The Rules: Time-Tested Secrets for Capturing (and Keeping) the Hearts of Your Customers

1. Focus on first impressions.

Just like any first date, a prospect’s initial encounter with your brand is a make-it-or-break-it moment that will set the stage for your future relationship with them (or lack thereof).

Today, more likely than not, a potential customer’s first encounter with your brand will take place virtually, either via your website or your social media profiles, so it’s critical to examine the image you’re projecting through your online presence. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes, and ask key questions like, “Am I attractive?” , “Do I look current and trendy or passé and outdated?”, “What messages am I sending?” and “Do I leave them wanting to get to know me better?”

On the Web, as well as in life, making a good first impression relies heavily on the superficial, so aesthetics and visuals are important. Take a cue from clothing company Burberry, whose site presents a stylish, modern and sophisticated online persona that creates a strong appeal to its target audience.

2. Be yourself.

Although it’s vital to make a powerful positive first impression, the foundation of any long-term relationship is honesty and transparency. Make sure every representation of your brand – from your website to your social media profiles to your sales and marketing materials – clearly conveys your core values, and be straightforward about what your prospect can expect if they choose to work with you.

While you want to put your best foot forward, don’t let your quest for a polished presence turn into pretense. Ultimately, there’s no clever catchphrase or flashy gimmick that can keep a customer’s interest for the long-haul once they see through your guise.

Show your potential customers just what your company is made of, and if it’s truly a good match for their needs, they won't be able to resist your appeal.

3. Don't make promises you can’t keep.

The old adage "actions speak louder than words" is all too true when it comes to building a lasting long-term relationship with your customers.

A slick sales pitch might get you a first date, but if you fall short in delivering on the promises you make, you won’t likely get another chance to win them back. Worse yet, your disgruntled customer will tell all their friends about their bad experience, getting you blacklisted all around.

If you want your customers to commit to you, you must commit to them with integrity and consistency. Exceed their every expectation, deliver a positive experience with every encounter and provide added value at every turn, and they’ll happily stand by you.

4. Don’t be needy.

Healthy relationships are all about balance. You want your customers to know that you’re there for them when they need you, and you want to stay at the forefront of their awareness. But just because your world revolves around them, it doesn’t mean theirs revolves around you.

When customers give you access to their inbox or their social media feed, it’s paramount that you respect the sanctity of that permission and don’t betray their trust by inundating them with unwanted marketing messages. Keep the frequency of your communication within reason, and ensure that every time you send an email or create a social media post, you’re providing content that’s of value to your customer, whether that takes the form of a special offer, an interesting article or even an entertaining video. By doing so, you’ll ensure that you maintain a consistent level of engagement without becoming an overwhelming presence that alienates their affections.

5. Don’t be afraid to say, “It’s not you; it’s me.”

Take a page from George Costanza’s book on dating and know when it’s time to walk away.

No matter how much you want to hear cash register ring, trying to force a relationship to work when it’s clearly not the right fit is detrimental to all involved.

If your product or service isn’t what your customer really needs, they’re going to be unhappy, and they’re going to point the finger at you. They’ll either assume that your product is subpar or, far worse, that your company is dishonest in its claims. That sale will end up costing your company and your brand’s reputation dearly.

Don’t waste your time chasing after Mr. Wrong, no matter how attractive he (or his wallet) may be. Instead, stay focused on serving the niche of customers whose needs are perfectly aligned with your strengths, and you’ll find your happily ever after.

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How to Steal Traffic

When you’re trying to build traffic to your site, you’ll try anything to see those numbers climb. Stop spinning your wheels and get strategic. It’s a simple logical formula. In the world of the Web marketing universe, there are already communities formed around the ideas and interests that pertain to what you do and what you sell. Your job is to find those tribes and become a part of them so that you can lead their members to your site, where – assuming you’re doing your job of publishing unique original content on a regular basis – they’ll find good reason to set up camp.

Step 1: Start with what you know.

Identify the popular websites and blogs where the types of people whose needs and interests align with your offering are hanging out, reading and interacting. Become an active participant in these communities by commenting on blogs and joining discussion forums. If you focus on adding value to the conversation, people will be naturally curious to learn more about you, and they’ll seek out your site to see what else you have to say. Just make sure to include a link in your signature so they’ll know where to find you.

Step 2: Broaden your horizons.

If you’re not making much headway in terms of getting attention and traffic in these circles, it’s time to break out of your comfort zone. Click through to other commenters’ websites and explore their blogrolls and commenter links. Eventually you’ll find yourself three or four degrees removed from your usual niche, and you’ll discover a whole new constellation of communities where you can focus your networking efforts.

Step 3: Aim for the top.

Once you’ve earned your stripes as a trusted and valued member of others’ tribes, start reaching out to those who lead them. But don’t just email them out of the blue asking them to help promote your site. Instead, show your continued interest in being a valuable member of the community. Send them a compelling original article that’s custom-tailored to their audience and the tone and personality of their site. Make sure it's flawlessly crafted, has an attention-grabbing headline and offers a distinct perspective with no wishy-washy language. By providing them with a ready-made blog post, you’ll boost your chances of scoring the exposure you desire and the opportunity to get in front of a new audience of people to whom you can demonstrate your expertise and entice to follow you back to your own home base.

Step 4: Deliver on your promises.

If you're doing all this hard-core grassroots marketing to drive traffic to your site, it’s important to ensure that first-time visitors aren't disappointed when they get there. Make sure you deliver on the high expectations you’ve created through your insightful blog comments, forum contributions and guest posts. When new visitors arrive at your site, they should discover a library of compelling cornerstone content that speaks to their interests and concerns. Find the unanswered questions that exist around your specialty offer your expert opinion. Provide real solutions to the problems that keep people up at night. Be bold and make sure you aren’t just saying the same thing as everyone else out there. Useful and unique is the name of the game. Otherwise you'll be doing all this work to reel in new readers only to let them slip away again.

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