One of the nicest parts of dealing with small businesses, and operating one, is a personalized experience. After all, when a client deals with you, the operator of a small business, s/he is dealing with the Big Dog of the operation, right? You are the one who can provide an excellent customer service experience for each and every client you interact with, which will lead to referrals and repeat business.
With the advent (or explosion) of successful e-commerce ventures, however, some folks seem to be forgetting about how important it is to maintain this company "face" for the customer. Others want to provide a good experience for the site visitor, drawing them back to the business repeatedly, but can't figure out exactly how to do it. This is especially difficult for those of us who have survived decades of retail experiences. That's why I'd like you all to trot over to this Yahoo! Small Business article about site personalization. If you're wondering or slacking, you'll get some ideas to get the ball rolling.
Don't be fooled into thinking these are the only methods to use either. Be creative and keep those clients feeling in touch and coming back for more. (Then come back and share with your fellow SmallBizMentor visitors how you keep your visitors feeling warm and fuzzy!)
Melonie,
First, please forgive me for not inviting myself over to your blog earlier!
About website personalization: some sole operators refer to themselves as "we" or So-and-So "and Associates" even when these associates are the dog and cat. In this era of blogging and "just folks" business personas, the "we" thing seems kind of old school, doesn't it? I wonder if people are relying on that facade as much as they used to.
Posted by: Claire Tompkins | May 19, 2006 3:22 PM | Permalink to Comment