Increase Your Profits With Email Marketing
http://www.ads-get-read.co.uk/articles/107248/1/Increase-Your-Profits-With-Email-Marketing/Page1.html
Warren Miller
Warren Miller is the lead marketing consultant for Lazer Promotions - a 'new media' marketing agency that delivers customized solutions through new technologies. They just launched the Lazer Alliance membership club to help business owners to get ahead online, featuring various marketing solutions, one-on-one consulting and more. By Warren Miller
Published on Wednesday 27th 2010
Small business owners spend hours of time and money trying to attract new business A steady flow of new business is necessary for business survival
Small business owners spend hours of time and money trying to attract new business. A steady flow of new business is necessary for business survival. But in your rush to attract new people, don't forget current or previous customers and clients. They're as good as gold....and if you've given them a good experience in the past, they are much more likely to purchase from you again.
Consumers have a lot of options. There are literally thousands of small businesses competing for their attention. That's why it's in your best interest to build a relationship with them so they'll be encouraged to return.
For example, I once hired a lawn care company to spray my yard for insects. It was a quarterly job...meaning I needed it done again in 3 months. However, I lost my receipt and couldn't remember the name of the company when the time came. I ended up hiring a different company - even though I was happy with the previous one (whatever their name was). Had this company utilized a simple email marketing program, they would have earned my business over and over, because I would have remembered their name.
Most marketers believe an existing customer or client is worth more than a new prospect. Why is that? It's because someone who has already spent money with you is likely to do it again, especially if they were happy with the previous transaction. Most people, once they find something they like, tend to be loyal. Customer loyalty is one of the key elements for a sustainable business and long-term profitability.
A qualified audience is much better than prospects that may or may not be willing to buy what you're selling. So, what's the catch? The catch is you're not the only fish in the sea. Your qualified audience can very well go elsewhere if you let them slip away. Email marketing is one of the hooks you can use to catch that fish.
How do you know if email marketing is right for you? Well, ask yourself the following questions:
1. When a person needs or wants your product or service, will they think of your business first?
2. Does your current marketing plan contain an element that involves interaction with previous customers?
3. If they've purchased from you before, do you have the ability to keep in touch with them for future marketing campaigns?
4. Do you reach out to your previous buyers when you have a related or complimentary product to the one they just purchased?
If you answered no to any of the questions above, you might want to add email marketing to your overall marketing plan. The power of email marketing has been proven time and time again. The return on investment (ROI) of email marketing continues to outpace most other marketing options, coming in at an average of over $43 for every dollar spent in 2009.
Instead of focusing only on attracting new business, pay attention to the business you already have. The payoff could be huge.
Consumers have a lot of options. There are literally thousands of small businesses competing for their attention. That's why it's in your best interest to build a relationship with them so they'll be encouraged to return.
For example, I once hired a lawn care company to spray my yard for insects. It was a quarterly job...meaning I needed it done again in 3 months. However, I lost my receipt and couldn't remember the name of the company when the time came. I ended up hiring a different company - even though I was happy with the previous one (whatever their name was). Had this company utilized a simple email marketing program, they would have earned my business over and over, because I would have remembered their name.
Most marketers believe an existing customer or client is worth more than a new prospect. Why is that? It's because someone who has already spent money with you is likely to do it again, especially if they were happy with the previous transaction. Most people, once they find something they like, tend to be loyal. Customer loyalty is one of the key elements for a sustainable business and long-term profitability.
A qualified audience is much better than prospects that may or may not be willing to buy what you're selling. So, what's the catch? The catch is you're not the only fish in the sea. Your qualified audience can very well go elsewhere if you let them slip away. Email marketing is one of the hooks you can use to catch that fish.
How do you know if email marketing is right for you? Well, ask yourself the following questions:
1. When a person needs or wants your product or service, will they think of your business first?
2. Does your current marketing plan contain an element that involves interaction with previous customers?
3. If they've purchased from you before, do you have the ability to keep in touch with them for future marketing campaigns?
4. Do you reach out to your previous buyers when you have a related or complimentary product to the one they just purchased?
If you answered no to any of the questions above, you might want to add email marketing to your overall marketing plan. The power of email marketing has been proven time and time again. The return on investment (ROI) of email marketing continues to outpace most other marketing options, coming in at an average of over $43 for every dollar spent in 2009.
Instead of focusing only on attracting new business, pay attention to the business you already have. The payoff could be huge.