Most developers in our market sector are rather small shops with a rather strong brand identity-its not just Binary Clock for Palm OS, its a Tamoggemon product..

And indeed, seeing customers as a one-shot is a very, very shortsighted move. While supporting existiung customers with newsletters, forums, FAQ databases and demos is a expensive move, it helps you establish a ‘relation’ to the customer.

If you send a newsletter along with a discount code for repeating customers, there is a chance that a few percent of the customers will jump at the opportunity. If you integrate customers into the beta test(Art of Beta Testing), they feel that their product is ‘their own’. If you let customers interact about their products in forums you provide and manage, they will use your program more.

This relation really pays out(see Apple). If a customer is happy with, say AutoSync, there is a rather high chance that he will choose another Tamoggemon Product when he has to decide about brands.

Thanks go to Seth Godin for the impulse!

Original Source: TamsPalm-the Palm OS Blog