Online business is a whole different ballgame to traditional 'offline' trading, despite the fact that the two share some basic similarities. There are a whole different set of attitudes, a completely different ethos, and in general an utterly distinct way of doing business on the Internet as compared to what many small business owners will be familiar with. Largely this can be categorised as a different approach to marketing, customer service and delivery on client requirements, and it is one way of doing business that all offline business owners can learn from in order to improve their business. A major distinction between Internet business and traditional business is the way in which customers are handled. Communication online is by virtue instantaneous, which means customer service issues are often dealt with in the blink of an eye.
In traditional business, customer concerns are often put to the back of our minds, and allowed to rest in favour of more important concerns. Unfortunately, this is often disastrous in terms of customer relations, and can put a dampener on what would otherwise be a long lasting business relationship. Take a leaf out of the online marketer's book and deal with complaints as and when they arise.
The sooner you resolve disputes or complaints about your business, the better the relationship you'll maintain with your customer. Especially for small business owners, this can be a vital lesson should you look to grow and nurture your business. Another lesson learned from online business that can be transferred into the offline world lies in delivering value.
Business owners online are quick to provide their customers with exceptional value and service in a bid to surpass the competition and make a name for themselves in what is essentially the world's most competitive marketplace. Offline, it's often all to easy to get wrapped up in the day to day operations side of business, to the neglect of customer relations and quality. By learning this vital lesson from Internet business owners, you can create a more customer-orientated business, which will help nurture long lasting relationships with your clientele. Likewise business owners on the Internet constantly benchmark and review their models in line with competitors. This in turn helps them to achieve a competitive edge where possible over other providers in the market, and at any rate allows them to understand every step of the way what competitors are up to.
This is a good attitude to instil in all business owners, either online or offline, and breeds a better understanding of the market which ultimately affords constant improvement and refinement in the way you do business. All in all, this has the potential to help you create a better business for more long term success. Doing business on the Internet is different to doing business in any other way. While the fundamentals are the same, there are nevertheless a number of different approaches to business on the Internet which add to customer service, marketing and operations to make for a more rounded, better business.
About the Author:
CityLocal is a Web-Based Business Directory And Business Franchising Opportunity. With Territories Available In the UK and Ireland CityLocal allows you to be your own boss. To find out more, visit www.citylocal.co.uk or www.citylocal.ie.
