Building A Customer Base On Value And Quality
Let me ask you a question: Do you think it is easier to sell your product or services to a complete stranger or to a person you have had contact with before; whether it’s an email conversation, forum participation or even an existing customer relationship (i.e. already bought something from you). Without a doubt, it would be harder to sell to a total stranger who has no prior experience with you and/or your products or services. First time buyers, who haven’t been referred by a family member or friend, still have to go through a process of:
Are they honest? Can I trust them? Will their product or service truly benefit me? Why them and not competitor XYZ? If all these questions are not answered to their satisfaction, they will move on to your competitor.
This is precisely why you should work on building up a customer base. When you have a group of people who trust you and know from experience that you deliver quality and value, they’re more likely to be repeat buyers. This will ensure that you have a recurring and consistent source of income. When you release a product or make an endorsement, you have a group of people always ready to hear what you have to say.
There are several sources that you can tap into to start building a customer base. For example, you can participate in an online discussion forum and give advice and help for free. It won’t be long before people start to recognize your name and stop and listen every time you have something to say. You will become a valuable friend and teacher, and gain the trust of these people. Wouldn’t you buy something your close friend recommends?
Another way to build a customer base is to build a mailing list. There are a gazillion methods to collect subscribers, but the bottom line is, it’s all about proving your value to the crowd and offering an incentive to make them become part of your mailing list. A typical example would be a website choke-full of freely available, helpful and quality articles on a certain subject plus a “special report” that can be downloaded for free provided you give your email address. The rich content provides value, and the “special report” is the extra incentive.
Yet another source for your customer base, which is often forgotten, is your existing customers. Consider Proactive Customer Service for the Online Business . If you bought a product from a particular person and s/he was available to answer all your questions (an indication of quality customer service), would you buy from them again in the future? Definitely. When a customer gives you their money, don’t look at it as a done deal and the end of the affair. Instead, look at it as the beginning of a new relationship. Consider keeping in touch with them by sending them updates to new products, holiday cards, birthday card, and newsletters. If you can build on the “like” and “trust” factors (people buy from those they like and trust) and develop a relationship with them, you will have a lifetime source of income.
Imagine if 100, 1000 or even 10000 customers are waiting to grab your newest products even before they are released! Hence, it’s vital to build a customer base because it simply saves a lot of time and effort.
Filed under: Marketing Strategies • Online Marketing
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