How To Avoid Annoying Customers Online
Monday, July 12, 2010, 6:00 AM | Leave Comment
In any kind of economy, small businesses online make sure how to attract new customers and try to retain existing ones. There are some “generic” ways of doing it and some very industry-specific ones as well.
The old adage that “customers come first” always holds true.
At times, you come across some customers that you rather not do business with, especially those that fill your comment and contact forms with useless and ineligible and bogus website addresses.
You wish they would go away. Those customers are few and your business can move forward without them.
However, on your part as small business owner online, you should try the following tactics of how to avoid annoying customers:
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Always listen to the needs of your customers
Whether on- or off-line, don’t always talk about yourself. Once is probably enough. Instead, listen to the needs of potential buyers and provide them what they want in your business niche.
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Stop the music from playing automatically
If you have a website or blog, let visitors start the music if they want to. I come across many sites the moment I display it, the music starts playing. Sometimes, the volume on my speaker is quite high and it just blurts out some stupid talk or music.
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Stop driving them crazy with fancy technology
I have seen time and again when I look at a website representing some genuine business, I get the feeling that it was developed by some technical guru with no business insight behind it. It should be defined by the businessman who must have a lot of input in the design.
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Stop asking for email if you have nothing in particular to offer
To ask your visitors for their email, have something to offer – a free guide about your site subject matter. Don’t somehow force them to give you their email address.
In a Nutshell
Very legitimate and big businesses, when you display their websites, have annoying pop-up and pop-under. I never click on them. But they are always there on almost every page. Try to not do that. If you do have to do it, do it just once and not on every page.
