It goes without saying that a small business owner strives to have solid customer relationships. That is the goal of any business. But, with all the competition, especially from large competitors with more resources, small businesses can feel particularly vulnerable to poached clients, negative feedback, or lackluster sales. To help you level the playing field, we put together some tips that will help you engage and retain your customers online.

Start with the business

You have to be authentic to attract and retain customers – this is where small businesses often have an advantage over their larger competitors. Gimmicks will never do as well as real, relevant product or service offerings. Start by examining your business from the customer’s point of view. Do you know what is driving customers to you? Do you know which product or service gets the most traction? Get customer feedback and implement it. You can build engagement and retention by knowing what your customer wants and delivering it – over and over again.

Let the customer drive

Online customers are imbued with more power every day. Some business owners might feel as though there are landmines everywhere. From Twitter to Facebook to Yelp, customers can easily make their feelings known about your business. But this isn’t bad news – it is actually a positive. It gives business owners a chance to engage with customers in more ways than before. Be ready to interact with your customers wherever they “hang out” online. Consider the success of the Kogi Korean BBQ taco truck that has attracted a cult following of nearly 62,000 through Twitter because they make menus and specials available and respond to customer requests using the medium. Look for opportunities to have individualized communications, winning customer loyalty, one person at a time.

Bring them back for more

It takes a huge effort to build an online presence and then get people to find your site. But the real problem is how do you get them to come back? The best methods are often free: you can deploy a branded browser app that will remind users to visit every time they enter the browser. You should avail yourself to social media vehicles such as Twitter and Facebook to send content and specials. Email marketing newsletters that are rich in content can be captivating for an audience looking for advice and information. Done well, these tools create a sense of interaction and participation by users that drives repeat visits.

About The Guest Author: Adam Boyden, president of Conduit, is responsible for the strategic direction, marketing, business development, and U.S. operations for the company. Boyden is an expert in online and Web 2.0 marketing and a well-published author.