Although this type is easiest to maintain (i.e., quarterly or semi-annually), trick is to make it so compelling that interested customers will immediately contact you after viewing site... and not get turned off by lack of information, forcing them to continue their search elsewhere.

3) Use Automating Scripts & Programs

The interactive nature of internet makes it very easy for surfers to instantly "interact" with you.

Although this is major appeal of every website, it's also practical to make internet work FOR YOU, too.

Use these same automating programs to save you time, while keeping your surfers satisfied with amount of interaction you can reasonably offer.

a) Autoresponders

Internet business gurus hold that every email inquiry should be answered within 24 hours or less.

Although that makes perfect business sense, there WILL be days when it would be close to impossible to do - especially if you're holding down 3 or more positions in your company.

The best way to keep to this business practice (while still managing to get some sleep each day) is to set up an autoresponder system for your email.

These systems send out an automatic response to each email, providing your interested client with a prompt reply and an assurance that you will attend to his specific request as soon as possible.

b) Form Messages

Form messages are pre-written responses to most common inquiries about you & your business. It's best to draft them long before you expect to get a deluge of emails, and save them in an easy-to access file in your computer.

This way, you don't have to think long & hard about same questions over and over again, or spend countless minutes answering a simple email.

Just make sure to modify names & details in your form messages, to avoid any embarrassing situations with new & regular clients.

c) Automatic Processes

Mailing list & ezine subscriptions. Updating of your client database. Credit card processing. Username & password generation.

Whenever possible, use available services & programs to automate these common processes on your website, requiring least possible amount of input from you.

If you decide to manually manage these things now because you can "still handle them," you might find yourself struggling later when your website becomes as successful as you want it to be.

d) Web Templates

If you find it necessary to your business to maintain a regularly-updated website, then ask your web developer to create web templates that you can use for easier updates.

Ideally, these should be kind where you can type in (or copy-and-paste in) your most current article or editorial, and then have it automatically uploaded to proper page at click of a mouse-button, without having to rename/rearrange directory files or deal with file transfer protocol (FTP).

Yes, it may be true that conducting business in a fast-paced generation could leave you feeling winded.

But if you aim to keep your business fit right from start, then running your own company should be good not just for your pockets... but also for your heart.

© Tatiana Velitchkov

They have seen big picture, and have taken necessary steps to get existing clients to KEEP ON BUYING their products -- and even encourage inactive customers to come out of woodwork buy from them AGAIN.

THEY have adapted to customer growth phenomenon -- and there's no reason why you shouldn't do same, too.

Rise To The Challenge --------------------- The simplest way to meet changing client needs usually involves just 3 adjustments to your product/service:

1) Add new features. Listen for what their new needs are, then study your product closely. Most of time, you'll find that you only really need one or two new features to improve what's already there, and make it enough to satisfy most clients.

2) Create an enhanced design. Sometimes it's not so much how a product works, but how a product LOOKS that makes clients decide they want something "new."

Whether you're talking about computer casing, or food packaging, or how cute icons are in your program's taskbar, remember that:

- different age groups have different design preferences - changing trends & lifestyles require properly-designed products - and people will always have a basic need to express their individuality & stand out -- and they often do so through products they use most often.

3) Increase range of selection & availability. Add new flavors. Create different-sized packages. Make your products available as downloads AND as deliverable CDs. Or enlist your business partners' help so they'll make your services available on their sites, too.

Although decision to change or grow seems intimidating at first, breaking them down into smaller steps of adjustment makes them more manageable -- and more affordable -- to execute and control.

Decide to GROW -------------- The moment clients increase or change their expectations of your product, it often means 2 good things:

1) They (or their business) have recently grown because of you, and 2) Their increased expectations often signal an increase in purchasing power, making them more financially able to do MORE business with you.

So don't be afraid to change, and dare to go where no entrepreneur in your position has ever gone before.

Whether you end up creating a new product or just retaining a valuable client, it can only mean BETTER things for you & your business, too.

© Tatiana Velitchkov