Customers.com is the book that launched Dave 2.0! It moved my mindset out of the old economy and into the new economy. It provided a bridge for me to understand the transition from doing business brick and mortar style to conducting business over the Internet. Author Patricia Seybold published this book in 1998. I am not qualified to comment on various Web site's technical aspects and how far they have evolved since 1998, but Seybold's philosophy on how to take care of a customer via the Internet hasn't changed one bit. It still is the best I've ever read.
Seybold outlines the following competencies and success factors for doing business in cyberspace:
- Target the right customers
- Own the customer's total experience
- Streamline business processes that impact the customer
- Provide a 360-degree view of the customer relationship
- Let customers help themselves
- Help customers do their jobs
- Deliver personalized service
- Foster community
Seybold then provides two different case studies for each of the above factors. She uses companies like American Airlines, Babson College, Dell, Cisco and Amazon as examples. Case studies consist of business processes, technical infrastructure, best practices and Seybold's recommendation for action. This book is written for both techies and biz folks.
The case study on Tripod.com actually inspired me and two others to launch a Web site in 1999, designed to acquire, nurture and grow a community within the air conditioning industry. It was a wild ride for the first two years but we were never able to make money, although that really was never the intent. (Que lastima, where was Ad Sense then?)
Pick up a copy and read Customers.com.
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