Released on: September 19, 2007, 10:41 am

Press Release Author: Evan Carmichael Communications Group

Industry: Small Business

Press Release Summary: Would a doctor be willing to hand over the stethoscope to his
patients and let them diagnose each other? If he did, few of them would likely ever
return. How about a pilot who trades his cockpit chair for a seat in coach and lets
a passenger fly? There would undoubtedly be a public uproar. But when it comes to
small business owners, entrepreneurship expert Evan Carmichael believes they are in
a class all their own.

Press Release Body: TORONTO, CA - September 19, 2007 - Would a doctor be willing to
hand over the stethoscope to his patients and let them diagnose each other? If he
did, few of them would likely ever return. How about a pilot who trades his cockpit
chair for a seat in coach and lets a passenger fly? There would undoubtedly be a
public uproar. But when it comes to small business owners, entrepreneurship expert
Evan Carmichael believes they are in a class all their own.
There are few entrepreneurs left who have yet to venture online and discover the
vast possibilities that exist therein. But are they really grasping the power of the
Internet to its fullest potential? Carmichael says no.
"Nowadays, every businessman and his dog have a website," he says, "but most are
failing to take advantage of their greatest resource -their customers."
Carmichael points to Flickr, one of the world's most popular online photo management
sites, as an example of what he means.
"Flickr has a very active user forum in which members will often answer each other's
questions," he says. "They're saving Flickr staff time in not having to research and
respond to all of the questions themselves, and by and large, their answers are
exactly what the users wanted to know."
Letting customers help themselves is one of the latest trends being embraced by
online businesses, and there are a variety of ways to do it.
"First, like I said, websites need to have forums where customers can post any
questions they have or answer others they might know," says Carmichael. "Not only
does this save time, but it also helps build trust and loyalty among your customers
and keeps them engaged in your company." To that end, he suggests using product
giveaways to encourage user support and reward those members who are the most active
online.
Carmichael also finds the use of a FAQs page (Frequently Asked Questions) helpful,
but with a twist: "FAQ pages are often the first page people go to for help. To
really engage your customers, make it a wiki and give them the power to edit the
page themselves."
Finally, with the massive growth of all things instant messaging, Carmichael
suggests the incorporation of an instant chat application on websites. "Make it
possible for customers to see who else is online at the same time and send instant
messages," he says. "That way, you can make customer service something both fun and
convenient."
But just how ready and willing are customers to spend their time online helping each
other? And what if the answers they give are actually wrong?
"Obviously, there still needs to be some moderating of your site to make sure every
question gets answered, and answered correctly," says Carmichael. "But for the most
part, customers like to share their own experiences and there is never anything
wrong about that."
So, while a doctor or pilot might get sued for taking a step back and giving up
control to the customer, entrepreneurs face a different fate. "It's not an easy
thing for us to do," says Carmichael, "but give up the reins and watch your
customers rule!"
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Evan Carmichael is available for an interview. Please contact him at
evan@evancarmichael.com.

Evan is an entrepreneur and international speaker. Evan\'s website, href=\"http://www.evancarmichael.com/\">http://www.evancarmichael.com/ is the
world\'s #1 website for small business motivation and strategies. With over 160,000
monthly visitors, 1,350 contributing authors, and 25,500 pages of content no website
shares more profiles of famous entrepreneurs and inspires more small business owners
than EvanCarmichael.com. Evan has been interviewed by newspapers, radio stations,
and television stations including The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, Metro,
CHUM FM, CityTV, Global TV, OMNI TV, Enterprise, and the Toronto Sun.


Web Site: http://www.evancarmichael.com

Contact Details: Evan Carmichael Communications Group
http://www.evancarmichael.com