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Are you someone who owns or works at a retail store? Do you have your own online business? To be successful in reaching out to customers, it is helpful to focus on incorporating both transactional marketing and relationship marketing into your operations. You will learn about making a transition from transactional marketing to relationship marketing.

Are you wondering what transactional marketing and relationship marketing are? Transactional marketing is a process that involves carrying out activities that are geared toward promoting your business, products and services to potential customers as well as trying to attract new customers to your business. Relationship marketing is a process that involves doing things that should persuade your prospects to make a purchase from you as well as things that should strengthen the relationship you have with your existing customers.

Before you can obtain customers, you must let the world know you exist and explain what you do as well as what you have to offer in comparison to your competitors; therefore, it is important that you concentrate on transactional marketing before you focus on relationship marketing. It is important that you produce effective advertising and promote yourself well.

One thing you can do for advertising is to hire someone who is qualified and educated or trained in advertising to create good television, radio, bill board and print ads for you. Another way you can advertise is to write press releases that promote your business and write articles that discuss the expertise you have in your industry or other areas in life.

Once you take care of your advertising and transactional marketing needs, you must focus on relationship marketing. The best way to make the transition from transactional marketing to relationship marketing is to exert effort into making a connection with the people who have chosen to make a purchase from you or take a look at your business.

One way you can do this is to offer freebies. If you have a web site, offer free articles or E-books about your industry and anything else that will likely interest your visitors. If you have a food business, provide free bite-sized treats. If you have customers who make a purchase frequently, let them get their items free or at a steep discount once in a while.

Another way you can make a connection with your prospects is to occasionally keep in touch with them. You can encourage them to sign up for a newsletter you send online or by mail by offering a discount or gift and then ask them how they are doing and tell them about your recent business updates when you issue your newsletter. Make sure each letter you send online is in compliance with the Can Spam Act.

Your web site must be user-friendly, easy to read and easy to navigate - it helps to provide a site map at the bottom of each page. Try to speak to your visitors in their language by using "you" often.

Show your customers you support them and value their business. Provide various prices for your goods and give customers many options to get their merchandise at a bargain, especially when times are tough. Provide a complaint department and a quick reply to all inquiries. Address all customers courteously. There should always be at least one store associate in sight.

Quickly follow up with those who buy something from you online. Ask if they are satisfied with their item. Let them have free consulting for life.

Follow these steps to make a strong transition from transactional marketing to relationship marketing!

Learn more about this author, Todd Hicks.
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