Keep Winning Those Customers That You've Already WON

Written by Tatiana Velitchkov


Continued from page 1

Give them a card (or a username & password) that they could use to get discounts on ALL succeeding purchases made for a year -- then give themrepparttar option to renew their card privileges, either through more purchases or an outright renewal fee.

2) Points Equals Products

But if you're not too keen on having too many people getting too many products for marked-down prices, then consider setting aside a number of items as giveaways, which loyal customers can get after earning enough "points."

(Something those credit card companies are doing allrepparttar 121267 time!)

Just award a proportionate number of points for each purchase a client makes, then encourage them to earn more points so they can get this or that for free.

At its best it will encourage them to make more repeat purchases -- and help you get more marketing mileage when you brand those giveaway items as well.

3) Raffle Tickets For Purchases

This is quite similar torepparttar 121268 "points for purchases routine," but instead of "points" they need to accumulate a total amount in purchases in exchange for a raffle ticket; usuallyrepparttar 121269 amount required is low enough to encourage people to get more than one ticket, but high enough to makerepparttar 121270 effort of printing tickets worthwhile forrepparttar 121271 store.

(Online, however, you don't need to have anything printed: Just create uniquely generated pages and/or assign raffle numbers for your clients to hold on to, and enter them into your draw!)

The prizes here have to be larger, too, ranging from electronic gadgets to vacation trips. These will depend entirely on how long you wantrepparttar 121272 raffle period to go on, how many raffle tickets/numbers you are prepared to assign, and how much money you can actually spend on prizes.

And speaking of big prizes, it pays to recruit partners for a raffle, too. Not only could they help provide for prizes out of their own inventories; they could also help spreadrepparttar 121273 word by distributing raffle tickets, themselves.

4) Club Membership

Finally, you can also choose to reward loyal clients by creating an exclusive membership club just for them: a club with specific benefits, discounts, and privileges.

You can either host this club entirely online, or maybe schedule offline activities as well (so members could getrepparttar 121274 chance to actually meet each other).

Just be sure to make club membership advantages attractive enough for them to want to join -- and synergetic enough with your existing business focus so it will benefit YOU as well.

But Don't Forgetrepparttar 121275 Bookmarks! -------------------------------

Although not entirely effective on their own, bookmarks can also increase your loyalty programs' success when coupled withrepparttar 121276 right rewards.

So keep on telling surfers to "bookmark your page," change your bookmark icon into a discount card, and alter your page titles to make them rememberrepparttar 121277 benefits of returning to your store.

Givenrepparttar 121278 right incentives, clients are usually smart enough to return torepparttar 121279 same store over and over -- and WE should always be smart enough to appreciate their coming back.

© Tatiana Velitchkov

Tatiana is the publisher of: http://www.TheFortunesEzine.com, the FortunesEzineWeekly at http://www.TakeYourFortune.com, and owner of the traffic-solution slam advertising sites http://www.Guaranteed-Hits.com and http://www.Guaranteed-Hits.net


Share Marketing Costs, Boost Profits

Written by Will Dylan


Continued from page 1

Purchase separately at a discount – There may be some occasions where a business does not wish to share its ad space. Even in these cases a co-op approach can offer a lower cost. Andy could callrepparttar publication and ask for a quote onrepparttar 121266 back page for next month. Oncerepparttar 121267 price of $5000 is quoted, he then offersrepparttar 121268 publication a deal “What if I bring on another advertiser for you. Would I get a small discount?” Most publications live or die onrepparttar 121269 sales of their advertising space, and are usually willing to offer someone like Andy a 10% discount for bringing someone like Larry in to purchase an ad elsewhere inrepparttar 121270 publication. Andy and Larry splitrepparttar 121271 savings and Andy ends up paying $4750 for a $5000 ad. Althoughrepparttar 121272 savings were smaller in this case thanrepparttar 121273 shared ad example, remember that Andy now hasrepparttar 121274 entire back page to himself and saves $250.

Advertising is notrepparttar 121275 only example of co-ops at work. Web Designers would jump atrepparttar 121276 chance to line up two clients in one shot, and would likely offer a discount to do so. The same applies to a printing company that prints brochures or business cards. The possibilities are endless, includingrepparttar 121277 size ofrepparttar 121278 co-op you choose to join.

When faced with a major advertising buying decision orrepparttar 121279 need for new marketing materials, find out how much you will have to pay as a small business. Then form alliances with similar small business, and negotiate a better deal for all parties involved.

Will Dylan is the author of "Small Business, Big Marketing" and owner of www.marketingyoursmallbusiness.com

He can be reached at askwill@marketingyoursmallbusiness.com


    <Back to Page 1
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use