How To Improve Customer Loyalty During A Turbulent Economy

I'm not gonna sugar coat it... it's looking pretty darn ugly out there!

I'll spare you a rehash of all the gory details -- I'm sure you're WELL aware of them already -- but suffice to say that the stock market and economy took a pretty sound thrashing this week.

And MANY people are worried.

I'm seeing it in the emails I've been getting from nervous customers... and in the urgent phone calls I'm receiving... and in the comments on my blog...

There are a whole lot of people out there who are concerned about what the present economic climate will mean to their Internet businesses.

Well, I'm no economist, so I'm not about to make a prediction about the markets or the stability of the economy...

... but I am an Internet marketer, and what I can say -- with confidence -- is that a downturn in the current economy does NOT have to be a major roadblock for YOUR Internet business!

One key to surviving (even thriving) during this period of uncertainty is to know your customers!

It's more critical than EVER for you to understand EXACTLY who they are... where they're coming from... their interests, goals, and desires. This will allow you to create laser-focused marketing copy that speaks DIRECTLY to them and solves their specific problems, as well as offer products that you know for sure will make a difference in their lives.

You'll be rewarded with continued customer loyalty and ongoing sales!

So if you don't already know all you can about your customers and visitors, NOW is definitely the time to find out...

... and the easiest and fastest way to do that is with a survey.

Here are the SIX STEPS you need to follow to create an effective and informative survey that will help you connect with your customers -- and continue to profit -- during the current financial turmoil:

Step #1: Plan Your Survey

As with everything else you do with your business, you'll have the greatest success with your survey if you do some advance planning.

Without a solid idea of what exactly it is you hope to learn from your results, you can easily end up creating a survey consisting of fairly random questions that ultimately don't lead you anywhere.

So make sure you take the time to sit down and do some brainstorming and list-making.

Decide what your goals with the survey are. Are you trying to learn more about specific products you offer? Looking for ways you could give everyone a more positive customer care experience? Trying to gather demographic information so you can segment your list better and send out tailored offers?

Be clear about what you're hoping to accomplish with the survey, and you'll be in great shape when it comes time to write the actual survey questions.

Step #2: Choose Your Weapon

One thing I like about surveys is that they're super simple for pretty much ANY business owner to administer, no matter how small your budget, or limited your technical knowledge.

That's because there are lots of web-based services out there that will host your survey for you... for FREE!

You just design the survey using their simple point-and-click interface, enter the text for your questions, and then email a link to the survey to your customers and subscribers.

When your customers show up, the automated survey is online and ready to take!

And best of all, many of these free services offer a reasonable number of reporting features, too, making it easy to interpret your results.

Of course, most of these services offer paid upgrades as well, which allow you to create more complex surveys and get more sophisticated reports, but for a typical small survey, the freebies work just fine.

Here are a couple that I've used and like:

* SurveyMonkey


* Survey Pro

Step #3: Design And Write Your Survey

Designing your survey takes a bit of skill, but with a small amount of planning (there's that word again!), you'll have no problem putting an effective one together. Just be sure that you're putting the questions in a logical order, and not exhausting your customers by asking for too much detail.

Here are a few tips to help you design a better survey:

* Start with the good stuff -- To ease your customers into the survey, start off with some simple questions they can answer without a lot of thought.

This can be something as simple as basic demographic information (age, location, etc.), which also happens to be useful information.

But don't load up the front end with all of the easy questions. Save a few for the end of the survey. That way, it won't get increasingly difficult throughout, which can cause some people to bail before they complete it.


* Avoid asking too many questions -- 5-10 minutes is about the maximum length you can reasonably expect somebody to spend answering a survey, so be sure to limit your questions.

At the same time, be sure to let your respondents know up front how much time will be required to complete it... and be honest! People will begin to drop out if it starts to take longer than you say.


* Give your survey an introduction and ending -- It's a good idea to include an introduction to the survey, to clearly explain what people are required to do.

At the same time, it's a nice touch to end the survey with a "thank-you" page, just to let people know you appreciate the time they spent taking the survey.


* Respect people's privacy -- You may want to collect personal information like age, income, and occupation. If you do so, make sure to reassure your customers beforehand that you have a strict privacy policy, and remind them that their answers are all confidential.

When it comes time to write the actual questions, make sure you write in a relaxed, conversational voice, and avoid things like abbreviations, acronyms, and double negatives. You want to be sure that EVERY person who takes your survey clearly understands all of the questions.

Here are a few tips to help you write compelling and effective survey questions:

* Avoid asking leading questions -- Be sure that your questions don't sway your customers toward answering them in a particular way, or giving an answer that's not actually true.

For example, don't say: "How quickly did we resolve your problem? " This assumes that the problem was indeed resolved.

