In business world, online and offline, only way we can stay in business is to attract customers and keep them. We spend a lot of time advertising, looking for referrals and promoting to new and current customers. But what are our customers really looking for?

If you sell software, jewelry, vitamins, books, etcetera, a customer can purchase these products in a multitude of places. Why should a customer purchase product from you and return to your business for other products? The answer should be because they can expect excellence from you.

Excellence is setting high standards for yourself that your competitors may overlook. You will go beyond normal standard of customer service to satisfy your customer. You will perform at a level higher than competition. Your business will be superb.

Can you think of a business that's superb? Can you think of a time when a business offered you a high quality product and they went above and beyond what their competitors offered? What did you do? You probably purchased other products from them and told your family and friends about experience. What are your customers saying about your business and their experience with you?

If you want your customer to say they were very satisfied, you have to be willing and determined to raise your standards and be better today than you were yesterday. Excelling is an ongoing process that never ends.

How do you start process?

*Pay Attention To The Details Imagine you are buying a pair of earrings as a gift. Store A has what you're looking for in display cabinet. You ask to see them, you like them so you make purchase. The salesperson puts them in a plastic earring holder and places them in a paper bag along with receipt.

Store B has what you're looking for in display cabinet. You ask to see them. The salesperson explains quality and weight to you so you can make an informed decision. You like them so you make purchase. The salesperson puts them in a beautiful box, offers to gift wrap them for you, at no extra charge, and puts them in a small gift bag. She hands you your receipt and cleaning and care instructions for earrings.

Which store will you return to for your next purchase?

Dear Entrepreneur:

I'm glad to see you're still on path to success. Many have begun this journey at same time as you but have dropped off by way side. Some were too weary to go on. Some lost hope along way and others took wrong path and detoured into trying to get rich quick, offering scams and other unethical procedures. But you are persevering step after step on road to your success.

Perhaps you've reached that fork in road where you have to make another choice in deciding which direction to go. You've built your web page and sent your web address all over web world. This may have generated some sales but maybe not what you expected. It may be time to step off broad path and enter onto narrow path.

What is narrow path? The narrow path is point where you realize whole world is not your market. You may believe in your product so much that you're thinking whole world does need your product or service, but unfortunately they don't. Even if you were selling water, which is something everyone needs, your market is not whole world. Some people want tap water, some distilled water, some spring water, some ice water and some may want to live by water and go out to well or brook everyday and get it straight from source. So you see, you must take this turn down narrow path.