Tweet

Are you ignoring customers?

Written by: Lori Gama

Article Overview: Can you answer this question: how much revenue did your Web site generate for you in 2007? Maybe you'd increase revenue when you stop ignoring Web site visitors---who are really almost your customers.

Are you ignoring customers?

Every company has a main location -- the busiest hub where the most transactions occur. Even if you own a home-based business, you still have a main location: it's your Web site.

The other day, I met a gentleman who owns a very successful recreational vehicle dealership in another state. I asked him a question that stumped him and made him seriously turn around his thinking regarding his online marketing. I asked him: "How many sales did you make from your Web site last year?" He said he'd have to find out and get back to me.

Now if I had posed the question differently, such as "how many sales did you make at your main location last year?" he would have reeled off that information immediately because his main office is the heart of his business and he pays close attention to it, like any highly successful businessperson would.

Of course, he's not selling RVs directly off his Web site like Amazon.com sells books online. But with a properly SEO'd Web site that's user-friendly, he would definitely increase his sales.

What I wanted to find out was how many potential customers were finding his Web site in the search engines; how many were calling him and how many were not calling him, based on information (or lack of information) on his Web site.

The ones who weren't contacting the dealership were probably disengaged by the Web site for a variety of reasons (that could easily be fixed) and clicked out of there to find his competitors.

Start paying attention to the people who are stepping into your "main office" but are leaving because you're ignoring them.

If you can't answer the following questions, it's time to turn around your thinking and treat your Web site as seriously as you would while opening up and caring for a major business office or retail store in your company.

Ask yourself these eye-opening questions:

« When's the last time you reviewed your Web site's statistics to see how many visits your Web site is getting per week?

« How many sales did you make from your Web site last year?

« What plans have you made to ensure that your Web site will bring you more customers and sales in the coming year?

« Do you have an online marketing plan?

« How much of your marketing budget was devoted to improving your Web site to get more leads from the search engines?

« How much did you wish you had budgeted? (With 73 percent of Americans searching online for products and services, don't you think that devoting 75 percent of your marketing budget toward your Web site makes sense?)

« How do you measure how effective your Web site is at selling your product or service online? What type of information does your potential buyer need to make a decision or at least call or e-mail you?

People are buying homes from other states without seeing the actual home in person. Due to the use of video and virtual tours, home buyers with a limited amount of time can shop online and make a decision. People are deciding on other major milestones because of information they're finding (or not finding) online.

Turn around your thinking: don't ignore what could be your busiest sales location --your Web site. It's worth your time to investigate your "main office" to see how it could be improved for your potential customers to make a purchase decision or to at least call you.

Related Articles
  MIND TRAP: Ignoring the Evidence
  How Public Acknowledgement of Poor Quality Can Increase Sales
  Social Media Mistakes
  Self Coaching, A Guide to Self Directed Living
  You're boring

Article Tags: amazon, books online, business office, businessperson, gentleman, heart, home based business, hub, last time, marketing, paying attention, recreational vehicle dealership, retail store, rvs, search engines, statistics



Related Forum Posts
Re: Politeness! - Hi, It is a sad thing to see people ignoring basic words like thank you, but for the kids I would not blame them. I would blame their parents. When we were young, my mother used to tell us that she will teach us only three statements and these three statements will take us places. These three statements are: Thank you, Please and I am Sorry.
Re: Marketing to Wealthy Consumers - Hi Russell - lots of great ideas so far! I haven't seen talk about referrals yet though. It's the most powerful way to reach more wealthy consumers if you already have an established base. I'm assuming that your customers may be repeat clients but there is a long time period between purchases (they don't come every month for a new item). Have you tried any referral programs for existing customers or thought of a way to stay in touch with your customers on a regular basis so at least they keep your company top of mind?
Re: S.E.O The Essential's parts of S.E.O for your website - I wanted to comment ont he last part abotu social networks. Yes, Facebook has more options, and is the better option, but ignoring twitter could be a costly mistake. Twitter can be a great tool if done right. The best way ti to create keyword specific niche accounts, and use hashtags. You will get a lot of traffic this way. A friend of mine did a book on this. I can share a link if anyone is interested. It's not an affiliate link, it will have his name and information in it, not mine.
Firing your customers - We all work so hard to bring on new customers and generate new revenue but sometimes certain customers are just too difficult to deal with and can be a drain on your time, energy, and resources. Have you had to fire a customer for bad behavior?
Re: Hi I'm new here - BIG WELCOME TO THE FORUM. I love it when someone other than Japanese is learning JAPANESE KAIZEN philosophy. And it's funny how Malaysian and Japanese are gathering at a Canadian entreprenuers forum. I've only worked for three companies in US after college, all Fortune 500. But they all care about shareholders and not so much about customers. They say they do, but not really from what I know as customer service and they nickle and dime from their customers feeling the pressure from their shareholders to make every quarter big. Companies here do many things to their customers simply "because they can". Sorry to get sidetrack as usual. Sayonara, Takuya


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Fighting the Saw-Tooth Affect

Four Secrets to Earning Income as an Author

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.