The question you should ask is, "Was your problem resolved?"


* Avoid questions that rate more than one thing -- Avoid asking questions that require people to rate more than one thing at a time.

For instance, don't say: "How fast and accurate did you find our customer service representative?"

While the service may have been fast, it may not have been accurate (or vice versa) so this question is impossible to answer accurately.


* Focus on asking "close-ended" questions -- In a survey, a close-ended question is one that can be answered with a simple yes/no or other specific piece of information, or a selection from multiple choices.

This makes the survey faster and easier for your customers, and the results more simple for you to manage.

So instead of a question like "What did you think of your customer service experience?" try something like "Did you enjoy your customer service experience?"


* Be consistent with your questions -- If you ask your customers to rate certain things on a numbered scale, make sure to use the same scale each time.

So if they need to rate something on a scale of 1 to 5 in one question, avoid using a scale of 1 to 10 elsewhere.


* Watch out for long questions -- If your questions are too long, your customers will soon get tired of answering them, and abandon the survey. Look for questions that can be broken into two or more parts.


* Don't test your customers' memories -- Try not to ask your customers to recall a lot of information that happened far in the past. They'll soon get bogged down trying to recall specific details, and if they're in a hurry to complete the survey, will often abandon it.

Step #4: Test Your Survey

You all know by now that I'm a HUGE advocate of testing EVERYTHING before you email it, make it live on your site, or expose it to your customers in any way.

So take the time to carefully review the survey to make sure it has a logical flow, and that it all makes sense.

If you can, it's a good idea to ask a few people (customers, if possible, or co-workers, friends, or family) to take the survey ahead of time, and actually WATCH them while they do it.

Do they hesitate while answering a question? Backtrack? Skip over a question? It could be a sign that your questions aren't clear enough, and you'll need to work on making them more simple.

Once you're done, ask about the experience. Was there anything you didn't understand? Were you confused at any point?

You want to make sure the survey is easy to understand and follow BEFORE you make it available. Once it's actually live -- and your customers have started answering it -- you DON'T want to have to start tinkering with the questions. That will skew your results.

Step #5: Administer The Survey

Okay, the moment of truth is upon you: It's time to invite your customers to take the survey.

The easiest way to do this is to email them, and ask them for a few minutes of their time. And make sure you tell them what's in it for them if they take the survey.

If your goal is to improve a certain product, for instance, tell them that by taking the survey, they'll actually be helping you to help them, because you'll use their comments to fine-tune the assistance you can offer them.

And don't be shy about offering your customers a "bribe" for taking the survey. You're asking them to do a big favor for you, so it's not unreasonable to reward them for their time.

Consider sending everyone who responds a gift (like a free eBook that they'll find valuable, a coupon for discounted products, or enter them in a draw to win some a prize.)

Finally, make sure you build some urgency into the email. If you don't ask people to take the time right away to answer the survey, they'll often put it aside to answer when they have more time... but then never return to complete it.

Step #6: Interpret Your Results

As you review the results of your survey, remember that, more than anything, you're looking for trends. Did the majority of respondents answer specific questions the same way? Are they often expressing the same frustrations, etc?

At the same time, look for any surprising answers. Your survey is likely going to tell you things about your audience that you had no idea were true.

By finding out EXACTLY who your audience is, what they like (and dislike), and what their goals and experiences are, you'll be able to tailor your salescopy, your email marketing efforts, your website, and even your products, to perfectly suit them.

The results should be improved customer loyalty, and ongoing success with your business, even during these turbulent economic times!

To your success,

Derek Gehl
Internet Marketing Guru
==========================================================
About The Author

Derek is the CEO of Internet Marketing Centre, the #1
Internet marketing support centre assisting businesses on
how to make money using top internet marketing strategies
===========================================================

What You Must Do In A Slowing Economy

Have last week's developments with the US economy got you
feeling spooked?

I don't blame you! What with the country's second-largest
bank collapse PLUS a government bailout of Fannie Mae AND
Freddie Mac happening in the same WEEK, it's hard to
know what to expect next!

If you're like the other small business owners I know,
I'm willing to bet that, right this minute, you're on the
fence about whether you should continue to invest in
the tools and help you need to start your own Internet
business... or whether it's better to save your cash
until things stabilize a bit.

And that's actually why I'm firing off this hasty article...

... because I've just learned about a way you can do
BOTH, as long as you take advantage of this current economic
downturn and create something positive out of it.

A few months ago, Internet marketing wizard Derek Gehl
unleashed a powerful business-building system that
gives you all the tools and assistance you need to
start a completely automated, hands-free Internet
business from SCRATCH, including the website, a
salesletter, an online payment system, endless streams
of traffic, and help getting it all set up.

