How many times have you received an order from a customer who notes that they were referred by a friend? According to Guerrilla Marketing Expert Jay Conrad Levinson, this is due to a simple marketing truth -- "people dislike admitting that they are affected by marketing", so they will often give credit to a friend. In addition, there is no disputing the power of referrals -- and these are most likely to be received within 30 days of the original sale.

What can we learn from these truths?
We need to work diligently to provide phenomenal customer service, thus promoting word of mouth referrals
We need to create situations that provide viral marketing opportunities.

If you watch primetime television, chances are you've noticed an increase in credit card company commercials. The trend of offering Customer Loyalty programs has been on

a huge upswing -- with card companies offering cash back incentives, frequent flyer miles, etc. By fine tuning this principle to suit your own needs, you can create your own Customer Loyalty program with annual rebate programs, preferred customer discounts, and referral bonuses. All of these concepts offer a minimal cost to the business owner, but offer the opportunity to reap big rewards.

Having a business online has certain viral marketing advantages built right into it. For instance, if your shopping cart program allows for it, consider taking advantage of suggestive selling tactics. If your customer is buying packaging, do they need shrink bands? If they are buying a candle, do they need a wick trimmer as well? Think of these as your equivalent to the area next to the cash register at your favorite discount retailer -- and use this to your advantage.