Without a personal connection, you risk losing more than just a sale - your long-term business could be at stake. Everyone speaks of creating a USP - if you can't compete on price, why not make your mark in 'high touch' arena of customer service?

By taking time to transform a cold 'high tech' experience to one of 'high touch,' you'll set yourself apart from crowd and create something rarely seen: customer loyalty.

So, how to proceed?

*Commit To Ensuring That Everything Works

Minimize customer frustration by making sure that everything on your web site is working. There's nothing like a broken link to make customer enthusiasm fizzle.

*Keep In Touch!

Sounds simple, but in rush to make next sale, place next ad, or find next J/V partner, people forget to keep in touch with their own list. Make them feel you've not forgotten them.

Every so often, send a free report, a special notice, a 'customer only' bonus. Don't make it seem like only time you contact them is when you want to sell them something.

*Personalize As Much As Possible

There is a wealth of online software available to make this process easier. At a bare minimum, always personalize emails with recipient's first name!

Also try to collect personal information to give you an added excuse to check in with your customers. Gather birthdays, last product purchased, etc.

*Give Yourself A Time Limit For Responses If someone contacts you with a question or concern, get back to them within 48 hours (if not sooner).

In this age of skepticism, many people sometimes discount testimonials, feeling like they're fake, or made up.

But we know better!

Site owners recognize that there is nothing like a positive, unsolicited testimonial from a customer to strengthen a professional reputation. Especially if customer shares how their product or service changed their lives for better. They usually post these in very public areas, for obvious reasons.

Now, imagine exposure your name and URL will receive if YOUR testimonial is posted. There you are, commonly in a highlighted box, with your URL hyperlinked back to your web site.

Think some potential prospects will come across this link and perhaps, out of curiosity, click through to your site? Especially if you combine a mention of your own product or service within testimonial? I've seen people get an enormous amount of additional traffic this way.

Do this quick exercise. Go to some of 'guru' websites. Look for testimonials. You'll start noticing same names and URL's showing up over and over again. These people are on to something! Namely, spillover traffic!

Plus, by being seen on web sites of a heavy hitter, writers' credibility is enhanced by affiliation.

Testimonials are a win-win.