The longer you are doing business online, the more emails you will be getting from your customers and clients. Some will be day to day correspondence but some may be experiencing problems...

Is Something Wrong?

Would you cringe if someone sent you an email with a problem they were experiencing?

I don't.

I look at it as an important contact and an opportunity to grow. The trick is to really listen and learn.

A Wealth Of Information

Someone taking the time to write an email is potentially providing you with useful information. You just need to pay attention a bit.

By listening to what they comments and concerns are there are a variety of ways you can apply this to your benefit.

The trick is not to take things personal but instead view it as constructive feedback.

You can use this feedback to:

• Improve the performance of your site - did someone tell you your site was too slow or a form didn't work? This is valuable information to know about.
• Make it easy for them to buy - you may get feedback from someone looking to buy from you other than with Visa or Mastercard. Perhaps you need to accept checks or money orders. Make it easy for someone to pay you!
• Build relationships - your interaction via email can help build some long lasting relationships. People emailing will realize you are in fact a real person (imagine that!). They are more likely to be want to interact with you more in the future.

Your Response Time

When at all possible, you should try to respond as quickly as you can to the emails that need it. You will always impress people by responding as fast as possible.

Of course you need to prioritize things by focusing on critical issues first.

You also won't always be tied to your computer (at least I hope not).

Don't Delete Quite Yet

Don't be so quick to delete all of your emails once you are done with them. I know don't.

Instead I have folders set up in my email program to archive some of the helpful comments and suggestions I've received over time.

From time to time, I go through these folders to reference back on suggestions and comments to improve my online businesses.

By paying attention to your emails, you are likely to find many ways to improve the performance of your site and increase your profits.