What DO those customers value? What’s important to them?

YOu are so right – the web allows us to find out all sorts of things by “spying” on their behaviors (what they do vs. what they say). I’d love to think every customer knows what they need and want – but the real truth is they don’t.
Most people can’t articulate their true feelings.

So – there are two solutions – get more emotionally intelligent AND learn how to use analytics properly. Listen more carefully to what the customers says – and then watch more carefully to what they do.
And then – call Amy Africa and she’ll tell you what to do.

The great thing about the web is that it allows us to know/find out all sorts of things about our customers behavior — what they look at, how long they stay, what their interest is (in other words, do they start/finish the sign-up process or put something in their basket) and so on and so forth. Sadly, a lot of companies take this information and focus on the stuff that’s not important versus the things that could really move the needle in their business.

As for getting customers to love us? Since you’re the QUEEN of that, the answer is likely on customercarecoach.com or joannabrandi.com, right?

Great try – but retailers usually don’t know if and when their customers repeat in retail stores – why would they think about it on the web?

I love your thinking “Your goal is to figure out how many people are visiting again and how long it takes them to come back.” And I think that that kind of thinking will occur on the web WHEN it starts occurring everywhere else in the organization.

I still see a whole lot of “transactional” thinking in companies – looking to “close the sale” rather than “open the relationship.”

I believe the whole conversation about the customer has to change in the company before the thinking starts to come around to the “coming back.”

How many companies are only focused on sales (or as Debra so aptly says above – on “bounces”) that their energy does not go into what really matters?

When will companies understand you get what you focus on. When the thinking changes the metrics will change.

OR as Jeanne Bliss might argue – when the metrics change – the thinking will change – hmmmm.

How DO we get our customers to LOVE doing business with us – so much that they come back often, bring their friends and their money?

Now there’s an operating question!

People aren’t talking about repeat visitors and they aren’t measuring the effect of hit-&-run shoppers on their business. All customer acquisitions aren’t created equal. There is a huge difference between acquiring someone who has the potential to become a loyal customer and someone who is fulfilling a one time need. One generates ROI, the other increases costs.

Information is easier to capture and utilize than ever before. It’s a shame that more focus is on the ones who get away (bounces), than the ones who grow companies (customers).