a company, acquiring a new customers costs way more than satisfying an already existing customer. Keep that in mind. (same with blogging by the way, where readers and visitors are like your “customers”)
I’d be interested in knowing what you think about that.
Do you run an online store, or have your own store (offline)? What do you do to make your customers want to stay and keep rebilling (or visiting) month after month (day after day)?
:)
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11 Responses to “Automation - Repeated Business”
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Good customer service means being accessible to your customers. Just dropping by to say “Hi” can get you an order.
So online that means a newsletter every once in awhile. Especially if you’ve got a new product or service coming out.
Offering specials and package deals is a great way to upsell. We used to offer 20% off during a slow month and then contact all our customers to bring in some orders.
And Amazon always offers a bundle including the book you’re looking at and another, related one for a discount.
Shane, i agree, offering special deals and stuff like that will definitely help on the slow months (If you have an opt-in list or something, you can easily pull massive profits from sending a couple e-mails, and your customers will be happy cause they’ll get some sort of discount, win-win).
You’re right, stopping by to say “Hi” can help a lot, of course it might not always work (i’m writing a post about that) it also depends if it’s you that’s looking to make a sale/order or if, on the other hand, your customers are contacting you. “Magnetic” kinda deal. get them to call you instead of you calling them. And of course you need extraordinary customer service to keep retention levels high.
I agree, a simple Hi can get you an order and another Hi can help retain the customer. Getting customers aint difficúlt but retaining them is the key in any business which is aimed at long term. Look after your existing customers and they will keep you in business.
I am into Financial Services and nearly half my new business each year comes from existing clients. Just keeping in touch, sending a birthday card, new year card and a simple email, about the latest in the stock markets. Thats all it takes. Good customer relations helps keep business on the books.
Good post mate.
Take care and Cheers.
Hey Robin, exactly, just like blogging, gotta make people keep coming back :)
Great points you made! I saw some of my favorite sites go from a default membership plan and adding the different levels ie. bronze, silver, gold, platinum and it increase revenue quite a bit :D
There’s always room for improvement ;)
Hi Jon,
I echo Robin’s sentiments about the importance of good customer support and service. It really will make or break a business.
Automation is good. Stuffs like online payment via Paypal and email marketing all can be automated.
With that said, if we really want to grow a business, we can only automate to a certain extend, as we have to constantly test and tweak to improve sales and conversion etc.
By the way, nice revamp of your site! Looking good!
Cheers,
Jag
Beautiful new look, Jon ! Navigation is very
user friendly, and great “feng shui” too !
Well done !
SChee
Hey Jag, you’re right we can only automate to a certain level, and when you reach that level, you can spend time tweaking and fixing and improving. Thing is a lot of business will never reach that level of automation. Though online it’s a little “easier” than in the offline world.
I’m happy you like the new design! :)
Hey Schee, thanx for the kind words. i haven’t thought about the feng shui thing, but if it “feels” zen and appealing i’m happy hehe
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Thanx for the linkage Shane!