He named it "BeBiz," and since its release, it's gone
on to become the most simple yet comprehensive way for
"newbies" to go from zero to online profits in as
short a time span as possible (often in as little as
5 days!).

Well, just moments ago, Derek informed me and a few
of his other close associates that, in order to give
as many people as possible a leg up during this
volatile economy, he's going to WAIVE the entire
$177 BeBiz start-up fee for new members!

Unfortunately, there's a catch...

Due to the amount of money he could potentially lose
with this offer, he can only make it available to the
next 200 people who get in touch with him...

... so I urge you to follow this link below to contact him right
away:

DeRek Gehl new business Offer

Trust me: you do NOT want to let this opportunity pass
you by!

Where ELSE will you get a professional-looking sales
website that could have you earning profits by this
time next month (along with an Internet marketing genius
looking over your shoulder and guiding you as you
set it up)?

Best wishes for your business,

Anthony Akabogu
Internet Marketing Strategist


Webmasters choice of browser better than IE
My StumbleUpon Page

P.S. During the initial BeBiz launch, Derek made 250
spots available, and they were all snapped up in mere
hours -- and that was WITH the regular $177 start-up
fee -- so you can just imagine how fast these 200 spots
with NO start-up fees are going to go.

Don't miss out:

DeRek Ghel new business Offer

About the Author:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anthony A. JP, The Affiliate Marketing strategist has
helped thousands of people in over 100 countries around
the world start and run a successful home business.
Discover 3 easy steps to start your own home business
and subscribe to The Affiliate Marketing Guy's Free Home Business
Secrets Mini-Course at: Affiliate Marketing Tips.Com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3 Critical Success Traits Shared By Top Internet Whiz Kids!!!!

Three Critical Success Traits Shared By "Mom & Pop" Type Web Sites That Are Earning $100,000 to $600,000 Every Year

Recently, I became a member of this new private web site, SecretsToTheirSuccess.com, that shares the Internet marketing secrets of real people, just like you and me, who are earning $100,000+ per year with their own Internet businesses.

Just to give you some background, I'll tell you that every month, this site shares two new real-life stories of successful "Mom & Pop" type sites, providing in-depth interviews with the site owners and asking really tough questions about the exact steps, strategies, tools, and software that these people have used to build and grow their sites to their current success.

For example, two success stories that I just finished checking out are:

Real-Life Case Study #1 — Robert Clark

See exactly how Robert Clark turned his $275 a week paycheck into a highly profitable online business that takes him only 2 hours each day to run... while earning him over $250,000 a year in profits!

Real-Life Case Study #2 — Ken Calhoun

Ken grossed over $98,000 in sales with his Internet business in 2000 (his first full year online) and then tripled his sales to earn over $300,000 last year — almost all of it profit, all from his beach front condo in Hawaii.

... as well as many other "real people" just like you and me who are creating a fortune on the Internet!
If you'd like to check out these success stories for yourself right now, and personally discover these "No BS" examples of real people making real money on the Internet, then click here now to get the exact step-by-step details of how they're doing it!

Obviously, reading these interviews is a really powerful way to guarantee the success of your own web site, because you're getting a personal insider's tour of real sites, run by real people, that are making real money!

Anyway, as I was reading through the latest success stories, I couldn't help but notice that, despite dramatic differences in the business models they use and the products and services they sell, these successful web site owners all share three common "success traits" that played a major role in growing their online sales to $100,000 to $600,000 a year...

Success Trait #1:

First of all, one of the reason's why they're sooooo successful NOW is because they didn't let their lack of knowledge stop them. Despite the fact that many of them had no computer experience, never mind experience using the Internet -- and despite the fact that many had never owned a business before -- they just plain got started and didn't worry about making everything "perfect" the first time.

Remember, I'm not talking about rocket-scientists here. These are regular people, like you and me, who started running their web sites out of their own homes and are now making $100,000 to $600,000 a year with their sites.

And believe it or not, almost all of them were making a profit from day-one! Sure, they weren't all making buckets of cash right away; but their profits increased quickly as they continued to improve on what they started with.

Success Trait #2:

I've already mentioned that these successful web site owners didn't worry about making everything "perfect" right away. And this is important, because rather than overload themselves by trying to become Internet marketing gurus BEFORE they got started, they just dove in and focused on one marketing strategy at a time, working extremely hard to maximize their profits with one strategy before moving onto the next.

This is a trait that really amazed me because even though these successful web site owners are earning substantial incomes from their web sites, they ALL talk about how they plan to snowball their profits and sales even more by strategically adding another strategy... and another strategy... and another strategy... to their web sites, one at a time.

Success Trait #3:

Interestingly, the one point that kept coming up again and again, sometimes two or three times in a single interview, was that all of these successful site owners confess they could have been earning a MUCH bigger income MUCH faster had they only avoided the costly mistakes started educating themselves sooner.

