How Online Marketing is Like a Bad Breakup

Bestselling books and blockbuster movies are continually filled with the theme of heartache. That's because most of us have, at one point or another, known the terrible, sinking feeling that comes with losing someone we love. Of course, online marketers can feel the same way when they see their best customers slipping away. While you might not feel the same kind of depression over a missing account or decreased orders that you do when you lose a lover, either one can keep you up at night wondering what went wrong. And, believe it or not, there are some similarities, both in the way you are left and what you can do about it. Here are some bad breakup tips you can use to fix your online marketing plan: Don't expect your departed customer to tell you what went wrong. You can ask all you want, but once a customer is gone, they aren't likely to give you the real reasons they left, so it's going to be up to you to figure it out on your own. The exception to this rule, of course, is when your company messed up badly enough that it's obvious to everyone why they took their business elsewhere. In those cases, learn from the experience, improve your customer service, and move on. You can learn a lot from your customer's next partner. If you really want to know why someone isn't buying from you anymore, figure out who they are buying from now. What does that vendor offer that you don't? Often, if you lose out on a big account, it isn't that difficult to find out where it went. Or, if you're noticing a trend of smaller orders dropping off, see if you can find out which of your competitors is benefiting the most. Either way, you'll learn something about what they are offering that you can't match. Sometimes it really is about the simple things. Differences in price, a more competitive product, a cleaner online reputation, or even better site layouts and navigation structures can all be obvious reasons that a customer might stop responding to your online marketing efforts. The answers are usually simpler than we think, so look for the big explanations first. Losing customers is tough, but the pain doesn't last forever. Follow these tips, find out why your online business isn't stacking up, and then use the knowledge to either win your buyers back or find new ones. And if you want even more powerful tools to bring in those new clients, or find the lost ones, Give us a call at Business Builders. We'd love to hlep.