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The Internet is definitely the market for various new businesses. It offers enough space for any entrepreneur can start a business with low investment, even without financial resources and eliminate physical distances, giving you access to a much larger number of potential customers. On the other hand, online businesses are often fragile. The Internet is a market on which it is very hard to have control. Power is most often the Internet user. This, with comments on various forums and blogs can get you or your clients away.
A study by Netpop Chinese market showed that 58% of purchasing decisions in 2007 were influenced by comments from users. Meanwhile, the Internet is an extremely dynamic environment. Competition is becoming more and customers are just a few clicks away from competitors' offerings, making the level of fidelity in the online environment is reduced.
And yet, how do you keep customers? Promoting in a strong image for the online environment. The image is "good" of most valuable companies, regardless of the activity. We all have an image, often built by others for us. What you need to do is build the image you want, not to let others built. To be successful, you must become a store of reference in your field.
Elements of a powerful online image
The site is the most important element. We discussed in previous articles about what reliability, usability or accessibility. Four other important elements of a solid image are to promote communication, retention and reputation. Usually, we talk about when we refer to promote sales growth. Depending on the way you promote, mix channels and use them you can bring them a better image.
Rules for promotion intelligence
· Implement actions to promote memorable. The best vehicle to promote is the right client. Use your desire to tell people about interesting things, creating original action, and creative people will talk about. The layout of the print or online banner no longer bears fruit. Originality arouses curiosity, leads to action and urging it forward, creating word-of-mouth.
· Implications forums, blogs, communities. As I said earlier material purchasing decisions is becoming more strongly influenced by the opinions of other users. Use blogs as market research, to test products and find an honest and objective feedback.
· Assume quality specialist. People look to leaders to follow, to seek advice on applying. Write materials relevant to your business segment, generating articles about your products, show them your customers or visitors that you master the 'bite' you.
On the online environment, try to completely change the rules of communication. The Internet has become a social phenomenon, people talk, analyse, comment, ask opinions, and express views. Your communication strategy must take into account people's behaviour on the Internet. It is important to know what, how and, especially, how to talk about yourself.
Rules of online communication
· Create a community around the company or around the products / services they offer. You provide such a space dedicated to customers who want to discuss or ask references about your products. You can find out in time and keep control of unpleasant situations that may occur and you have a market research tool very useful.
· It offers customers the opportunity to make comments on the site, the products that they already used them. Transparency is the surest way to show that you are sure of quality products and win customer confidence.
· Create your own company blog to communicate directly with users and industry constantly monitors relevant blogs to find out what you discuss.
· Participate in discussions on other forums / blogs / communities that are related to your industry. Visibility, coupled with quality and pertinent comments will help you build a professional image in your field.
· Add testimonials and presentations that clearly explain the benefits they provide customers.
· Interact with the customer as much and watch what he wants. Below you will find the results of a study Forrester Research about what they want Internet users to a site.
· Establish a communication plan in case of crisis
How to prepare for crisis
· Prepare a list of unforeseen incidents that may occur. Although the crisis is an unexpected event, in any business you need to know what problems may arise
· For each possible problem, establish a review plan that can be implemented quickly.
· Establishes the procedure for communicating with different target audiences, depending on the problem. If a wrong price on the website, contact clients, explain the situation and offer them a discount or a bonus issue and make them as such will not be repeated. If it's a more serious situation which may involve the press, prepare a statement or even a meeting to explain the causes of the occurrence and the measures to be taken.
· Performed and a list of possible questions that may come with answers, to be known by all who come into contact with people outside the company.
When confronted with a problem, how will it be resolved should be known by everyone in the company who interacts with customers or other persons, from call centres to department managers. The importance is the speed of reaction and how you answer complaints. Open attitude, taking responsibility, if any, and immediate corrective measures will help reduce the negative effect. Often, the right attitude can turn an unpleasant situation in your favour and can help you prove that you care about customers. Concern for existing customers is very important in their loyalty. Service quality, product mix and how you communicate with them is the first step in a loyalty program. It must be complemented by actions dedicated but to make them return to your site and to show them that you want a long term relationship with them.
How to get loyal customers
· Implement loyalty programs. Whether you choose a point’s accumulation system, either as gifts to a higher amount of purchases, loyalty programs give a feeling of belonging to a club and will make them return.
· It offers lower prices; value added services or various other offers available only to customers. This will show that you appreciate their loyalty and new ones will lead to buy to get access to these facilities.
· Send personalized messages on several occasions such as birthday or national holidays.
· Ask clients feedback. Want to bring new products to make significant changes to the site? A questionnaire sent to people who normally use the site will bring valuable and honest feedback and show them that you are interested in their opinion.
Conclusions
In the process of building image in the online environment must take into account the main features of the Internet user: a desire to communicate, to interact with you and other users and need for novelty, originality. In the next article we will talk about reputation. Generates image and reputation of the reputation generate new image. Although reputation is earned, no tools by which you can monitor and influence, even online.
