In this article, I want to talk about the basic idea of being honest. The internet is a great place to do business, but the constant flow of spyware, malware, and spam can make it awful and very frustrating for the average user. I am shocked, but not surprised, that businesses use spam and popups to try to sell their products. It doesn't come as a surprise because these business methods do work. Anyone who has worked in this field for a while knows that traffic is the most important thing.
When I've dealt with customers, I've always found that they've been honest back. Even though I won't make a lot of money right away, I'll know I did the right thing when I look in the mirror in the morning. I would rather have a customer for life than a customer who only buys my product once because I tricked them into it. It's not always about making the most money. It should be about the value of the service and the product. In the past couple of years, I've built more computers than I've cleaned up computers that were completely full of viruses, trojans, and spam. "I just want to be able to use my computer without having to worry about viruses, trojans, and updates!" is the most common complaint. Do I make money from business practices that aren't right? Yes, I do when I clean up a computer for an hour. Do I spend time teaching the user? You bet I do! After I clean up or build a computer for a client, I talk to them for an hour to two hours. Do I lose money if I do these things? Yes, I do, but the customer respects me, and they will always come back.
One of the biggest problems with doing business online is that we don't always get to meet our customers in person. Still, there are ways to get around this that will make your customer happy and bring you more business. It doesn't cost much to call someone and say thanks for doing business with you. Sending a thank-you card doesn't cost much. I think we sometimes forget that email is not the only way to talk to each other. Since spam is so common, it isn't always the best way to talk either. The internet can feel very cold at times. When we try to sell something or run a business online, it is hard to do so in an ethical way. Is it possible to give away too much and get back too little? When we give advice or tips to a customer, we always take that chance. Over time, I can promise that word will spread, and your business will get a core group of customers who like what you do and will tell others.
In the fast-paced world of chain stores, it's hard to run a small business. We can't give huge discounts like the big chain stores, but we can give good service for the price.