And that's probably the most critical trait these success stories share -- they've all committed to educating themselves about the most profitable marketing strategies and techniques.

In fact, I could literally go on for pages and pages reeling off the hundreds of invaluable marketing strategies, techniques, tools, and software recommendations that these people share in their interviews, based on their own real-life experiences and commitment to educating themselves.

However, I know it will mean much more when you hear, straight from the horse's mouth, these...

"No BS" Examples Of Real People Making
Real Money on the Internet...

If you want to automatically skip the failing promotions, and start learning the tested, proven strategies that real businesses have already proven to be enormously successful, then I'd highly recommend that you visit http://www.SecretsToTheirSuccess.com to take a private tour of "Mom & Pop" web sites that earn $100,000 to $600,000 a year and discover the exact step-by-step strategies they have personally used to generate these massive profits!

You will instantly be exposed to extremely successful netrepreneurs like...


Real-Life Case Study #3 — Andy Bryant

Andy's site is generating an impressive $50,000 in sales per month... and even Andy's a bit surprised to discover that his $600,000 a year online income is the result of his own self-proclaimed vain quest to reverse his own hair loss!

Real-Life Case Study #4— Ellen Cagnassola

Ellen is a work-at-home mom who produces homemade, personalized glycerin soaps. Discover the strategies she used to expand her offline business onto the Web, and how she gets big companies (like Johnson and Johnson) to distribute and sell her soaps for her... earning a hefty online income at the same time!

Real-Life Case Study #5 — Kelly Monaghan

Kelly Monaghan has quite literally built a $200,000+ Web business around his lifestyle. While he's bumping across Tibet in a jeep or white water rafting in Nepal, his four successful sites continue to bank his sales and profits....

... plus many, many more!


When I first came across http://www.SecretsToTheirSuccess.com I was shocked to find REAL successful people just like you and me who were willing to give away their most coveted Internet marketing secrets.

So if you want to skip the failing promotions, I highly recommend that you click here now and learn the "No BS Strategies" these real people are using to make real money on the Internet!

Anthony Akabogu
Internet Wealth Explosion


Webmasters choice of browser better than IE
My StumbleUpon Page

About the Author:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anthony A. JP, The Affiliate Marketing strategist has
helped thousands of people in over 100 countries around
the world start and run a successful home business.
Discover 3 easy steps to start your own home business
and subscribeto The Affiliate Marketing Guy's Free Home Business
Secrets Mini-Course at: Affiliate Marketing Tips.Com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Derek Ghel's Latest Project !!!!!!!!

To All Aspiring Entrepreneurs & existing businesses ,

This morning I got a very interesting email from Derek
Gehl, talking about some project he is working on.

It was kind of cryptic and I am still scratching my head
trying to figure out what the heck he is up to...

But if I know him, we should pay close attention because
I am sure it will be profitable for all of us.

Anyway, rather than retype everything he wrote me, I
have just pasted it here...

DEREK’S EMAIL TO ME:
----------------------------------
Hey Anthony,

Derek Gehl here... I hope all is well with you and your biz!

Just wanted to drop you a quick email to let you in on
an “amazing project” I am working on that has to be
one of the best training ideas I have ever come up with...

I’ve finally found a way for my team and me to work with
people who want to start their own Internet businesses
on a level I am surprised I’ve never thought of before...

A way for us to be right beside their computer...

In their own homes...

Teaching people how to build their own successful Internet
businesses from scratch!

I am still wrapping up the loose ends and I will not be completely
ready until late June but I got excited and wanted to tell some
key people about it now.

And Anthony, if you have anyone you want to
tell about this, you must do it now...

... because I can only allow 300 serious entrepreneurs to take
part. So please don’t show this link to people who you think
will waste my time.

Anyway, I am not giving out too much info today but to give
you a hint, go to...

''Internet Wealth Explosion'' The most advanced training systems
ever created.

And if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call...

Derek Gehl, CEO
The Internet Marketing Center



---------------------------------------
So what was the first thing I did when I got this email?

Simple... I clicked on the link he gave me, and then followed
the instructions to take a sneak peek... even I don’t want to
miss out on what he is working on!

So go to the link he gave us...

The most advanced revolutionary training series

''Internet Wealth Explosion''

Follow his instructions and let’s see what he is up to!

All the best...

Anthony Akabogu
Internet Wealth Explosion

My StumbleUpon Page

About the Author:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anthony A. JP, The Affiliate Marketing strategist has
helped thousands of people in over 100 countries around
the world start and run a successful home business.
Discover 3 easy steps to start your own home business
and subscribe
to The Affiliate Marketing Guy's Free Home Business
Secrets Mini-Course at:
Affiliate Marketing Tips.Com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------