I run an online business and would like to share my experiences with you. I didn't know many of these techniques existed from day one, but after many years of trial and error – they are very true.

In order to create a successful online experience for your customers, you need to cover a few bases. The first is your site needs to look appealing to your customers. A customer comes to your site and either likes what they see, or goes to the next site in a matter of seconds. You need to have a great first-impression. Even if you have to hire a web designer to create this great first impression, it will pay dividends later on. As with a store front, no one wants to walk into a shack. A nicely organized site is required. You do not want to frustrate your customers during the first 10 seconds of their search, only to have them leave. You may have the product that they want, but it doesn't matter if they can't find it.

Your nice site is completed; it is time to start creating a customer base. Your number one goal for creating a customer base is trust. A nicely designed site adds instant trust to a potential customers mind. The second avenue of trust is you detailing every step of your ordering process, return processes, and any other process that you may feel is needed. My technique is – let them know everything. If you truly have nothing to hide, you can tell the customer almost anything, someone will read it and appreciate it. This includes adding as many images as possible of the products. Customers like to see what they are receiving. If you can provide them a preview of this, they will be more likely to buy from your business.

To further add trust, you need to be consistent. Consistency comes in the form of responding to e-mails within just a few hours (or minutes) of them being sent. A customer doesn't want to wait for a response; they want to hear from you as soon as they send the mail. A fast responding site owner will create a happy customer each and every time. Even if they do not order a product after you answered your question, you remain in their radar for a future purchase. A quick email response can even add enough trust for them to recommend your site to their friend – a free advertising medium within itself!

Another way to add trust is to list a phone number on your site. Not everyone wants to e-mail and most people do not feel confident that they are giving their money to a site that only has an e-mail listed. Many customers feel that it is much easier to ignore you questions via e-mail then it is to ignore your questions by calling them. A phone number gives the customer a basis of trust, an avenue for them to check on their order if needed. Every little bit helps! If you are just starting out, you absolutely need a phone number listed on your site. This may be difficult from day one, but it is highly recommended from my experiences.

Professionalism is very important. If you aren't the best at typing the English language, call the customer and speak to them one on one. You need to sign their name first, and sign every e-mail with a signature of some sort. Use correct grammar and punctuate every word correctly. No one likes trying to read broken English, especially when money is on the line.

A third way to add trust is to be on time. As with a real brick and mortar company, one that is on time lets the customer know that you care about them, thus adding more trust. This includes not only answering e-mails, but sending the product when you say it will be sent. Having the product arrive on time, in the stated condition should be a number one priority. Keep track of when the product was shipped, so if an issue arises, you will know when it was shipped and you do not have to rely on your memory. Assign the customer an order number, so when they call to reorder or check on their order status, you can simply ask their order number. Simplifying the process as much as possible is the key to being productive. A high-tech system isn't needed if you are just starting out, but keep track of every detail!

Finally, you need to promote your website. Finding your website doesn't happen magically once your site has been created. Much like promoting a store front store, you need to promote your online business on other sites. This can mean submitting your site to search engines, paying for banner advertising and even pay-per-click advertising programs. I won't go into detail about each program, but these are the major avenues of promotion that you can take on.

Remember, it takes time to hone your business. You won't learn it over night and you will definitely not be the best in a week or even a year. You may lose customers in the beginning, but that is part of the learning process. Learn from your mistakes and keep your head up. The Internet is a huge place; there is always room for your product even if someone else is making it. The difference comes down to service. One site can have a great product, but with no service, customers will stray from the site and maybe come to yours! Top quality service and a top quality product will result in more customers each and everytime. Word of mouth is free!