Guest Column: Building Loyalty And The Importance Of Interacting With Your Customers Online

By Dr. Gary Edwards, Executive Vice President of Client Services at Empathica, a customer experience management expert.

As more and more consumers look to the Internet for saving money and ensuring their disposable income goes further, the online market as a whole is continuing to reap the rewards.

However, as more players enter this arena, competition will only increase. Focusing on price alone will not help pure-play online and catalog retailers build customer loyalty. These businesses must interact with their customers better to entice them to return and make repeat purchases.

Of course, customers are always looking for great value, but value should not be defined as simply low prices. Online retailers need to offer better service to differentiate themselves from their competitors. It is essential that these organizations get to the root of the changes in consumer behavior and understand what consumers value most.