Do we really know what makes our business tick?

This for me is one of the key questions which we need to answer – what really drives our business? Lest we forget, business is based on people. It is all about relationships and one-on-one conversation – how do we as supplier best understand, interpret and meet the needs of you, our “consumer” now and in the future. Yet a great deal of what I saw and what I am seeing increasingly in the marketplace is a constant and ever increasing supply of software products to automate the customer interface.

I can remember Marketing 1.01 and the expression that customers are individuals and will express themselves as such in their buying behaviour as long as they have the money and the choice to be able to do so. I have long been convinced in the school of hard knocks and by observation of successful businesses over many years that those businesses which cultivate and maintain rich and meaningful dialogue with their customers are the ones which have prospered in the long run. And yet we are confronted with a plethora of “Customer relationship” software solutions purporting to automate a large portion of the customer relationship interface.

I am sure that there is a role for these and that, utilised effectively, they can help to reduce costs and increase effectiveness. The key is not to be seduced into thinking that they can in any shape, way or form, take the place of real customer intimacy – the type of relationships that take time to build but which become the foundation stones of enduringly successful businesses.

And we cannot even begin to think about the implementation of the CRM software systems which may automate much or even parts of the customer interface UNLESS we understand very clearly what makes our business tick. We need to be sure of what connects our brand DNA  to our customers. We need to stand back and think once again that customers are individuals, are unique and each holds a unique relationship with our business. Threaten that, and you threaten the core of your brand. Lose sight of it in the excitement and mystique of fancy new software and you run the real risk of undermining the real core of your business’ existence – the special nature of the personal relationships which you have with your key customers – and that is step one on the slippery slope to oblivion!

So by all means look for software that will ENABLE – that will give you savings, better and faster information and a broader base of communication. But never ever lose sight of the fact that your customers see their relationship with you as an intensely personal and individual one – between living organisms not databases

Small Business Websites and Internet Marketing

The internet is truly a web of confusing and misleading opinions. What role does it play for the small business owner and can it really add any value?

There are two key aspects you need to consider when deciding what role the internet can play in your business.

E-Brochure:
Do you need/want an e-brochure ie are you looking for a website to showcase your company and build credibility with your potential customers?
OR
E-Commerce:
Do you need/want to be able to sell your wares over the internet with a secure online payment gateway?

The first option is quicker, cheaper and easier to develop. It supports your bricks and mortar business. Ultimately all you require is a few key pages with some well written text on them: Home Page, About Us, Contact Us and maybe one or two Technical Pages to describe various features of what you do and how you do it. This should not cost the earth and there are a lot of online alternatives if you are fairly IT savvy to do it yourself.

The second option is more complex. This is where you need to give consideration to whether you could convert your bricks and mortar business into an online equivalent and change your business to one that achieves greater reward for perhaps lower overheads. This option requires a comprehensive web brief and, more likely than not, you’ll need a good web developer that can do the back-end programming to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Whichever option you choose you must spend a little time on search engine optimisation techniques. For without this you will end up winking in cyberspace!

Finally, write an effective marketing plan to ensure you understand how the internet can support your other marketing activities.