Hail Customers!

Hail customers! Hail Customers! Hail Customers! – Thus goes the legendary saying ages after ages. How to truly win your customer’s heart and rightfully fulfill their expectation is known to very few though.

Creating a presence in the customers’ mind which is already saturated with unlimited brands and products makes the job for businesses slightly tough. Consumer mindsets are like imaginary bubbles. They take shape of what they desire or harbour in their dreams. Underlining every desire though, is the value that every consumer seeks from a transaction, be it online or offline.

Maximum Value = Customer Retention

Just that one has to do it creatively. Times change. People change- every change is marked by the power of creative thought. Just like the genius of one generation is the common sense on the one succeeding it, emerging businesses in changing times, have to think innovation at every step.

An Example:

Creating contests to lure the customers is cliché. A contest may not always follow one’s whim and fantasy. Rewarding points to have your customers participate in contests is innovation. To ensure that you, as an enterprise value people’s most treasured currency, be it time or money will never let you down in the eyes of your audiences. They’ll value you for valuing it.

The above mentioned example is a unique strategy employed by an e-store called Retails Direct, in its newly born community feature called Café Retail. The idea is time-worn but this concept is the newest wrinkle ever introduced in the history of e-commerce.

Thus, the idea is to make your customers, your collaborative partners so that each one benefits from the mind pool created by both. Having inputs coming straight from the consumer themselves or rewarding them with points (to save their almighty money) to join hands with you is a well-thought out strategy to keep moving ahead with high tides.

How are online shoppers converted to in-shop buyers within a jiffy?

New York, January 29, 2008. Press Trust of India on Hindustan Time’s website reads that, ‘Indians are among the most online shopping savvy people (84 percent) when it comes to using credit cards. They stand second only to Turkish shoppers who topped global rankings for credit card usage (91 percent). The icing on the cake is IAMAI’s latest e-commerce report which says that the Indian e-commerce industry has reached a 9000 Crore growth figure in 2007-08.

Well, that’s some news but my point to state the mentioned facts is to bring to light the innovations which players (online retailers) are employing to make it big in this ever-expanding industry. That Internet is convenient, time-saving, effort-saving, provides better deals and comparisons, not to mention the immediate variety it offers is known to all of us. What’s new on the horizon? How are newbies able to immediately draw customer’s attention? How are online shoppers converted to in-shop buyers within a jiffy? You may call the answer a cliché but that’s what it is – UNDERSTAND YOUR CONSUMER NEEDS AND WANTS!

Changing times have changed people’s fancies too. All you have to do is catch them.

My latest study on internet about how are new players catching up with the rising currents reveals that entrepreneurs are keeping it simple but smart. You whip all that your customer desires and serve it with your USP’s garnished as toppings.

Here’s an example for you!

A new kid on the block, I have been reading extensively about is Retails Direct. It is a rising web portal, increasingly integrating features on its site which will bring to the customers everything they dream of, under one roof. An exclusive corner for bloggers, shoppers’groups, voice/video/text chat, contests, option to create and choose bargains, photo gallery and forum to discuss products and brands . What’s interesting is Retails Direct will reward its members to participate in all of these. The concept is to integrate a social networking medium with a shopping portal to give people a platform to shop and connect, at the same time.

Therefore the need of the hour is to think beyond traditional monotones. The new mantra is to connect with your audiences is to facilitate them get connected with themselves. The world, in present times is in need of some real talk. Give it to them and they make you a king of their heart. Time now climb No. 1 slot on the victory stand. Lets get geared!